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ARS Home » Plains Area » Manhattan, Kansas » Center for Grain and Animal Health Research » Hard Winter Wheat Genetics Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #195897
Title: DELETION OF A CHROMOSOME ARM ALTERED WHEAT RESISTANCE TO FUSARIUM HEAD BLIGHT AND DEOXYNIVALENOL ACCUMULATION IN CHINESE SPRING

Author
item MA, H-X - KSU/JAAS
item Bai, Guihua
item GILL, G S - KANSAS STATE UNIVERSITY
item HART, L P - MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY

Submitted to: Plant Disease
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 8/8/2006
Publication Date: 11/1/2006
Citation: Ma, H., Bai, G., Gill, G., Hart, L. 2006. Deletion of a chromosome arm altered wheat resistance to fusarium head blight and deoxynivalenol accumulation in chinese spring. Plant Disease 90:1545-1549.

Interpretive Summary: Fusarium head blight (FHB), also called wheat scab, significantly reduces wheat yield and quality. Wheat grain infected by the pathogen F. graminearum contains a toxin called DON that affects livestock and human health after consumption. In this study, a series of wheat lines from Chinese Spring with one removed chromosome arm in each line was evaluated for FHB resistance to determine the effect of each chromosome arm on FHB resistance and toxin content. The result indicated that the Chinese Spring lines with different missing arms showed significant difference in disease levels. Disease ratings ranged from 17.6% to 95.0%. Eight lines with one missing chromosome arm showed a higher level of disease and toxin content than original Chinese Spring, suggesting that those missing chromosome arms may carry genes that reduce FHB and toxin content. However, six other lines had a 29% decrease in FHB severity, suggesting that susceptibility factors or resistance suppressors may be on these arms. Removal of a susceptibility gene or addition of a resistance gene can significantly improve the FHB resistance in Chinese Spring. Therefore, replacement of susceptible gene(s) in commercial cultivars by genes with resistant or neutral effect on FHB may significantly improve FHB resistance.

Technical Abstract: Fusarium head blight (FHB), caused by Fusarium graminearum Schwabe, is an important disease of wheat worldwide. Production of deoxynivalenol (DON) in infected wheat grain by F. graminearum is a major safety concern for livestock and human consumption. Determining chromosome locations of FHB related genes may facilitate enhancement of wheat resistance to FHB and DON accumulation. In this study, a set of 30 ditelosomic lines derived from Chinese Spring, a moderately FHB-resistant landrace from China, were evaluated for proportion of scabbed spikelets (PSS) per inoculated spike in the greenhouse and DON contamination in harvested grain over two years. Significant variation in PSS was observed among ditelosomic lines ranging from 17.6% to 95.0%. Eight ditelosomic lines exhibited a higher level of PSS and greater DON than Chinese Spring and removing one of the arms caused an average of 40% increase in PSS, suggesting that those missing chromosome arms may carry genes that limit PSS and DON accumulation. However, six ditelosomic lines had a 29% reduction in PSS, suggesting that susceptibility factors or resistance suppressors may be on these arms. Removal of a susceptibility gene or addition of a resistance gene can significantly improve the FHB resistance in Chinese Spring. Therefore, replacement of susceptible gene(s) in commercial cultivars by genes with resistant or neutral effect on FHB may significantly improve FHB resistance. Selection for low PSS in general will select for low DON content.