[Advance in studies on the molecular basis for wheat resistance to sharp eyespot]

Wheat is one of the important food crops in China. Wheat sharp eyespot, caused by the infection of Rhizoctonia cerealis, is a destructive disease that seriously affects the yield and quality of wheat. Cultivating and popularizing disease-resistant varieties represents the most cost-effective and efficient approach for controlling wheat sharp eyespot. The resistance to wheat sharp eyespot is a quantitative trait regulated by multiple genes. This paper comprehensively reviews the advancements in genetic research on wheat resistance to sharp eyespot. It details the identification of wheat germplasm resources with resistance to sharp eyespot. A total of 51 reported disease-resistant QTLs are summarized, among which 33 exhibit a contribution rate exceeding 10% to phenotypic variation. Furthermore, this paper meticulously expounds on the research progress in the genes associated with wheat resistance to sharp eyespot and systematically analyzes the resistance mechanisms of various types of genes encoding transcription factors, protein kinases, key metabolic enzymes, epigenetic modification enzymes, and antimicrobial peptides. Finally, this paper sums up the research achievements in aspects such as the genome sequencing of R. cerealis and the interaction mechanism between R. cerealis and wheat. This review aspires to provide theoretical guidance for the genetic improvement of wheat resistance to sharp eyespot and the breeding of resistant varieties.