The rust effector PstCFEM2 manipulates TaHA2- and TaCIPK9-mediated apoplastic acidification to promote wheat susceptibility.
Zhang Y, Guo S, Yu L, Lin Y, Liu H
Crispr
Scientists discovered how a wheat-infecting rust fungus hijacks a plant protein to increase infection susceptibility. Using CRISPR gene editing to disable this protein, researchers created wheat with broad-spectrum rust resistance and normal crop productivity.
Key Findings
1
The fungal effector PstCFEM2 activates the wheat protein TaHA2, amplifying apoplastic acidification and promoting rust susceptibility
2
The effector blocks TaCIPK9-mediated phosphorylation of TaHA2, which normally suppresses the protein's activity
3
CRISPR-Cas9 knockout of TaHA2 confers broad-spectrum resistance against multiple rust pathogens without compromising agronomic traits
description
Abstract Preview
Apoplastic acidification represents a pivotal mechanism in the co-evolutionary dynamics between plants and pathogens. However, the mechanisms underlying this process remain largely uncharacterized....
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....
