Plant diseases pose a major threat to global crop production and food security. Plants have evolved several layers of protection against microbial colonization. The main plant resistance mechanisms can be attributed to: (i) cell-surface receptors that perceive pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs) and activate PAMP triggered immunity (PTI); (ii) intracellular immune receptors that recognize pathogen effectors and activate effector-triggered immunity (ETI); (iii) broad-spectrum partial disease resistance regulated by various molecular pathways.
Genes encoding cell-surface and intracellular immune receptors are bred into commercial crops for sustainable and effective management of diseases. Over the past three decades, remarkable progresses have been achieved in resistance genes discovery and dissection of the molecular mechanisms underlying plant immunity. These discoveries together with advances in DNA sequencing, molecular marker and gene editing will facilitate the rapid breeding of food crops for disease resistance.
The utilization of ETI, the major class of disease resistance, in breeding programs is vulnerable to rapid evolution of resistance-breaking races of pathogens. However, the use of broad-spectrum partial resistance genes that are durable is a big challenge due to limited number of genes available and the inability to understand their mechanisms completely. Crop wild relatives are promising genetic resources for novel and highly effective resistance. But requires a comprehensive strategy to rapidly exploit these R-genes for in-depth understanding of their mechanisms and for deployment into commercial crop cultivars. The recent advances in new genomic technologies and tools can help to discovery R-genes and elucidate mechanisms underlying disease resistance in crops.
This themed article collection will include all types of research papers and review articles describing the latest advances in immune responses of crop species (especially wild relatives) to diseases and their application in breeding programs using modern genomic tools. We particularly welcome manuscripts that cover, but are not limited to:
• Genetic diversity and evaluation of disease resistance in crop wild relatives
• Mapping, candidate analysis, cloning, and functional analysis of R-genes
• Allelic diversity, population genetic, and evolution of host resistance genes
• Multi-omics approaches to understand the molecular basis of disease resistance
• Identification and functional validation of disease-resistance related genes/pathways
• Creation of new germplasms by wide hybridizations, mutagenesis and gene editing
• Marker-assisted selection or pyramiding of R-genes for crop resistance breeding
Plant diseases pose a major threat to global crop production and food security. Plants have evolved several layers of protection against microbial colonization. The main plant resistance mechanisms can be attributed to: (i) cell-surface receptors that perceive pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs) and activate PAMP triggered immunity (PTI); (ii) intracellular immune receptors that recognize pathogen effectors and activate effector-triggered immunity (ETI); (iii) broad-spectrum partial disease resistance regulated by various molecular pathways.
Genes encoding cell-surface and intracellular immune receptors are bred into commercial crops for sustainable and effective management of diseases. Over the past three decades, remarkable progresses have been achieved in resistance genes discovery and dissection of the molecular mechanisms underlying plant immunity. These discoveries together with advances in DNA sequencing, molecular marker and gene editing will facilitate the rapid breeding of food crops for disease resistance.
The utilization of ETI, the major class of disease resistance, in breeding programs is vulnerable to rapid evolution of resistance-breaking races of pathogens. However, the use of broad-spectrum partial resistance genes that are durable is a big challenge due to limited number of genes available and the inability to understand their mechanisms completely. Crop wild relatives are promising genetic resources for novel and highly effective resistance. But requires a comprehensive strategy to rapidly exploit these R-genes for in-depth understanding of their mechanisms and for deployment into commercial crop cultivars. The recent advances in new genomic technologies and tools can help to discovery R-genes and elucidate mechanisms underlying disease resistance in crops.
This themed article collection will include all types of research papers and review articles describing the latest advances in immune responses of crop species (especially wild relatives) to diseases and their application in breeding programs using modern genomic tools. We particularly welcome manuscripts that cover, but are not limited to:
• Genetic diversity and evaluation of disease resistance in crop wild relatives
• Mapping, candidate analysis, cloning, and functional analysis of R-genes
• Allelic diversity, population genetic, and evolution of host resistance genes
• Multi-omics approaches to understand the molecular basis of disease resistance
• Identification and functional validation of disease-resistance related genes/pathways
• Creation of new germplasms by wide hybridizations, mutagenesis and gene editing
• Marker-assisted selection or pyramiding of R-genes for crop resistance breeding
