Current understanding of atypical resistance against fungal pathogens in wheat

Abstract

Pathogens and pests are a major challenge to global food security. Around one hundred different pests and pathogens challenge wheat, one of the most important food crops in the world. Traditional worldwide use of a few key resistance genes in wheat cultivars has necessitated a diversification of the toolbox of resistance genes in wheat varieties over the coming decades to meet the global production demands. Recent advances in gene discovery and functional characterization of genetic resistance mechanisms in wheat reveal great diversity in the types and effectiveness of the underlying resistance genes. This article summarizes the recent developments in the discovery of non-traditional "atypical" resistance genes in wheat against diverse fungal pathogens.

Keywords: Atypical resistance; Broad-spectrum resistance (BSR); Fungal pathogens; Wheat.