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ARS Home » Plains Area » Fargo, North Dakota » Edward T. Schafer Agricultural Research Center » Cereal Crops Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #255480

Title: Targeted introgression of a wheat stem rust resistance gene by DNA marker-assisted chromosome engineering genetics

Author
item Niu, Zhixia
item Klindworth, Daryl
item Friesen, Timothy
item Chao, Shiaoman
item Jin, Yue
item CAI, XIWEN - North Dakota State University
item Xu, Steven

Submitted to: Genetics
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 12/1/2010
Publication Date: 4/1/2011
Citation: Niu, Z., Klindworth, D.L., Friesen, T.L., Chao, S., Jin, Y., Cai, X., Xu, S.S. 2011. Targeted introgression of a wheat stem rust resistance gene by DNA marker-assisted chromosome engineering genetics. Genetics. 187(4):1011-1021.

Interpretive Summary: In wheat, stem rust resistance gene Sr39, derived from goatgrass species Aegilops speltoides, is highly resistant to multiple stem rust races including Ug99. However, the gene has not been used in wheat breeding because of undesirable genes associated with the large grass chromosome segment on which Sr39 is located in the original wheat-goatgrass chromosome translocation (interchanged) lines (RL5711 and RL6082). To make this valuable gene usable to wheat breeders, we have conducted research on reducing the size of the alien chromatin surrounding Sr39 using chromosome engineering in conjunction with stem rust testing and molecular marker analysis. Four wheat lines (designated as RWG1, RWG2, RWG3, and RWG4)that carry Sr39 on a minimal Aegilops speltoides chromosome segment have been identified and verified by using fluorescent DNA hybridization and by testing with eight races of stem rust. Based on the genomic resources in wheat and rice, we developed three new molecular markers tightly linked to Sr39 on the short goatgrass chromosome segment. The new wheat germplasm lines and Sr39-linked molecular markers are important resources for breeding commercial wheat cultivars resistant to Ug99 and other races of stem rust.

Technical Abstract: In wheat (Triticum aestivum L.), stem rust resistance gene Sr39, derived from Aegilops speltoides Tausch, is highly resistant to multiple stem rust races including TTKSK (Ug99). However, the gene has not been used in wheat breeding because of linkage drag associated with the large 2S chromosome segment on which Sr39 is located in the original 2S/2B translocation stocks (RL5711 and RL6082). To make this valuable gene usable to wheat breeders, we have conducted research on reducing the size of the alien chromatin surrounding Sr39 using chromosome engineering in conjunction with stem rust testing and high-throughput molecular marker genotyping. ‘Chinese Spring’ (CS) ph1b mutant was used to cross with translocation stock RL6082 and then backcrossed to the F1 hybrids. The BC1F1 plants were screened with the stem rust pathogen and molecular markers to detect homozygous ph1b plants. Resistant BC1F1 plants homozygous for ph1b were selected and backcrossed to CS. A population of 1,048 BC2F1 plants was tested with stem rust and a co-dominant microsatellite marker. We identified 40 resistant plants with dissociation of the marker allele from the 2S chromosome segment. Four wheat lines, designated as RWG1, RWG2, RWG3, and RWG4, carrying Sr39 on minimal alien chromatins have been identified and verified by using fluorescent genomic in situ hybridization (FGISH) and by testing with eight races of stem rust. Based on the sequences of the deletion bin-mapped wheat ESTs and the collinear region of the rice (Oryza sativa) genome, we developed three co-dominant STS molecular markers tightly linked to Sr39 on the short alien chromatins. The new wheat germplasm lines and Sr39-linked STS markers are important resources for breeding commercial wheat cultivars resistant to TTKSK and other races of stem rust.