An NLR protein with two distinct LRR domains mediates resistance to wheat powdery mildew

Powdery mildew is a devastating fungal disease of wheat. Aegilops caudata , a wild relative of common wheat, is highly resistant to powdery mildew. However, the presence of chromosomal structural variations and the absence of a reference genome for Ae. caudata have significantly hindered the cloning and breeding application of resistance genes from this species. Here, we report the cloning of powdery mildew resistance gene Pm7C from Ae. caudata by integrating map-based cloning, collinearity and Pm7C -direct donor transcriptome analysis. Pm7C encodes a nucleotide-binding leucine-rich repeat (NLR) protein containing two distinct LRR domains. The resistance function of Pm7C is validated by mutagenesis, gene silencing and transgenic assay. The coiled coil (CC) domain of Pm7C induces cell death and self-associates. Additionally, we develop a set of Pm7C introgression lines and a Pm7C- specific diagnostic molecular marker. Cloning of Pm7C will shed light on NLR protein-mediated disease resistance and accelerate its deployment in wheat breeding.