Acquired Resistance Functions in mlo Barley, Which Is Hypersusceptible to Magnaporthe grisea

Barley plants carrying a mutation in the Mlo (barley [Hordeum vulgare L.] cultivar Ingrid) locus conferring a durable resistance against powdery mildew are hypersusceptible to the rice blast fungus Magnaporthe grisea. It has been speculated that a functional Mlo gene is required for the expression of basic pathogen resistance and that the loss of Mlo function mediating powdery mildew resistance is an exception for this particular disease. Here, we report that the onset of acquired resistance (AR) after chemical as well as biological treatments is sufficient to overcome the hypersusceptible phenotype of backcross line BCIngridmlo5 (mlo) barley plants against M. grisea. Moreover, even barley plants bearing a functional Mlo gene and thus showing a moderate infection phenotype against rice blast exhibit a further enhanced resistance after induction of AR. Cytological investigations reveal that acquired resistance in mlo genotypes is manifested by the restoration of the ability to form an effective papilla at ...