S. Asuke

Direct binding of a fungal effector by the wheat RWT4 tandem kinase activates defense

The paper shows RWT4, a wheat tandem kinase, directly binds the fungal effector AvrPWT4, triggering defense responses through kinase activity and structural features.

Evolution of wheat blast resistance gene Rmg8 accompanied by differentiation of variants recognizing the powdery mildew fungus

The paper traces the evolutionary origin of wheat blast resistance gene Rmg8 and shows its ability to recognize both wheat blast and powdery mildew pathogens.

Breeding of a near-isogenic wheat line resistant to wheat blast at both seedling and heading stages through incorporation of Rmg8

This study introduces Rmg8 into a wheat cultivar to create near-isogenic lines resistant to wheat blast at both seedling and heading stages, showing broader resistance than existing genetic resources.

A pandemic clonal lineage of the wheat blast fungus

The paper identifies a pandemic clonal lineage of the wheat blast fungus that originated in South America and spread to Asia and Africa, showing it can be controlled by Rmg8 but may develop fungicide resistance and recombine with African lineages.

A wheat kinase and immune receptor form the host-specificity barrier against the blast fungus

The paper identifies two wheat resistance genes that act as host-specificity barriers against the blast fungus and describes assays to incorporate these genes into wheat cultivars.