Pm57 from Aegilops searsii encodes a tandem kinase protein and confers wheat powdery mildew resistance

Abstract

Powdery mildew is a devastating disease that affects wheat yield and quality. Wheat wild relatives represent valuable sources of disease resistance genes. Cloning and characterization of these genes will facilitate their incorporation into wheat breeding programs. Here, we report the cloning of Pm57, a wheat powdery mildew resistance gene from Aegilops searsii. It encodes a tandem kinase protein with putative kinase-pseudokinase domains followed by a von Willebrand factor A domain (WTK-vWA), being ortholog of Lr9 that mediates wheat leaf rust resistance. The resistance function of Pm57 is validated via independent mutants, gene silencing, and transgenic assays. Stable Pm57 transgenic wheat lines and introgression lines exhibit high levels of all-stage resistance to diverse isolates of the Bgt fungus, and no negative impacts on agronomic parameters are observed in our experimental set-up. Our findings highlight the emerging role of kinase fusion proteins in plant disease resistance and provide a valuable gene for wheat breeding.