Abstract: Clubroot, Plasmodiophora brassicae (Pb) caused devastating disease, results in severe yield losses on cruciferous crops worldwide. Recently, Yu-hang Chen, Jian-Min Zhou and their colleagues from the Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences reported the isolation and characterization of WeiTsing (WTS), a broad-spectrum clubroot resistance gene from Arabidopsis. WTS in Arabidopsisis was transcriptionally activated in the pericycle upon Pb infection to prevent pathogen colonization in the stele. WTS encodes a small protein that is localized in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). The cryo-EM structure analysis has revealed a pentameric architecture of WeiTsing with a central pore, which was previously unknown. Electrophysiological analysis has demonstrated that WeiTsing functions as a calcium-permeable cation-selective channel. The Pb-mediated activation of the WTS channels induces immune responses, including cell death. Brassica napus plants carrying the WTS transgene have exhibited robust resistance to Pb. These findings have identified a novel ion channel similar to resistosomes, which triggers immune signaling in the pericycle. This discovery provides a valuable tool for the development of elite crop varieties.

Key words: clubroot, pericycle, Arabidopsis thaliana, Brassica napus, calcium channel, resistance