Transcriptome analysis of the response of domesticated emmer wheat (Triticum turgidum subsp. dicoccum) to single vs. mixed infections with Zymosptoria tritici and Puccinia graminis

Abstract

Tetraploid emmer Triticum turgidum subsp. dicoccum is one of the first wheat species to be domesticated. Emmer shares many pathogen species with modern durum wheat (Triticum turgidum subsp. durum) and hexaploid bread wheat (Triticum aestivum L.). Domesticated emmer is considered a highly valuable source of potentially novel disease resistance genes that can be introduced into modern wheat varieties, however, large gaps remain in our understanding of the basic immune responses of emmer to the most common wheat pathogens. In this work we describe the transcriptional response of emmer to single and mixed pathogen species infections with the ascomycete Zymoseptoria tritici, and the basidiomycete Puccinia graminis. In doing so, we here uncover unique patterns in the response of emmer to a more complex pathogen population with mixed species infections.