Hosts and pathogens typically engage in an evolutionary arms race. This also applies to phytopathogenic powdery mildew fungi, which can rapidly overcome plant resistance and perform host jumps. Using experimental evolution, we show that the powdery mildew pathogen Blumeria graminis f.sp. hordei is capable of breaking the agriculturally important broad-spectrum resistance conditioned by barley loss-of-function mlo mutants. Partial mlo virulence is associated with a distinctive pattern of adaptive mutations, including small-sized (8-40 kb) deletions, one of which likely affects spore morphology. The detected mutational spectrum comprises the same loci in at least two independent mlo-virulent isolates, indicating convergent multigenic evolution. This work highlights the dynamic genome evolution of an obligate biotrophic plant pathogen with a transposon-enriched genome.
Faculty Opinions recommendation of Specific targeting of the Arabidopsis resistance protein RPW8.2 to the interfacial membrane encasing the fungal Haustorium renders broad-spectrum resistance to powdery mildew.
