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Evans Lagudah and colleagues report that variation in a gene encoding a hexose transporter confers resistance to multiple pathogens in wheat. They further show that the variant protein encoded by the resistance allele exerts a dominant-negative effect by heterodimerizing with functional hexose transporters, resulting in reduced glucose uptake.

Wheat stem rust resistance gene Sr6-mediated resistance is enhanced at lower temperatures whereas Sr13 and Sr21 resistances are enhanced at higher temperatures. Here, the authors clone Sr6 and show the divergent molecular pathways governing temperature-dependent resistance among these genes.

A method for rapid cloning of plant disease-resistance genes could provide sustainable, genetic solutions to crop pests and pathogens in place of agrichemicals.

Rph7 is a previously mapped barley leaf rust resistance locus, but the causal resistance gene remains unclear. Here, combining a fine mapping approach with RNA-Seq based analysis, the authors clone Rph7 and show it encodes putative NAC transcription factor containing a C-terminal BED domain.

Among all wheat rust resistance genes, SR9 has the largest number of alleles. Here, the authors use gene cloning, complementation and comparative genetics to resolve the relationship among Sr9 alleles, confirm their allelic identities, and show that a single amino acid change leads to resistance to Ug99.

The tall wheat grass-derived stem rust resistance genes Sr26 and Sr61 are among a few ones that are effective to all current dominant races of stem rust, including Ug99. Here, the authors show that the two genes are present in a small non-recombinogenic segment but encode two unrelated NLR proteins.

Stem rust is an important disease of wheat and resistance present in some cultivars can be suppressed by the SuSr-D1 locus. Here the authors show that SuSr-D1 encodes a subunit of the Mediator Complex and that nonsense mutations are sufficient to abolish suppression and confer stem rust resistance.

Analysis of 46 newly sequenced or re-sequenced Tausch’s goatgrass (Aegilops tauschii) accessions establishes the origin of the bread wheat (Triticum aestivum) D genome from genetically and geographically discrete Ae. tauschii subpopulations.

The integration of omics technologies, genome editing and protein design with artificial intelligence (AI) promises rapid advances in the field of crop improvement that will improve global food security.

Fhb1 is the most effective and most widely deployed source of durable resistance against Fusarium graminearum, a devastating toxin-producing fungal pathogen affecting wheat. Two new studies identify Fhb1 as an atypical disease resistance gene; this discovery is expected to fuel discussion on the molecular nature of this important disease-resistance locus.

Wheat stem rust is a devastating fungal disease, especially since the emergence of the virulent Ug99 lineage. An efficient resistance gene, encoding a CC–NB–LRR, is identified in a highly diverse locus of rye, and is effective against Ug99.

Exploring the diversity of the wild progenitor of the wheat D subgenome allows for rapid trait discovery.

Delorean et al., along with colleagues from the Open Wild Wheat Consortium, present an analysis of Aegilops tauschii genomes to investigate the origins of the Glu-D1 gene in modern wheats. They discover an abundance of novel Glu-D1 gene alleles that could serve as a reservoir for generating higher quality wheat varieties. This is a companion to the Consortium paper which is available in Nature Biotechnology.

Combining fungal-resistance genes into a single cassette enables the generation of highly resistant wheat lines.

The recently published reference genome of Aegilops tauschii provides new insights into the originator of the D genome donor of hexaploid wheat. This will be a foundation for exploring the genomic diversity underpinning adaptive traits in wheat, and ultimately advance wheat improvement efforts.

The treasure trove of disease resistance genes present in wild relatives of domesticated crops is rapidly discovered using association genetics and enrichment sequencing.

Crop fungal diseases pose great threats to global food security. This study isolates and characterizes three BED-domain-containing immune receptor genes from hexaploid wheat that confer resistance to yellow rust with distinct recognition specificities.