Natural variation in BnaA07.MKK9 confers resistance to Sclerotinia stem rot in oilseed rape.
basic_science · Level V
Where this comes from
- Record sourced from PubMed, PMID 38871727.
- Also identified by DOI 10.1038/s41467-024-49504-6 and PMC identifier 11176195.
- Licence recorded as CC BY.
- The licence permits redistribution, so the abstract is shown in full and the full text is available from the publisher.
Abstract
Sclerotinia stem rot (SSR), caused by the necrotrophic fungus Sclerotinia sclerotiorum, is one of the most devastating diseases for several major oil-producing crops. Despite its impact, the genetic basis of SSR resistance in plants remains poorly understood. Here, through a genome-wide association study, we identify a key gene, BnaA07. MKK9, that encodes a mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase that confers SSR resistance in oilseed rape. Our functional analyses reveal that BnaA07.MKK9 interacts with BnaC03.MPK3 and BnaC03.MPK6 and phosphorylates them at the TEY activation motif, triggering a signaling cascade that initiates biosynthesis of ethylene, camalexin, and indole glucosinolates, and promotes accumulation of H<sub>2</sub>O<sub>2</sub> and the hypersensitive response, ultimately conferring resistance. Furthermore, variations in the coding sequence of BnaA07.MKK9 alter its kinase activity and improve SSR resistance by ~30% in cultivars carrying the advantageous haplotype. These findings enhance our understanding of SSR resistance and may help engineer novel diversity for future breeding of oilseed rape.
Medical subject headings
- Ascomycota
- Plant Diseases
- Disease Resistance
- Plant Proteins
- Brassica napus
- Genome-Wide Association Study