Advanced host‒pathogen interactions in wheat and Zymoseptoria tritici: invasion strategies and plant defense mechanisms

A seed-associated Chaetomium globosum endophyte from a susceptible wheat cultivar suppresses Septoria tritici blotch

Septoria tritici blotch (STB), caused by Zymoseptoria tritici , is among the most damaging wheat diseases worldwide and requires sustainable alternatives to intensive fungicide use. While resistant cultivars are often considered promising sources of beneficial microbiota for biocontrol discovery, the potential of endophytes associated with susceptible cultivars remains poorly explored. Contrary to expectations, a seed-associated isolate of Chaetomium globosum (HKH_AMG), recovered from the STB-susceptible wheat cultivar Taichung 29, provided the strongest disease suppression among 45 representative fungal endophytes selected for greenhouse screening from wheat, rice, and pistachio tissues. Pretreatment with HKH_AMG significantly reduced lesion development, pycnidial coverage, and pathogen biomass in the susceptible wheat cultivar Tirgan. Disease suppression was associated with reduced stomatal penetration, early hydrogen peroxide accumulation, and enhanced levels of defence-related phenolic compounds, including salicylic and gallic acids. Collectively, our findings demonstrate that disease-susceptible wheat cultivars should not be overlooked as potential sources of highly effective biocontrol endophytes. The identification of C. globosum HKH_AMG from the susceptible cultivar Taichung 29 highlights the untapped potential of seed-associated fungal microbiota for the sustainable management of STB.

Deciphering the Molecular Interplay Between Wheat and Puccinia striiformis f. sp. Tritici: Mechanisms of Interaction and Resistance Strategies.

Genetic architecture of Karnal bunt resistance in wheat: A review

The Rice-Xoc Arms Race: Molecular Mechanisms and Genomic Strategies Against Bacterial Leaf Streak.

Rice is a staple crop, serving as the primary food source for over half of the world's population, but its productivity is limited by several diseases, necessitating the development of sustainable, resistant varieties. However, breeding for pathogen-resistant rice varieties is challenged by the quantitative nature of resistance, and the accelerated evolution of pathogens under climate change. The economically important bacterial rice pathogens, bacterial leaf blight and bacterial leaf streak, are caused by different pathovars of the same species (Xanthomonas oryzae) which share significant genomic similarities, yet they have different infection mechanisms and cause distinct symptoms. As bacterial leaf streak resistance is largely governed by quantitative trait loci (QTLs), this review provides an updated synthesis of QTLs and explores the molecular landscape of Transcription Activator-Like Effectors (TALEs)-host interactions, specifically how bacteria recruits host susceptibility (S) genes to facilitate infection, virulence targets in host gene promoters, and defense-related genes that can facilitate the production of rice varieties with durable resistance to bacterial leaf streak. In addition, this review highlights the progress in bacterial leaf streak resistance breeding programs through the application of marker-assisted selection and the application of gene-editing tools. Collectively, it concludes that future breeding programs will integrate advanced genetic and computational tools to develop rice varieties with durable and broad-spectrum resistance to bacterial leaf streak and other pathogens.

False smut of rice: integrating molecular pathogenicity and epidemiology for next-generation disease management

False smut of rice, caused by Ustilaginoidea virens, has emerged as a serious threat to global rice production, resulting in substantial yield and grain quality losses. This review summarizes recent advances in understanding the pathogen’s life cycle, infection biology, and epidemiological factors, while highlighting the limitations of current management strategies that rely predominantly on fungicide applications. U. virens exhibits a unique biotrophic infection strategy, colonizing floral tissues without specialized infection structures and manipulating host physiology through a diverse repertoire of effectors that suppress immunity, alter hormonal signaling, and hijack sugar transport systems to facilitate nutrient diversion and smut ball formation. Integrating molecular mechanisms with epidemiological factors such as climate variability and inoculum dynamics provides important insights into disease development and spread. Recent progress in artificial intelligence has enabled the development of predictive modeling frameworks, while advances in spectral imaging and molecular diagnostics offer promising tools for early detection and disease forecasting. In the absence of identified resistance rice cultivars, genome editing and microbiome-based strategies are viable alternative approaches for durable disease control. These advances together provide a basis for a transition to an integrated management framework incorporating forecasting models, genome editing, and microbiome-informed interventions for more sustainable and effective control of rice false smut.

Integrated Pangenomic and Systems Biology Analyses Reveal the Genomic Basis of Virulence and Adaptation in Bipolaris sorokiniana