Volume: 5, 2026
5th International PhD Students’ Conference at the University of Life Sciences in Lublin, Poland:
ENVIRONMENT – PLANT – ANIMAL – PRODUCT
Abstract number: P013
DOI: https://doi.org/10.24326/ICDSUPL5.P013
Published online: 22 April 2026
Sequencing-based approaches to understanding oat–powdery mildew interactions: current status and future directions
Wiktoria Jędrys* and Tomasz Ociepa
Institute of Plant Genetics, Breeding and Biotechnology, University of Life Sciences in Lublin, 15 Akademicka St., 20-950 Lublin, Poland
* Corresponding author: wiktoria.jedrys@up.edu.pl
The advent of next-generation sequencing (NGS) has transformed global plant genomics research, offering high-throughput, cost-effective and accurate methods for generating genomic data, thereby largely replacing the widely used Sanger method, which was associated with high costs and low throughput. Previous limitations associated with sequencing only small, individual fragments of genomes have been replaced by whole-genome analyses, generating vast amounts of data. A significant reduction in costs and the time required for analysis has made genome sequencing accessible not only to large research centres but also to smaller laboratories, contributing to the dynamic development of genomic research and its wider application in plant breeding. In recent years, cereal species that were previously analysed less frequently at the genomic level, such as oats (Avena sativa L.), have also gained key genomic resources, including a reference sequence of the hexaploid genome and pan-genomic data. This has significantly expanded the scope of research into the molecular basis of plant–pathogen interactions, enabling the genetic mapping of Pm loci conferring resistance to powdery mildew. Concurrently, transcriptomic analyses using RNA-seq have enabled the profiling of gene expression involved in the regulation of signalling pathways, leading to a deeper understanding of the host’s defence mechanisms. Genomic studies of related formae speciales, particularly B. graminis f. sp. tritici and f. sp. hordei, have revealed that transposable elements constitute over 85% of their genomes and contribute to rapid effector diversification; however, the genome of B. graminis f. sp. avenae (Bga) has not yet been sequenced, representing a critical knowledge gap. Furthermore, advanced sequencing approaches such as dual RNA-seq, small RNA sequencing, and single-cell transcriptomics, which have already been applied in wheat and barley powdery mildew research, remain unexplored in the oat–Bga pathosystem. This work provides an overview of the latest scientific findings on the use of sequencing techniques in studies of interactions between cereals and fungal pathogens, with particular emphasis on oats and powdery mildew.
Keywords: Avena sativa; Blumeria graminis; next-generation sequencing; powdery mildew
How to cite
Jędrys W., Ociepa T., 2026. Sequencing-based approaches to understanding oat–powdery mildew interactions: current status and future directions. In: 5th International PhD Students’ Conference at the University of Life Sciences in Lublin, Poland: Environment – Plant – Animal – Product. https://doi.org/10.24326/ICDSUPL5.P013