Infected wheat and Brachypodium with wheat stem rust; Raw sequence reads

Wheat stem rust disease caused by Puccinia graminis f. sp. tritici (Pgt) is a major global threat to wheat production. Genetic loss of disease susceptibility could be exploited as an alternative source of resistance which is more durable and broad-spectrum. Using a time-course RNA-seq and gene coexpression network analysis, we studied molecular responses underlying Pgt susceptibility in a susceptible and intermediate-resistant wheat genotypes as well as in nonhost Brachypodium. This study highlighted host pathways that Pgt could manipulate to promote its growth and nutrient acquisition and shed lights on differences of these responses in host and nonhost. Functional characterization of the candidate susceptibility genes and key components of the pathways identified in our study, supports development of new resources for disease resistance engineering in wheat through genetic loss of susceptibility.