Take-All Disease: New Insights into an Important Wheat Root Pathogen

Take-all disease, caused by the fungal root pathogen Gaeumannomyces tritici, is considered to be the most important root disease of wheat worldwide. Here we review the advances in take-all research over the last 15 years, focusing on the identification of new sources of genetic resistance in wheat relatives and the role of the microbiome in disease development. We also highlight recent breakthroughs in the molecular interactions between G. tritici and wheat, including genome and transcriptome analyses. These new findings will aid the development of novel control strategies against take-all disease. In light of this growing understanding, the G. tritici-wheat interaction could provide a model study system for root-infecting fungal pathogens of cereals. Take-All Disease, an Important Root Disease of Cereals Roots are essential organs with many important physiological roles, including plant anchorage and water and nutrient uptake. Roots are constantly in contact with the soil microbiome, containing both beneficial and pathogenic organisms; these rhizosphere (see Glossary) interactions can have a strong impact on plant health and on the environment [1]. Root diseases routinely cause

Automated summary

Take-all disease, caused by the fungal root pathogen Gaeumannomyces tritici, is considered the most important root disease of wheat worldwide. Recent research has focused on identifying new sources of genetic resistance in wheat relatives and studying the role of the microbiome in disease development. Breakthroughs in molecular interactions between G. tritici and wheat, including genome and transcriptome analyses, will help in developing novel control strategies against take-all disease.