A new study has revealed that certain resistance genes in wheat can be paired together to provide a stronger immunity response to the crop's primary nemesis: powdery mildew.
Researchers exploring nucleotide-binding and leucine-rich repeat (NLR) immune receptors found that two particular types of resistance (R) and powdery mildew (Pm) genes can work particularly well together to fight off the disease.
Healthy plants are key to helping end global hunger, protecting the environment, and supporting economic development, a 2022 report from the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) explained. They make up 80% of the food we eat and provide 98% of the oxygen we breathe.
Wheat is a particularly critical staple, providing sustenance for more than one-third of the world's population, as the study detailed. But a fungal leaf disease called powdery mildew can be disastrous for the crop.
The disease has several fast life cycles every growing season, affecting yield and grain quality. Plus, it's hard to control once established.
To help fend off powdery mildew, two tightly linked NLR genes called RXL and Pm5e can work together in a hetero-complex form, with each adding something unique to the process rather than both of them doing the same work.
"Here, we reveal that RXL and Pm5e, which are tightly linked and in a head-to-head orientation in the genome, function as an NLR pair to mediate powdery mildew resistance in wheat," the authors wrote.
"Significantly, RXL and Pm5e encode atypical CNL proteins that predominantly form heterocomplexes rather than homocomplexes, highlighting their collaborative role in bolstering disease resistance mechanisms."
Human activities, the changing climate, and extreme weather events have been affecting harvests across the globe, spurring price increases and crop yield losses. Altogether this reinforces the need for more research.
|
What motivates you to wash your clothes in cold water?
Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. |
Saves money 💰 The FAO is also trying to raise awareness about how much humans depend on plants, especially for food security. They're funding research efforts that aim to find more resilient and sustainable options for our dietary needs.
TCD Picks » Upway Spotlight
💡Upway makes it easy to find discounts of up to 60% on premium e-bike brands
"We need to continue raising the global profile of plant health to transform agrifood systems to be more efficient, more inclusive, more resilient and more sustainable," FAO Director-General QU Dongyu explained.
The new discovery that the RXL and Pm5e genes can pair together for increased resilience against this wheat-crop epidemic is just one piece in the puzzle that could lead to increased yields and more secure harvests in the future.
Join our free newsletter for weekly updates on the latest innovations improving our lives and shaping our future, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
Cool Picks
