Association mapping, transcriptomics, and transient expression identify candidate genes mediating plant–pathogen interactions in a tree

• Published in: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences - PNAS 2018-11, Vol.115 (45), p.11573-11578
• Main Authors: Muchero, Wellington, Sondreli, Kelsey L., Chen, Jin-Gui, Urbanowicz, Breeanna R., Zhang, Jin, Singan, Vasanth, Yang, Yongil, Brueggeman, Robert S., Franco-Coronado, Juan, Abraham, Nivi, Yang, Jeong-Yeh, Moremen, Kelley W., Weisberg, Alexandra J., Chang, Jeff H., Lindquist, Erika, Barry, Kerrie, Ranjan, Priya, Jawdy, Sara, Schmutz, Jeremy, Tuskan, Gerald A., LeBoldus, Jared M.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Alleles; association mapping; BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES; Binding; Biological Sciences; Chromosome Mapping; Chromosomes, Plant - chemistry; disease resistance; Disease Resistance - genetics; Gene expression; Gene Expression Profiling; Gene Expression Regulation, Plant; Gene mapping; Genes; Genetic Loci; Genomics; Genotypes; Host-Pathogen Interactions - genetics; Host-Pathogen Interactions - immunology; invasive disease; Invasive plants; Loci; Mannose; Mannose-Binding Lectin - genetics; Mannose-Binding Lectin - immunology; Mapping; Pathogens; Plant diseases; Plant Diseases - genetics; Plant Diseases - immunology; Plant Diseases - microbiology; Plant Immunity - genetics; Plant Proteins - genetics; Plant Proteins - immunology; Populus - genetics; Populus - immunology; Populus - microbiology; Populus trichocarpa; Protein Kinases - genetics; Protein Kinases - immunology; Proteins; Receptors, Cell Surface - genetics; Receptors, Cell Surface - immunology; Saccharomycetales - pathogenicity; Saccharomycetales - physiology; septoria canker; Transcriptome; Trees
• ISSN: 0027-8424; 1091-6490; 1091-6490
• DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1804428115

Invasive microbes causing diseases such as sudden oak death negatively affect ecosystems and economies around the world. The deployment of resistant genotypes for combating introduced diseases typically relies on breeding programs that can take decades to complete. To demonstrate how this process can be accelerated, we employed a genome-wide association mapping of ca. 1,000 resequenced Populus trichocarpa trees individually challenged with Sphaerulina musiva, an invasive fungal pathogen. Among significant associations, three loci associated with resistance were identified and predicted to encode one putative membrane-bound L-type receptor-like kinase and two receptor-like proteins. A susceptibility-associated locus was predicted to encode a putative G-type D-mannose–binding receptor-like kinase. Multiple lines of evidence, including allele analysis, transcriptomics, binding assays, and overexpression, support the hypothesized function of these candidate genes in the P. trichocarpa response to S. musiva.