Related Experiment Video
Updated: Nov 17, 2025
06:41
High-Throughput Identification of Resistance to Pseudomonas syringae pv. Tomato in Tomato using Seedling Flood Assay
Published on: March 10, 2020
10.0K
A complex resistance locus in Solanum americanum recognizes a conserved Phytophthora effector
Kamil Witek1, Xiao Lin1, Hari S Karki1,2
1The Sainsbury Laboratory, University of East Anglia, Norwich Research Park, Norwich, UK.
Nature Plants
|February 12, 2021
Summary
A newly discovered potato resistance gene, Rpi-amr1, from Solanum americanum provides broad protection against the devastating late blight pathogen Phytophthora infestans. Its diverse alleles offer durable resistance by recognizing various pathogen effectors.
Area of Science:
- Plant pathology
- Genetics
- Crop science
Background:
- Late blight, caused by Phytophthora infestans, severely impacts potato yields.
- Existing resistance (R) genes are often overcome by pathogen evolution, necessitating new durable resistance strategies.
- Solanum americanum is a source of novel R genes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify and characterize a new R gene conferring resistance to late blight in potato.
- To investigate the diversity and function of Rpi-amr1 alleles in wild Solanum species.
- To understand the mechanism of durable resistance conferred by the Rpi-amr1 gene family.
Main Methods:
- Positional cloning of the Rpi-amr1 gene from Solanum americanum.
- Phenotypic evaluation of Rpi-amr1-mediated resistance against multiple Phytophthora infestans isolates.
- Association genomics and long-read RenSeq to identify Rpi-amr1 alleles.
- Analysis of Rpi-amr1 protein sequence identity and effector recognition.
Main Results:
- The Rpi-amr1 gene, encoding an NRC helper-dependent CC-NLR protein, confers resistance to all 19 tested P. infestans isolates.
- Eight additional Rpi-amr1 alleles were identified from S. americanum and related species.
- All Rpi-amr1 alleles conferred late blight resistance, with differential recognition of Avramr1 effector orthologues and paralogues despite ~90% protein identity.
Conclusions:
- Rpi-amr1 represents a valuable source of durable late blight resistance in potato.
- The diversity within the Rpi-amr1 gene family contributes to recognizing diverse pathogen effectors, enhancing resistance durability.
- Targeting Rpi-amr1 and its alleles can improve potato breeding strategies for sustainable agriculture.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
01:21Frequency-dependent Selection
22.6K
When the fitness of a trait is influenced by how common it is (i.e., its frequency) relative to different traits within a population, this is referred to as frequency-dependent selection. Frequency-dependent selection may occur between species or within a single species. This type of selection can either be positive—with more common phenotypes having higher fitness—or negative, with rarer phenotypes conferring increased fitness.
22.6K
02:26Defenses Against Pathogens and Herbivores
29.0K
Plants present a rich source of nutrients for many organisms, making it a target for herbivores and infectious agents. Plants, though lacking a proper immune system, have developed an array of constitutive and inducible defenses to fend off these attacks.
29.0K
01:25Cell Signaling in Plants
5.9K
Plant cells communicate to coordinate their cycle of growth, flowering and fruiting, and activities in roots, shoots, and leaves in response to the changing environmental conditions. Plant signaling is distinct from animal signaling. Plants primarily utilize enzyme-linked receptors, whereas the largest class of cell-surface receptors in animals are G-protein coupled receptors (GPCRs). Unlike animals, receptor tyrosine kinases are rare in plants. Instead, plants have a diverse class of...
5.9K