Wheat Mds-1 encodes a heat-shock protein andgoverns susceptibility towards the Hessianfly gall midge

摘要

Gall midges induce formation of host nutritive cells and alter plant metabolism to utilize hostresources. Here we show that the gene Mayetiola destructor susceptibility-1 on wheat chromosome3AS encodes a small heat-shock protein and is a major susceptibility gene forinfestation of wheat by the gall midge M. destructor, commonly known as the Hessian fly.Transcription of Mayetiola destructor susceptibility-1 and its homoeologs increases upon insectinfestation. Ectopic expression of Mayetiola destructor susceptibility-1 or induction by heatshock suppresses resistance of wheat mediated by the resistance gene H13 to Hessian fly.Silencing of Mayetiola destructor susceptibility-1 by RNA interference confers immunity to allHessian fly biotypes on normally susceptible wheat genotypes. Mayetiola destructor susceptibility-1-silenced plants also show reduced lesion formation due to infection by the powderymildew fungus Blumeria graminis f. sp. tritici. Modification of susceptibility genes may providebroad and durable sources of resistance to Hessian fly, B. graminis f. sp. tritici, and other pests.