Horizontal gene transfer of Fhb7 from fungus underlies Fusarium head blight resistance in wheat

This week Science published an Online First article describing a glutathione-S-transferase conferring resistance to Fusarium.

Hongwei Wang, et al. Science 09 Apr 2020, DOI: 10.1126/science.aba5435

Abstract
Fusarium head blight (FHB), a fungal disease caused by Fusarium species that produce food toxins, currently devastates wheat production worldwide, yet few resistance resources have been discovered in wheat germplasm. Here, we cloned the FHB resistance gene Fhb7 based on assembling the genome of Thinopyrum elongatum, a species used in wheat distant hybridization breeding. Fhb7 encodes a glutathione S-transferase (GST) and confers broad resistance to Fusarium species by detoxifying trichothecenes via de-epoxidation. Fhb7 GST homologs are absent in plants, and our evidence supports Th. elongatum has gained Fhb7 via horizontal gene transfer (HGT) from an endophytic Epichloƫ species. Fhb7 introgressions in wheat confers resistance to both FHB and crown rot in diverse wheat backgrounds without yield penalty, providing a solution for Fusarium resistance breeding.

See the GrainGenes reference for links to all curated data at SCI-2020-Wang
GrainGenes curated the map into a interactive map at Wheat_Fhb7_2000