The conserved oligomeric G olgi complex is involved in penetration resistance of barley to the barley powdery mildew fungus

Summary Membrane trafficking is vital to plant development and adaptation to the environment. It is suggested that post‐ G olgi vesicles and multivesicular bodies are essential for plant defence against directly penetrating fungal parasites at the cell wall. However, the actual plant proteins involved in membrane transport for defence are largely unidentified. We applied a candidate gene approach and single cell transient‐induced gene silencing for the identification of membrane trafficking proteins of barley involved in the response to the fungal pathogen B lumeria graminis f.sp. hordei . This revealed potential components of vesicle tethering complexes [putative exocyst subunit H v EXO 70 F ‐like and subunits of the conserved oligomeric G olgi ( COG ) complex] and G olgi membrane trafficking ( COPI γ coatomer and H v YPT 1‐like RAB GTP ase) as essential for resistance to fungal penetration into the host cell.