Diallel analysis of the latent period of stripe rust in wheat

A half diallel was made amongst five wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) genotypes of which one was susceptible, while the others had adult-plant resistance, to stripe rust (Puccinia striiformis West.). The five parent and ten F₁ progeny were grown in the glasshouse and were inoculated with three rust pathotypes at the seedling stage. The latent period was measured on the first leaf. Two procedures were used to analyze the half diallel. Both methods showed that the average effects of alleles were of much greater importance than was dominance in conditioning resistance in response to two of the pathotypes, while for the third pathotype dominance was important. Resistance was conditioned by partial dominance for two pathotypes whereas for the third it was determined by full dominance. Broad-sense heritabilities range from 60–73% and the number of genes involved was different (from 1 to 4), depending on the pathotype.     

Backcross-breeding and doubled-haploid facilitated introgression of stripe rust resistance in bread wheat

Stripe rust caused by the fungus Puccinia striiformis f. sp. tritici (Pst) may decrease wheat yield significantly in severe outbreaks. The most cost-effective and environmentally friendly approach to reduce yield losses due to rust diseases is deployment of effective resistant genes in wheat cultivars. The causal agents evolve and may break existing resistant sources as well. Therefore, long-term conventional breeding strategies and the ongoing evolution of pathogen populations in the region would put the success of breeding programmes at risk so that there is always a need for speeding up the process of germplasm enhancement through production of doubled-haploid breeding materials. In this study, we aimed at introgression of stripe rust resistance trait from three genotypes (Flanders, Martonvasar-17 (MV17) and Bersee) into a widely adapted cultivar “Ghods”. Positively selected F2BC² progenies of three backcrossing schemas, i.e. (i) Flanders/3^*Ghods; (ii) Ghods^*3/MV17; and (iii) Hybride-de-bersee/3^*Ghods, were used to produce three small-size doubled-haploid populations via wheat × Maize pollination methodology. The doubled-haploid populations were examined against two predominantly isolates of P. striiformis f. sp. tritici (Pst) i.e. 6E134A⁺ and 6E2A⁺Yr27⁺ and the screening revealed that 44 and 52 of the progenies are resistant to the above-mentioned isolates, respectively. Field data have shown that the stripe rust resistance doubled-haploid germplasm are comparable to local check cultivars in yield and earliness.     

QTL identification and microphenotype characterisation of the developmentally regulated yellow rust resistance in the UK wheat cultivar Guardian

Yellow rust (causal agent: Puccinia striiformis f.sp. tritici) resistance in the UK wheat cultivar Guardian is developmentally regulated, resistance increasing as the plant matures. Yellow rust resistance was assessed under field conditions on plants after ear emergence to ensure maximum expression of resistance. Three quantitative trait loci (QTL) for yellow rust resistance were identified, being located on chromosomes 1B (QPst.jic-1B), 2D (QPst.jic-2D) and 4B (QPst.jic-4B). The largest resistance effect, QPst.jic-1B located to the same position on the long arm of chromosome 1B as the known durable source of yellow rust resistance, Yr29. Microscopic studies were carried out to determine what effect the resistance in Guardian had on the development of P. striiformis f.sp. tritici. While the adult plant resistance in Guardian did not prevent germinated urediniospores from establishing an effective infection site, the growth of hyphae within flag leaf tissue was significantly inhibited, slowing the development of microcolonies. 3,3-diaminabenzadine (DAB) and trypan blue staining indicated that this inhibition of hyphal growth was not associated with hydrogen peroxide accumulation or extensive plant cell death.     

Intercellular chitinase and peroxidase activities associated with resistance conferred by geneLr35to leaf rust of wheat

The effect of leaf rust (Puccinia triticina) infection on intercellular chitinase (EC 3.2.1.14) and peroxidase (EC 1.11.1.7) activities was studied in resistant [RL 6082 (Thatcher/Lr35)] and susceptible (Thatcher) near isogenic wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) lines at seedling, stem elongation and flag leaf stages of plant growth. The levels of activity of these enzymes were low during the seedling and stem elongation stages. Resistant plants at the flag leaf stage, during which the Lr35 resistance gene was maximally expressed, exhibited high constitutive levels of chitinase and peroxidase activities, in contrast to the lower constitutive levels of susceptible plants. The results suggest that chitinase and peroxidase, constitutively present in the intercellular spaces of Thatcher/Lr35 wheat leaves, may play a role in Lr35 mediated resistance to leaf rust.     

Induced chitinase activity in resistant wheat leaves inoculated with an incompatible race of Puccinia striiformis f. sp. tritici,the causal agent of yellow rust disease

Chitinase specific activity was measured spectrophotometrically in wheat leaf tissues during the compatible and incompatible interactions with Puccinia striiformis f. sp. tritici, the causal agent of yellow rust disease. The wheat cultivar, Federation^* 4/Kavkaz, was inoculated with virulent (134E134A+) or avirulent (4EOA+) races of P. striiformis f. sp. tritici in the first leaf stage. The results showed that chitinase activity pattern was similar in both compatible and incompatible interactions up to 72 hrs after inoculation. However, the specific activity increased rapidly in the incompatible reaction thereafter. In susceptible reaction, chitinase activity gradually declined after 72 hrs post-inoculation reaching a level similar to that in the control plants two weeks after inoculation. Chitinase specific activity in resistance response was at least three times greater than that in the susceptible reaction two weeks following the inoculation. Electrophoresis of native polyacrylamide gel impregnated with 0.1% (w/v) glycol chitinas the substrate revealed the presence of eight chitinase isoforms with relative electrophoretic mobility (R_m) values ranging from 0.11 to 0.64 in the resolving gel. This revised version was published online in June 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Path coefficient analysis of the effects of stripe rust and cultivar mixtures on yield and yield components of winter wheat

Four club wheat cultivars and three two-component cultivar mixtures, planted at five frequencies, were grown in three environments in both the presence and absence of stripe rust. The effect of stripe rust on wheat yield was through the yield components, with weight of individual seed being the component most affected by rust. In some cases, yield component compensation was indicated by the presence of negative correlations among the yield components. Path analysis of the yield components revealed that components with the highest correlations to yield also had the largest direct effects on yield. Of the yield components, number of heads per unit area exerted the largest direct influence on yield. The direct effects of number of seeds per head and weight of individual seed were similar, although number of seeds per head was more important in the absence of rust than in its presence. The pure stands and mixtures differed considerably with respect to correlation coefficients, but were very similar for direct effects of yield components on yield. Most of these discrepancies were due to opposing indirect effects, which were not evident from correlation coefficients alone.Paper No. 10,788 of the Journal Series of the Oregon Agricultural Experiment Station     

两系杂交小麦恢复系MR168抗条锈病基因遗传分析及分子标记定位

小麦条锈病是影响杂交小麦普及推广的重要因素。文章利用基因推导法和SSR分子标记技术,研究了温光型两系杂交小麦恢复系MR168的抗条锈性遗传规律及其控制基因染色体位置。结果表明,MR168对CY29、CY31、CY32、CY33等条锈菌生理小种表现高抗至免疫;对SY95-71/MR168杂交组合的正反交F1、BC1、F2和F3群体分单株接种鉴定显示,MR168对CY32号小种的抗性受1对显性核基因控制,该抗病基因来源于春小麦品种辽春10号。利用集群分离分析法(Bulked segregant analysis,BSA)和简单重复序列(Simple sequence repeat,SSR)分子标记分析抗病亲本MR168、感病亲本SY95-71及183个F2代单株,发现了与MR168抗条锈病基因连锁的5个微卫星标记Xgwm273、Xgwm18、Xbarc187、Xwmc269、Xwmc406,并将该基因初步定位在1BS着丝粒附近,暂命名为YrMR168;构建了包含YrMR168的SSR标记遗传图谱,距离YrMR168最近的两个微卫星位点是Xgwm18和Xbarc187,遗传距离分别为1.9 cM和2.4 cM,这两个微卫星标记可用于杂交小麦抗条锈病分子标记辅助育种。     

Comparative virulence phenotypes and molecular genotypes of Puccinia striiformis f. sp. tritici, the wheat stripe rust pathogen in China and the United States

Stripe rust (yellow rust) of wheat, caused by Puccinia striiformis f. sp. tritici, is one of the most important diseases in both China and the United States. The Chinese and US populations of the stripe rust fungus were compared for their virulence phenotypes on wheat cultivars used to differentiate races of the pathogen in China and the US and molecular genotypes using simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers. From 86 Chinese isolates, 54 races were identified based on reactions on the 17 Chinese differentials and 52 races were identified based on the 20 US differentials. The selected 51 US isolates, representing 50 races based on the US differentials, were identified as 41 races using the Chinese differentials. A total of 132 virulence phenotypes were identified from the 137 isolates based on reactions on both Chinese and US differentials. None of the isolates from the two countries had identical virulence phenotypes on both sets of differentials. From the 137 isolates, SSR markers identified 102 genotypes, of which 71 from China and 31 from the US. The virulence data clustered the 137 isolates into 20 virulence groups (VGs) and the marker data clustered the isolates into seven molecular groups (MGs). Virulence and SSR data had a low (r = 0.34), but significant (P = 0.01) correlation. Principal component analyses using either the virulence data or the SSR data separated the isolates into three groups: group a consisting of only Chinese isolates, group b consisting of both Chinese and US isolates and group c consisting of mostly US isolates. A neighbour-joining tree generated using the molecular data suggested that the P. striiformis f. sp. tritici populations of China and the US in general evolved independently.     

Genetic research as the valid base of strategies for breeding rust resistant wheats

It is known that few wheat cultivars maintain their resistance to rust diseases for a long period of time, particularly when crop populations become genetically more uniform. A number of genetically diverse, so far unexploited, sources of rust resistance in the natural as well as mutagenized population of wheat cultivars were identified. Several of these genes were placed in agronomically superior well-adapted backgrounds so that they could be used as pre-breeding stocks for introducing genetic diversity for resistance in a crop population. Some of these stocks when employed as parents in several cross combinations in a breeding programme have generated a number of promising cultivars with diversity for resistance.Many presently grown wheats in India, near-isogenic lines each with Lr14b, Lr14ab, Lr30 and certain international cultivars were identified as possessing diverse sources of adult plant resistance (APR) to leaf rust. Prolonged leaf rust resistance in some of the Indian cultivars was attributed to the likely presence of Lr34 either alone or in combination with other APR components. Tests of allelism carried out in certain cultivars that continue to show adequate levels of field resistance confirm the presence of Lr34, which explains the role that this gene has played in imparting durability for resistance to leaf rust. Also, Lr34 in combination with other APR components increases the levels of resistance, which suggests that combination of certain APR components should be another important strategy for breeding cultivars conferring durable and adequate levels of resistance. A new adult plant leaf rust resistance source that seems to be associated with durability in Arjun has been postulated. Likewise, cultivars possessing Sr2 in combination with certain other specific genes have maintained resistance to stem rust.Further, non-specific resistances that were transferred across widely different genotypes into two of the popular Indian wheats provided easily usable materials to the national breeding programmes for imparting durable resistance to stripe rust.     

Expression of puroindoline a enhances leaf rust resistance in transgenic tetraploid wheat

The purouindoline gene (pin) coding for puroindoline proteins (PINs) is located on chromosome 5D, controls grain hardness, and the PINs have in vitro antimicrobial activity against gram-positive (G+) bacteria, gram-negative (G-) bacteria and fungi. Wheat leaf rust caused by Puccinia triticina is one of the most important fungal diseases for common wheat with AABBDD genomes. Tetraploid wheat (AABB genome) varieties Luna and Venusia were transformed with the purouindoline a (pinA) gene by bombardment, express PINA consititutively. Transgenic plants showed enhanced response to leaf rust in greenhouse and field. Comparative study of harvesting parameters showed significant differences between transgenic and control plants. These indexes were significantly lower (P < 0.05) in control plants than that in transgenic plants, which suggests that they are significantly affected by pinA gene and that the puroindoline a protein (PINA) can effectively inhibit in vivo the growth of fungal, and the transgenic tetraploid wheat can grow well in Hubei Province, Central China, where the tetraploid wheat varieties Luna and Venusia have poor yield due to their disease-sensitivity.     

Effect of population size on the estimation of QTL: a test using resistance to barley stripe rust

The limited population sizes used in many quantitative trait locus (QTL) detection experiments can lead to underestimation of QTL number, overestimation of QTL effects, and failure to quantify QTL interactions. We used the barley/barley stripe rust pathosystem to evaluate the effect of population size on the estimation of QTL parameters. We generated a large (n=409) population of doubled haploid lines derived from the cross of two inbred lines, BCD47 and Baronesse. This population was evaluated for barley stripe rust severity in the Toluca Valley, Mexico, and in Washington State, USA, under field conditions. BCD47 was the principal donor of resistance QTL alleles, but the susceptible parent also contributed some resistance alleles. The major QTL, located on the long arm of chromosome 4H, close to the Mlo gene, accounted for up to 34% of the phenotypic variance. Subpopulations of different sizes were generated using three methods—resampling, selective genotyping, and selective phenotyping—to evaluate the effect of population size on the estimation of QTL parameters. In all cases, the number of QTL detected increased with population size. QTL with large effects were detected even in small populations, but QTL with small effects were detected only by increasing population size. Selective genotyping and/or selective phenotyping approaches could be effective strategies for reducing the costs associated with conducting QTL analysis in large populations. The method of choice will depend on the relative costs of genotyping versus phenotyping. Electronic Supplementary Material Supplementary material is available for this article at     

Resistance of wild wheat to stripe rust: Predictive method by ecology and allozyme genotypes

From 114 accessions of wild emmer wheat from 11 sites in Israel, known for their allozymic variation (Nevo & al. 1982), individual genotypes were tested for resistance to one isolate of stripe rust both in the seedling stage in a growth chamber and in the adult plant stage in the field. The results indicate that resistance to stripe rust in seedlings and adults are significantly correlated (r_s = 0.40, p < 0.001). Genetic polymorphisms of resistance to stripe rust vary geographically and are predictable by climatic, as well as allozymic markers. Three variable combinations of rainfall, evaporation, and temperature explain significantly 0.40–0.53 of the spatial variance in disease resistance to stripe rust, suggesting the operation of natural selection. Several allozyme genotypes are significantly associated with disease resistance. We conclude that natural populations of wild emmer wheat in Israel contain large amounts of disease resistance genes. These populations could be effectively screened and then utilized by the phytopathologist for identifying resistant genotypes and producing new resistant cultivars.Patterns of Resistance of Wild Wheat to Pathogens in Israel II.     

Rapid global spread of two aggressive strains of a wheat rust fungus

Rust fungi can overcome the effect of host resistance genes rapidly, and spores can disperse long distance by wind. Here we demonstrate a foreign incursion of similar strains of the wheat yellow rust fungus, Puccinia striiformis f. sp. tritici , in North America, Australia and Europe in less than 3 years. One strain defined by identity at 15 virulence loci and 130 amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) fragments was exclusive to North America (present since 2000) and Australia (since 2002). Another strain of the same virulence phenotype, but differing in two AFLP fragments, was exclusive to Europe (present since 2000–2001) as well as Western and Central Asia and the Red Sea Area (first appearance unknown). This may be the most rapid spread of an important crop pathogen on the global scale. The limited divergence between the two strains and their derivatives, and the temporal–spatial occurrence pattern confirmed a recent spread. The data gave evidence for additional intercontinental dispersal events in the past, that is, many isolates sampled before 2000 in Europe, North America and Australia had similar AFLP fingerprints, and isolates from South Africa, which showed no divergence in AFLP, differed by only two fragments from particular isolates from Central Asia, West Asia and South Europe, respectively. Previous research has demonstrated that isolates of the two new strains produced up to two to three times more spores per day than strains found in USA and Europe before 2000, suggesting that increased aggressiveness at this level may accelerate global spread of crop pathogens.     

Marker-assisted selection for two rust resistance genes in sunflower

In this study we report on the identification of molecular markers, OX20₆₀₀ and OO04₉₅₀, linked to the geneR _Adv in the proprietary inbred line P2. This gene confers resistance to most of the pathotypes of Puccinia helianthi identified in Australia. Analysis indicates these RAPD markers are linked to the resistance locus at 0.0 cM and 11 cM respectively. SCAR markers SCX20₆₀₀ and SCO04₉₅₀ derived from these two RAPD markers, and SCT06₉₅₀ derived from a previously reported RAPD marker linked at 4.5 cM from the R ₁ rust resistance gene were developed. SCX20₆₀₀ and SCO04₉₅₀ were linked at similar distances from their resistance locus as the RAPD markers. SCTO6₉₅₀ co-segregated completely with rust resistance. The robustness of the R ₁ SCAR marker was demonstrated through the amplification of the marker in a diverse range of sunflower germplasm considered to possess the R ₁ gene. The SCAR markers forR _Adv were not amplified in the sunflower rust differential set thereby supporting the contention that this is a novel resistance gene. They did amplify in a number of proprietary lines closely related to the line P2. This locus is under further investigation as it will be useful in our attempts to use molecular-assisted breeding to produce durable resistance in sunflower to P. helianthi.     

A substance inducing teliospore production in wheat leaf rust,Puccinia recondita f. sp.tritici

A substance inducing teliospore production inPuccinia racondita f. sp.tritici was found in water and methanol extracts of wheat leaves with telia of the wheat leaf rust just before harvest time. Methanol (MeOH) and water extracts from uninfected wheat leaves also showed telia-inducing activity. However, the MeOH and water extracts from wheat leaves covered with telia showed much stronger activity than those from uninfected wheat leaves. We obtained a fraction (0.2 mg) showing activity at 2 ng/ml by purification of the water extract.     

Study of rust resistance genes in wheat germplasm with DNA markers

Wheat is a vital dietary component for human health and widely consumed in the world. Wheat rusts are dangerous pathogens and contribute serious threat to its production. In present study, PCR-Based DNA Markers were employed to check the rust resistance genes among 20 wheat genotypes and 22 markers were amplified. NTSYS-pc 2.2 was used to calculate genetic diversity and Nei and Li''s coefficients ranged from 0.55 to 0.95. Cluster analysis was obtained using UPGMA (Unweighted Pair Group Method of Arithmetic Average) algorithm. Maximum no. of genes (23) was amplified from TW-760010 genotype whereas minimum no of genes (14) were amplified from TW-76005 genotype. The data gained from present study open up new ways to produce new varieties by breeding rust resistant germplasm to avoid the economic and food loss and varieties with improved characteristics.     

Introgression of diverse genes for resistance to rusts into an improved wheat variety, Kalyansona

Breeding for resistance to the three rusts of wheat usually requires incorporation of genetically independent factors conferring resistance to each rust. Linked resistance genes in some alien translocation stocks permit concurrent transference of resistance for more than one rust. Alien derived resistances, however, are often reported to be associated with reduced yield and other undesirable characters. In our experience, backcross breeding when given a limited number of backcrosses (3–6) and with suitable selection procedures has resulted in lines giving yields higher or comparable to the recurrent wheat parent Kalyansona and resistance to one, two or all three rusts without any adverse effects. Some of the rust resistant derivatives also show resistance to Neovossia indica (Karnal bunt). The derivatives thus developed when used as parents in a breeding programme have produced several improved cultivars with high yields, superior grains and diversity for resistance to rust pathogens. One of the cultivars, named Vaishali (DL784-3), has been officially released for cultivation in the country.     

Molecular markers for wheat leaf rust resistance gene Lr41

Leaf rust, caused by Puccinia triticina Eriks., is an important foliar disease of common wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) worldwide. Pyramiding several major rust-resistance genes into one adapted cultivar is one strategy for obtaining more durable resistance. Molecular markers linked to these genes are essential tools for gene pyramiding. The rust-resistance gene Lr41 from T. tauschii has been introgressed into chromosome 2D of several wheat cultivars that are currently under commercial production. To discover molecular markers closely linked to Lr41, a set of near-isogenic lines (NILs) of the hard winter wheat cultivar Century were developed through backcrossing. A population of 95 BC₃F_2:6 NILs were evaluated for leaf rust resistance at both seedling and adult plant stages and analyzed with simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers using bulked segregant analysis. Four markers closely linked to Lr41 were identified on chromosome 2DS; the closest marker, Xbarc124, was about 1 cM from Lr41. Physical mapping using Chinese Spring nullitetrasomic and ditelosomic genetic stocks confirmed that markers linked to Lr41 were on chromosome arm 2DS. Marker analysis in a diverse set of wheat germplasm indicated that primers BARC124, GWM210, and GDM35 amplified polymorphic bands between most resistant and susceptible accessions and can be used for marker-assisted selection in breeding programs.     

Effect of gene Lr34 in the enhancement of resistance to leaf rust of wheat

Summary Leaf rust resistance gene Lr34 is present in many wheat cultivars throughout the world that have shown durable resistance to leaf rust. Fourteen pair-wise combinations of Lr34 and seedling leaf rust resistance genes were developed by intercrossing near isogenic Thatcher lines. In both seedling and adult plant tests homozygous paired combinations of specific resistance genes with Lr34 had enhanced resistance relative to either parent to different numbers of isolates that were avirulent to the additional resistance genes. The TcLr34, 18 line also expressed enhanced resistance to specific isolates virulent to Lr18 in seedling and adult plant stages. In rust nursery tests, homozygous lines were more resistant than either parent, if the additional leaf rust gene conditioned an effective of resistance when present singly. The ability of Lr34 to interact with other genes conditioning effective resistance may contribute to the durability of leaf rust resistance in cultivars with Lr34. Contribution 1453 Agriculture Canada