Two complementary NLRs from wild emmer wheat confer powdery mildew resistance

Zuhuan Yang, Nannan Liu, Xiaoming Xie, Wenxin Wei, Yuhan Bai, Junna Sun, Wei Pan, Jiatian Yang, Weidong Wang, Xiaodong Xie, Muhammad Saqlain, Houyang Kang, Baoyun Li, Zhaorong Hu, Jinying Gou, Weilong Guo, Susheng Song, Jun Ma, Tzion Fahima, Qixin Sun, Lina Qiu (), Yinghui Li () and Chaojie Xie ()
Additional contact information
Zuhuan Yang: China Agricultural University
Nannan Liu: China Agricultural University
Xiaoming Xie: China Agricultural University
Wenxin Wei: China Agricultural University
Yuhan Bai: Capital Normal University
Junna Sun: China Agricultural University
Wei Pan: China Agricultural University
Jiatian Yang: China Agricultural University
Weidong Wang: China Agricultural University
Xiaodong Xie: Tianjin Agricultural University
Muhammad Saqlain: Sichuan Agricultural University
Houyang Kang: Sichuan Agricultural University
Baoyun Li: China Agricultural University
Zhaorong Hu: China Agricultural University
Jinying Gou: China Agricultural University
Weilong Guo: China Agricultural University
Susheng Song: Capital Normal University
Jun Ma: China Agricultural University
Tzion Fahima: Mt
Qixin Sun: China Agricultural University
Lina Qiu: Tianjin Agricultural University
Yinghui Li: Sichuan Agricultural University
Chaojie Xie: China Agricultural University

Nature Communications, 2025, vol. 16, issue 1, 1-14

Abstract: Abstract Powdery mildew is a devastating disease that affects wheat yield and quality globally. Here, we identify a powdery mildew resistance locus MlIW39 from wild emmer wheat through map-based cloning, mutagenesis, and stable genetic transformation. Unlike many other cloned Pm genes, the MlIW39-mediated resistance is conferred by the combined effect of two complementary nucleotide-binding and leucine-rich repeat (NLR) genes, encoding a canonical coiled-coil (CC) type NLR protein (MlIW39-R1) and an atypical NLR protein (MlIW39-R2) with an unknown domain (CC-like), respectively. Overexpression of the NLR pair induces cell death in Nicotiana benthamiana, whereas MlIW39-R1 or MlIW39-R2 alone does not. The MlIW39-R1 and MlIW39-R2 proteins physically interact with each other. MlIW39-R1 and MlIW39-R2 likely originate independently and become neighborly located during evolution. Our findings shed light on the significance of NLR pairs in plant immunity and can facilitate wheat disease-resistance breeding using the developed MlIW39 introgression lines and functional marker.

Date: 2025
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DOI: 10.1038/s41467-025-64052-3

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