Mutation of a histidine-rich calcium-binding protein gene in wheat confers resistance to Fusarium head blight

We isolated the major-effect wheat QTL, Qfhs.njau-3B, that confers head blight resistance and showed that it is the same as the previously designated Fhb1. Fhb1 results from a rare deletion involving the 3’ exon of the histidine-rich calcium-binding protein gene on chromosome 3BS. Both wheat and Arabidopsis transformed with the Fhb1 sequence showed enhanced resistance to F. graminearum infection. The translation products of this gene’s homologs among plants are well conserved and might be essential to plant growth and development. Fhb1 could be useful not only for curbing FHB diseases in grain crops but also for improving other plants vulnerable to Fusarium spp.