Characterization of the WAK Gene Family Reveals Genes for FHB Resistance in Bread Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)

Abstract

Wall-associated kinases (WAKs) are important receptor-like proteins that play major roles in plant defense against pathogens. Fusarium head blight (FHB), one of the most widespread and devastating crop diseases, reduces wheat yield and leads to quality deterioration. Although WAK gene families have been studied in many plants, systematic research on bread wheat (Triticum aestivum) and its role in FHB resistance, in particular, is lacking. In this study, we identified and characterized 320 genes of the TaWAK family in wheat distributed across all chromosomes except 4B and divided them into three phylogenetic groups. Duplication and synteny analyses provided valuable information on the evolutionary characteristics of the TaWAK genes. The gene expression pattern analysis suggested that TaWAK genes play diverse roles in plant biological processes and that at least 30 genes may be involved in the response to Fusarium infection in wheat spikes, with most of the genes contributing to pectin- and chitin-induced defense pathways. Furthermore, 45 TaWAK genes were identified within 17 hcmQTLs that are related to wheat FHB resistance. Our findings provide potential candidate genes for improving FHB resistance and insights into the future functional analysis of TaWAK genes in wheat.

Investigating the Resistance Mechanism of Wheat Varieties to Fusarium Head Blight Using Comparative Metabolomics

“…The control plants were injected with 10 μL of water. The inoculated spikes were covered with a plastic bag for 2 days to meet the moisture requirement for fungal infection [ 50 ]. The wheat spikelets were harvested on day 4, lyophilized for 48 h, and stored at −80 °C for further metabolomics analysis.…”

Mechanism of Pydiflumetofen Resistance in Fusarium graminearum in China

“…In 2020, China was the leading producer of wheat, with an annual yield in excess of 130 million tons, and yet was still the second largest importer, which illustrates the importance of maintaining good harvests to both sustain domestic consumption as well as to reduce pressure on global wheat markets ( , accessed on 30 October 2022). However, the production of wheat in China is under constant threat from Fusarium head blight (FHB), which is a widespread and devastating disease [ 2 ]. The FHB complex, which is primarily caused by Fusarium graminearum , not only results in yield loss and smaller grains but can also dramatically affect grain quality as a consequence of contamination with harmful mycotoxins such as deoxynivalenol (DON), which pose a threat to both human and animal health [ 2 , 3 ].…”

“…However, the production of wheat in China is under constant threat from Fusarium head blight (FHB), which is a widespread and devastating disease [ 2 ]. The FHB complex, which is primarily caused by Fusarium graminearum , not only results in yield loss and smaller grains but can also dramatically affect grain quality as a consequence of contamination with harmful mycotoxins such as deoxynivalenol (DON), which pose a threat to both human and animal health [ 2 , 3 ]. In the absence of effective and stable wheat varieties with high resistance to F. graminearum , the application of fungicides remains the most effective strategy to control FHB [ 3 ].…”