A lineage-specific Exo70 is required for receptor kinase-mediated immunity in barley.

Holden, Samuel; Bergum, Molly; Green, Phon; Bettgenhaeuser, Jan; Hernández-Pinzón, Inmaculada; Thind, Anupriya; Clare, Shaun; Russell, James M et al. · Sci Adv · 2022

basic_science · Level V

Where this comes from

Abstract

In the evolution of land plants, the plant immune system has experienced expansion in immune receptor and signaling pathways. Lineage-specific expansions have been observed in diverse gene families that are potentially involved in immunity but lack causal association. Here, we show that <i>Rps8</i>-mediated resistance in barley to the pathogen <i>Puccinia striiformis</i> f. sp. <i>tritici</i> (wheat stripe rust) is conferred by a genetic module: <i>Pur1</i> and <i>Exo70FX12</i>, which are together necessary and sufficient. <i>Pur1</i> encodes a leucine-rich repeat receptor kinase and is the ortholog of rice <i>Xa21</i>, and Exo70FX12 belongs to the Poales-specific Exo70FX clade. The Exo70FX clade emerged after the divergence of the Bromeliaceae and Poaceae and comprises from 2 to 75 members in sequenced grasses. These results demonstrate the requirement of a lineage-specific Exo70FX12 in Pur1-mediated immunity and suggest that the Exo70FX clade may have evolved a specialized role in receptor kinase signaling.