This research paper screened 60 Arabidopsis thaliana ecotypes to identify new sources of resistance to the clubroot disease, which severely affects Brassica crops. The study identified eight resistant ecotypes against a virulent Canadian pathogen strain, highlighting two novel sources named Marce-1 and DraII-6. Notably, DraII-6 showed exceptionally strong resistance and a unique pattern of elevated expression of the known resistance gene RPB1 during early infection. However, genetic analysis suggested that RPB1 alone may not fully explain the resistance in DraII-6, indicating the involvement of other factors. The findings expand the understanding of clubroot resistance mechanisms and offer potential insights for breeding more resilient Brassica crops.
