Repository logo
 

Genetic and transcriptional dissection of resistance to Claviceps purpurea in the durum wheat cultivar Greenshank.

Published version
Peer-reviewed

Change log

Authors

McCartney, Curt 
Knox, Ron E 
Ereful, Nelzo 
Hiebert, Colin W 

Abstract

Four QTL for ergot resistance (causal pathogen Claviceps purpurea) have been identified in the durum wheat cultivar Greenshank. Claviceps purpurea is a pathogen of grasses that infects flowers, replacing the seed with an ergot sclerotium. Ergot presents a significant problem to rye, barley and wheat, in particular hybrid seed production systems. In addition, there is evidence that the highly toxic alkaloids that accumulate within sclerotia can cross-contaminate otherwise healthy grain. Host resistance to C. purpurea is rare, few resistance loci having been identified. In this study, four ergot resistance loci are located on chromosomes 1B, 2A, 5A and 5B in the durum wheat cv. Greenshank. Ergot resistance was assessed through analysis of phenotypes associated with C. purpurea infection, namely the number of inoculated flowers that produced sclerotia, or resulted in ovary death but no sclerotia, the levels of honeydew produced, total sclerotia weight and average sclerotia weight and size per spike. Ergot testing was undertaken in Canada and the UK. A major effect QTL, QCp.aafc.DH-2A, was detected in both the Canadian and UK experiments and had a significant effect on honeydew production levels. QCp.aafc.DH-5B had the biggest influence on total sclerotia weight per spike. QCp.aafc.DH-1B was only detected in the Canadian experiments and QCp.aafc.DH-5A in the UK experiment. An RNASeq analysis, undertaken to identify wheat differentially expressed genes associated with different combinations of the four ergot resistance QTL, revealed a disproportionate number of DEGs locating to the QCp.aafc.DH-1B, QCp.aafc.DH-2A and QCp.aafc.DH-5B QTL intervals.

Description

Funder: Canadian Seed Growers' Association; doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.13039/501100000071


Funder: National Research Council of Canada: Canadian Wheat Improvement program

Keywords

Claviceps, Disease Resistance, Genes, Plant, Hordeum, Phenotype, Plant Diseases, Poaceae, Quantitative Trait Loci, Transcription, Genetic, Triticum

Journal Title

Theor Appl Genet

Conference Name

Journal ISSN

0040-5752
1432-2242

Volume Title

133

Publisher

Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Sponsorship
Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BB/G020418/1)