Genetic Resistance Mechanisms in Rose Pathosystems
Summary
Roses (Rosa spp.) face major threats from fungal pathogens such as Diplocarpon rosae (black spot) and Cercospora rosicola (cercospora leaf spot), both of which cause severe foliar damage and economic losses in commercial and ornamental settings. Genetic resistance in roses is conferred by a combination of qualitative resistance genes (R genes) encoding intracellular receptors and quantitative loci that modulate partial resistance. R genes of the TIR-NBS-LRR class detect pathogen effectors and trigger localised cell death, while downstream signalling involves hormone networks (salicylic acid, jasmonic acid, brassinosteroids) and activation of defence-related transcription factors such as WRKY and AP2/ERF families. Advances in genome sequencing and high-throughput genotyping have enabled the mapping of major resistance loci (for example Rdr1–Rdr4) and the discovery of novel quantitative trait loci in diploid and tetraploid germplasm. Combined transcriptomic, metabolomic and expression profiling approaches reveal dynamic regulatory networks and metabolite shifts that distinguish resistant and susceptible genotypes. These insights underpin modern breeding strategies, including marker-assisted selection and genomic prediction, aimed at developing durable, broad-spectrum resistance in rose cultivars while reducing reliance on fungicides.
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Genetic Resistance Mechanisms in Rose Pathosystems publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in genetic resistance mechanisms in rose pathosystems across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
R gene: Plant resistance gene encoding receptors that recognise specific pathogen effectors.
TIR-NBS-LRR (TNL): A class of intracellular immune receptors with Toll/interleukin-1 receptor, nucleotide-binding and leucine-rich repeat domains.
WRKY transcription factor: Plant-specific regulatory protein containing a conserved WRKYGQK motif, central to stress and defence gene expression.
Transcriptome: The complete set of RNA transcripts produced under specific conditions.
Differentially expressed gene (DEG): A gene showing statistically significant changes in expression between experimental treatments.
Quantitative trait locus (QTL): A genomic region statistically associated with variation in a quantitative trait.
References
- Comparative transcriptome and metabolome analysis revealed diversity in the response of resistant and susceptible rose (Rosa hybrida) varieties to Marssonina rosae. Frontiers in Plant Science (2024).
- Genome-Wide Analysis of the WRKY Transcription Factor Family in Roses and Their Putative Role in Defence Signalling in the Rose–Blackspot Interaction. Plants (2024).
- Genome-Wide Identification and Expression Analysis of the TIR-NBS-LRR Gene Family and Its Response to Fungal Disease in Rose (Rosa chinensis). Biology (2023).
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