Genetic architecture of disease resistance and tolerance in Douglas-fir trees

Understanding the genetic basis of how plants defend against pathogens is important to monitor and maintain resilient tree populations. Swiss needle cast (SNC) and Rhabdocline needle cast (RNC) epidemics are responsible for major damage of forest ecosystems in North America. Here we investigate the genetic architecture of tolerance and resistance to needle cast diseases in Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii) caused by two fungal pathogens: SNC caused by Nothophaeocryptopus gaeumannii, and RNC caused by Rhabdocline pseudotsugae. We performed case-control genome-wide association analyses and found disease resistance and tolerance in Douglas-fir to be polygenic and under strong selection. We show that stomatal regulation as well as ethylene and jasmonic acid pathways are important for resisting SNC infection, and secondary metabolite pathways play a role in tolerating SNC once the plant is infected. We identify a major transcriptional regulator of plant defense, ERF1, as the top candidate for RNC resistance. Our findings shed light on the highly polygenic architectures underlying fungal disease resistance and tolerance and have important implications for forestry and conservation as the climate changes.