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Poster

Session: Session 1 Presenting Authors at Posters (Odds)

P-115 - Extending the functionality of Solanaceae NLRs to Rosids, and beyond

Monday, July 14, 2025
13:30 - 15:15  
Location: Confex Hall 3
Management of diseases and emerging diseases

    Presenting Author(s)

  • MA

    Maheen Alam

    Post doctoral researcher
    The Sainsbury Laboratory
    NORWICH, England, United Kingdom

    • Author(s)

  • LM

    Lesley Milnes

    2Blades, The Sainsbury Laboratory
    Norwich, England, United Kingdom

  • JH

    James Houghton

    2Blades, The Sainsbury Laboratory
    Norwich, England, United Kingdom

  • KW

    Kamil Witek

    Group leader
    2Blades, The Sainsbury Laboratory
    Norwich, England, United Kingdom

  • HA

    Hee-Kyung Ahn

    Royal Society University Research Fellow
    University of Edinburgh
    EDINBURGH, Scotland, United Kingdom

  • XL

    Xiao Lin

    corresponding author
    Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, China

  • HG

    Hailong Guo

    Dr
    China Agricultural University
    Beijing, Beijing, China

  • JJ

    Jonathan D. G. Jones

    Prof. Group leader
    The Sainsbury Laboratory
    Norwich, England, United Kingdom

Disease Resistance (R) genes often encode NLR immune receptors and have long been used in breeding for crop protection. However, NLRs can be non-functional in distantly related plant species. For example, transfer of NLR Bs2 from pepper (Solanaceae family) into Arabidopsis (Brassicaceae family) fails to confer recognition of the effector, AvrBs2 from Xanthomonas vesicatoria (Tai et al.,1999). “Sensor” NLRs from the Solanaceae family, including Bs2, require the NRC “helper” NLRs. We hypothesized that co-delivery of sensor and helper NLRs could break the restricted taxonomic functionality (RTF) of the sensor NLRs in crops that lack corresponding helper NLRs in Rosid plants such as the Brassicaceae. Resistance to Phytophthora infestans (Rpi)-amr3 gene from Solanum americanum recognizes effectors from different Phytophthora pathogens. Rpi-amr3-mediated effector recognition and resistance are dependent on the helper NLR NRC2.  By co-delivering sensor NLR genes with their cognate NRC-type helper NLRs, we enabled Solanaceae NLR genes to function in Arabidopsis and soybean. Arabidopsis lines carrying either Rpi-amr3 or Bs2 and NRC2 recognize their cognate effector, delivered by Pseudomonas syringae D36E, triggering an HR. We aim to test whether Arabidopsis plants expressing the sensor-helper NLRs can show resistance against different Phytophthora pathogens. Functional interfamily transfer of R genes could provide resistance to a broad range of pathogens (ssrn.5045704).