Genetic analysis of resistance to stripe rust in durum wheat (Triticum turgidum L. var. durum)

PLoS One. 2018 Sep 19;13(9):e0203283. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0203283. eCollection 2018.

Abstract

Stripe rust, caused by the fungal pathogen Puccinia striiformis Westend. f. sp. tritici Eriks, is an important disease of bread wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) worldwide and there is an indication that it may also become a serious disease of durum wheat (T. turgidum L. var. durum). Therefore, we investigated the genetic architecture underlying resistance to stripe rust in adapted durum wheat germplasm. Wheat infection assays were conducted under controlled conditions in Canada and under field conditions in Mexico. Disease assessments were performed on a population of 155 doubled haploid (DH) lines derived from the cross of Kofa (susceptible) and W9262-260D3 (moderately resistant) and on a breeding panel that consisted of 92 diverse cultivars and breeding lines. Both populations were genotyped using the 90K single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) iSelect assay. In the DH population, QTL for stripe rust resistance were identified on chromosome 7B (LOD 6.87-11.47) and chromosome 5B (LOD 3.88-9.17). The QTL for stripe rust resistance on chromosome 7B was supported in the breeding panel. Both QTL were anchored to the genome sequence of wild emmer wheat, which identified gene candidates involved in disease resistance. Exome capture sequencing identified variation in the candidate genes between Kofa and W9262-260D3. These genetic insights will be useful in durum breeding to enhance resistance to stripe rust.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Basidiomycota / pathogenicity*
  • Canada
  • Chromosome Mapping
  • Chromosomes, Plant / genetics
  • Disease Resistance / genetics
  • Genes, Plant
  • Haploidy
  • Mexico
  • Phenotype
  • Plant Breeding
  • Plant Diseases / genetics*
  • Plant Diseases / microbiology*
  • Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide
  • Quantitative Trait Loci
  • Triticum / genetics*
  • Triticum / microbiology*

Grants and funding

This work was funded through the Canadian Triticum Advancement Through Genomics (CTAG2) Project jointly funded by the Saskatchewan Ministry of Agriculture, Genome Canada, Genome Prairie, Saskatchewan Wheat Development Commission, Alberta Wheat Development Commission, Viterra, and the Manitoba Wheat and Barley Development commission. Funding through the Canadian Wheat Alliance is also acknowledged.