據2月20日的《科學》雜志報道說,，對保護小麥不染上真菌疾病的基因的新的了解可以幫助植物育種工作者研發(fā)出抗病能力更強的小麥品種,。Simon Krattinger及其同僚說,，真菌疾病是全世界各地種植的小麥和其它谷類作物的一個主要威脅,。對農夫來說，利潤最大而且最為環(huán)保的策略就是種具有抗病基因的小麥品種,。某些小麥品種攜帶一些天然的抗病基因,，而兩項新的研究發(fā)現(xiàn)了某些這類基因的分子學基礎。Krattinger及其同僚利用與其它禾本植物基因組進行比較的方法來克隆并分析Lr34基因,，該基因已知可以賦予植株抵抗三種破壞力最強的小麥真菌性致病原,，即小麥葉銹病、條銹病和白粉病,。Daolin Fu及其同僚也以類似的方法克隆了Yr36基因,，該基因幫助野生小麥抵御條銹病，但該基因卻在用來制作面包和意大利面食的人工種植的小麥中喪失了,。這2種基因或多或少提供給植株抵抗某些真菌性致病原的能力,，而真菌看來卻無法演化出相應的反應。（生物谷Bioon.com）
生物谷推薦原始出處：
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.
