A combination of conserved and diverged responses underlies Theobroma cacao's defense response to Phytophthora palmivora.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Plants have complex and dynamic immune systems that have evolved to resist pathogens. Humans have worked to enhance these defenses in crops through breeding. However, many crops harbor only a fraction of the genetic diversity present in wild relatives. Increased utilization of diverse germplasm to search for desirable traits, such as disease resistance, is therefore a valuable step towards breeding crops that are adapted to both current and emerging threats. Here, we examine diversity of defense responses across four populations of the long-generation tree crop Theobroma cacao L., as well as four non-cacao Theobroma species, with the goal of identifying genetic elements essential for protection against the oomycete pathogen Phytophthora palmivora.

Results

We began

SUBMITTER: Winters NP 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10870529 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature