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In the journal Science, a new study conducted by a group of scientists from five different continents under the leadership of Professor Brande Wulf, an associate professor at the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), was published. They discovered a new molecular reaction that initiates the immune response to a serious wheat disease. This information provides new strategies for selecting wheat with stronger immunity to infection.
Wheat is a staple food for billions of people and a significant source of animal feed. Crop failure is a serious problem that affects farmers' income and people's health. A wheat stem rust pandemic can be as devastating as a human disease pandemic.
Wulf stated that climate change is leading to the emergence of wheat stem rust in new areas. Therefore, it is necessary to research plant immunity and develop technologies to protect valuable food products.
Animals and plants have different immune systems. Vertebrates, such as humans, rely on blood cells for immunity, while plants have developed a different effective approach. Our task is to understand the molecular reactions that lead to plant death and help them survive during pathogen infection.
The study revealed the initial molecular events that occur inside plant cells in response to wheat stem rust, a fungus that causes orange pustules on stems and leaves. This disease has historically been a cause of many famines. Despite agricultural methods leading to the emergence of resistant wheat, the spread of wheat stem rust can destroy crops.
The immune response begins when wheat stem rust interacts with a specific type of protein known as "tandem kinases." It is also known that tandem kinases play a crucial role in plant immunity.
The study found that the molecular reactions conducted by tandem kinases trigger an immune response. This response ultimately kills the cell, deprives the pathogen of nutrients, and prevents its reproduction and infection of other plant cells.
Tandem kinases that are linked together remain inactive in the absence of a pathogen. However, when a pathogen interacts with one of the kinases, it unlocks and activates the immune response. This mechanism is novel and offers the opportunity to develop more disease-resistant wheat.
The study also notes that evolutionary conservation of the immune mechanism in cereal crops can help strengthen the resilience of these crops to multiple diseases.
Wulf said that most countries consider wheat a critically important part of their agricultural policy and food security. The more we understand how wheat responds to pathogens, the better we can ensure food security for the growing global population.
Wheat is the most produced and sold crop in the world due to its easy cultivation, storage, processing, and high nutritional value. Over the past ten years, more than 750 million tons of wheat have been grown annually, while rice production barely exceeded 500 million tons during the same period.
Wulf is also a co-chair of the Center of Excellence for Sustainable Food Security, which engages in scientific research on sustainable food production in arid conditions.
