This wheat gene helps fight a devastating grain fungus
Crop Improvement
The bread, pasta, and cereal on your table depend on wheat crops that lose billions of dollars yearly to a fungus this gene helps fend off.
Wheat plants carry a whole family of related genes, and researchers mapped out every member across the wheat genome to see what each one does. They found that one particular gene acts like a defender against fusarium head blight, a fungal disease that attacks wheat heads and leaves behind toxins unsafe for eating, meaning breeders could use this gene to develop tougher, safer wheat varieties.
Key Findings
1
Researchers conducted a genome-wide identification of the ADP-ribosylation factor (ARF) gene family across the wheat genome.
2
The gene TaARFB1b-A was functionally characterized and linked to wheat's resistance against fusarium head blight.
3
The findings point to a specific gene target that could inform future wheat breeding for disease resistance.
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Technical Summary
Scientists identified a gene family in wheat and found that one specific gene, TaARFB1b-A, helps the plant resist fusarium head blight, a fungal disease that devastates wheat crops and contaminates grain with toxins.
Wheat is a group of wild and domesticated grasses of the genus Triticum. As cereals, they are cultivated for their grains, which are staple foods around the world. Well-known wheat species and hybrids include the most widely grown common wheat, spelt, durum, emmer, einkorn, and Khorasan or Kamut....
