Soichiro Asuke

Rice blast fungus hijacks a rice RALF peptide to initiate infection

This study shows that the rice RALF peptide OsRALF7 is hijacked by the rice blast fungus to trigger appressorium formation, aiding infection, while retaining antifungal activity against other fungi.

Engineering plant tandem kinase immune receptors expands effector recognition profiles

This study shows how engineered tandem kinase immune receptors in plants can recognize different fungal effectors, expanding their disease resistance capabilities.

A wheat immune receptor pair composed of NLR and MLKL confers stable resistance to pathotypes of the blast fungus by recognizing three effectors

A wheat immune receptor pair executes cell death through a helper MLKL

This study identifies a novel wheat immune receptor pair, R3NLR and R3AK, where R3AK executes cell death through its 4-helical bundle domain, revealing a non-canonical NLR/MLKL resistance mechanism.

Evolution of supernumerary chromosomes in wheat blast fungal pathogens

The paper analyzes genomic changes in mini-chromosomes of wheat blast fungal pathogens over time, showing their dynamic presence, sequence alterations, and role in pathogen adaptation.

Evolution of HMA-integrated tandem kinases accompanied by expansion of target pathogens

The paper identifies HMA-integrated tandem kinase genes in barley and wheat that confer resistance to fungal pathogens and proposes an evolutionary model for their diversification.

Direct binding of a fungal effector by the wheat RWT4 tandem kinase activates defense

The paper shows RWT4, a wheat tandem kinase, directly binds the fungal effector AvrPWT4, triggering defense responses through kinase activity and structural features.