Australia: New wheat pathogen gene could help develop varieties resistant to fungal diseases
Wheat
Australia
Published Jan 17, 2022
Original content
Australian and European researchers have discovered a gene in a common wheat pathogen that could help optimize the selection of disease-resistant wheat crops, according to phys.org. Researchers at the Center for Crop and Disease Control (CCDM), Curtin University, together with staff from CSIRO, the Max Planck Institute of Germany and the University of Neuchâtel Switzerland, have discovered a variable genetic element in the wheat fungus pathogen that causes septoria blotch (SNB) on wheat. It turned out that this element has the ability to control the production of Tox1, a toxic molecule produced by the pathogen after infection and is responsible for serious damage to wheat varieties. The team also found that this genetic element differs in the amount of Tox1 production in pathogen strains from different regions, helping breeders prioritize gene removal based on the environment they are targeting. Dr. Evan John, a CCDM researcher, said he helped discover the element as part of his ...
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