据2月20日的《科学》杂志报道说，对保护小麦不染上真菌疾病的基因的新的了解可以帮助植物育种工作者研发出抗病能力更强的小麦品种。Simon Krattinger及其同僚说，真菌疾病是全世界各地种植的小麦和其它谷类作物的一个主要威胁。对农夫来说，利润最大而且最为环保的策略就是种具有抗病基因的小麦品种。某些小麦品种携带一些天然的抗病基因，而两项新的研究发现了某些这类基因的分子学基础。Krattinger及其同僚利用与其它禾本植物基因组进行比较的方法来克隆并分析Lr34基因，该基因已知可以赋予植株抵抗三种破坏力最强的小麦真菌性致病原，即小麦叶锈病、条锈病和白粉病。Daolin Fu及其同僚也以类似的方法克隆了Yr36基因，该基因帮助野生小麦抵御条锈病，但该基因却在用来制作面包和意大利面食的人工种植的小麦中丧失了。这2种基因或多或少提供给植株抵抗某些真菌性致病原的能力，而真菌看来却无法演化出相应的反应。（生物谷Bioon.com）
生物谷推荐原始出处：
Science DOI: 10.1126/science.1166453
A Putative ABC Transporter Confers Durable Resistance to Multiple Fungal Pathogens in Wheat
Simon G. Krattinger 1, Evan S. Lagudah 2*, Wolfgang Spielmeyer 2, Ravi P. Singh 3, Julio Huerta-Espino 4, Helen McFadden 5, Eligio Bossolini 6, Liselotte L. Selter 1, Beat Keller 1*
1 Institute of Plant Biology, University of Zurich, Zollikerstrasse 107, 8008 Zurich, Switzerland.
2 CSIRO Plant Industry, GPO Box 1600, Canberra, ACT, 2601, Australia.
3 CIMMYT, Apdo. Postal 6-641, 06600 Mexico DF, Mexico.
4 Campo Experimental Valle de Mexico INIFAP, Apdo. Postal 10, 56230 Chapingo, Edo de Mexico, Mexico.
5 CSIRO Plant Industry, GPO Box 1600, Canberra, ACT, 2601, Australia.; Present address: Science and Research Division, Department of Innovation, Industry, Science and Research, Industry House Level 6, 10 Binara Street, Canberra, ACT, 2601, Australia.
6 Institute of Plant Biology, University of Zurich, Zollikerstrasse 107, 8008 Zurich, Switzerland.; Present address: Institute of Plant Sciences, University of Bern, 3013 Bern, Switzerland.
Agricultural crops benefit from resistance to pathogens that endures over years and generations of both pest and crop. Durable disease resistance, which may be partial or complete, can be controlled by several genes. Some of the most devastating fungal pathogens in wheat are leaf rust, stripe rust, and powdery mildew. The wheat gene Lr34 has supported resistance to these pathogens for over 50 years. Lr34 is now shared by wheat cultivars around the world. Here, we show that the LR34 protein resembles ATP-binding cassette transporters of the pleiotropic drug resistance subfamily. Alleles of Lr34 conferring resistance or susceptibility differ by three genetic polymorphisms. The Lr34 gene, which functions in the adult plant, stimulates senescence-like processes in the flag leaf tips and edges.
