Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42409843›Full record

ArticleNature communications2026

An HMA-like integrated domain in the wheat tandem kinase WTK4 recognises an RNase-like pathogen effector.

Zoe Bernasconi, Ursin Stirnemann, Yang Xu, Aline G Herger, Renjie Chen, Victoria Widrig, Matthias Heuberger, Mariantonietta Lettieri, Marion C Müller, Brande B H Wulff and 3 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Nature communications, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Review
  2. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

13 authors.

Zoe BernasconiDepartment of Plant and Microbial Biology, University of Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-1216-6791
Ursin StirnemannDepartment of Plant and Microbial Biology, University of Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland.ORCID http://orcid.org/0009-0007-7157-6647
Yang XuPlant Science Program, Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering Division (BESE), King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, Saudi Arabia.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-9819-7790
Aline G HergerDepartment of Plant and Microbial Biology, University of Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-1043-6441
Renjie ChenPlant Science Program, Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering Division (BESE), King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, Saudi Arabia.ORCID http://orcid.org/0009-0007-7858-1828
Victoria WidrigDepartment of Plant and Microbial Biology, University of Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-1285-3815
Matthias HeubergerDepartment of Plant and Microbial Biology, University of Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-3283-9233
Mariantonietta LettieriDepartment of Plant and Microbial Biology, University of Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland.ORCID http://orcid.org/0009-0001-6580-3395
Marion C MüllerDepartment of Plant and Microbial Biology, University of Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-5594-2319
Brande B H WulffPlant Science Program, Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering Division (BESE), King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, Saudi Arabia.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-4044-4346
Thomas WickerDepartment of Plant and Microbial Biology, University of Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-6777-7135
Beat KellerDepartment of Plant and Microbial Biology, University of Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland. bkeller@botinst.uzh.ch.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-2379-9225
Javier Sánchez-MartínDepartment of Plant and Microbial Biology, University of Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland. j.sanchezmartin@usal.es.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-0284-7219

Funding

Schweizerischer Nationalfonds zur Förderung der Wissenschaftlichen Forschung (Swiss National Science Foundation) 310030_204165Schweizerischer Nationalfonds zur Förderung der Wissenschaftlichen Forschung (Swiss National Science Foundation) 310030_212428Schweizerischer Nationalfonds zur Förderung der Wissenschaftlichen Forschung (Swiss National Science Foundation) 310030B_182833
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Proteins with a tandem kinase structure have recently emerged as players in race-specific resistance in cereal crops. However, the molecular understanding of these immune receptors' resistance mechanisms is limited by the lack of knowledge about the pathogen effectors that they recognise. In this work, we identify AvrWTK4, the wheat powdery mildew RNase-like effector recognised by the wheat tandem kinase protein WTK4, through a combination of bi-parental genetic mapping and mutagenesis. We demonstrate that mutations in the AvrWTK4 gene or a reduction of its expression lead to virulence on WTK4. Transfection of AvrWTK4 specifically induced cell death in WTK4-expressing Aegilops tauschii protoplasts. The avirulent AvrWTK4 variant interacts more strongly than the virulent variant with the N-terminal heavy metal-associated (HMA)-like domain of WTK4. We found that the integrated HMA-like domain possibly serves as a direct effector-binding decoy for WTK4, providing a mechanistic paradigm for effector recognition by tandem kinase proteins.

Indexed as

AscomycotaFungal ProteinsPlant DiseasesPlant ProteinsProtein KinasesRibonucleasesTriticumMutationProtein DomainsProtoplastsVirulenceFungal ProteinsPlant ProteinsProtein KinasesRibonucleases

Identifiers

PMID42409843
PMCPMC13478195

What Socratic holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.