Mechanisms of evolution of hypervirulent isolates of the wheat blast fungus and identification of resistance genes against it

2020 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 17H01462
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (A)
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Plant protection science
• Research Institution: Kobe University
• Principal Investigator: TOSA Yukio 神戸大学, 農学研究科, 教授 (20172158)
• Project Period (FY): 2017-04-01 – 2021-03-31
• Keywords: Pyricularia oryzae / Magnaporthe oryzae / wheat blast / wheat / effector / resistance gene

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Wheat blast is a devastating disease that first arose in Brazil in 1985, then spread to neighboring countries in South America, to Asia (Bangladesh) in 2016, and to Africa (Zambia) in 2018. In the present study, we identified two factors involved in the development of hypervirulent isolates. Also, we screened about 520 local landraces of common wheat collected worldwide, and found a highly resistance line, GR119. Genetic analyses revealed that GR119 carried two resistance genes. One was Rmg8 which was previously identified in our laboratory, but the other was a new gene. The new gene was tentatively designated as RmgGR119. These two genes operated additively, and were effective against wheat blast isolates prevailing in Bangladesh.

Free Research Field

植物病理学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

コムギいもち病は、最初ブラジルで発生し周辺諸国に広がった後、2016年バングラデシュ、2017-2018年にザンビアと、世界に拡大し始め、パンデミック病となる様相を呈している。本研究では、すでに同定していた抵抗性遺伝子Rmg8が、バングラデシュで有効であることを示した。また、新規抵抗性遺伝子RmgGR119を同定することができた。これらの遺伝子は本病害の抑制に極めて有効であると考えられる。