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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Stuttgart, Arkansas » Dale Bumpers National Rice Research Center » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #315634
Title: QTLs analysis for resistance to blast disease in US weedy rice

Author
item LIU, YAN - University Of Arkansas
item QI, XINSHUAI - Washington University
item Gealy, David
item OLSEN, KENNETH - Washington University
item CAICEDO, ANA - University Of Massachusetts
item Jia, Yulin

Submitted to: Molecular Plant-Microbe Interactions
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 3/2/2015
Publication Date: 3/11/2015
Publication URL: http://handle.nal.usda.gov/10113/60935
Citation: Liu, Y., Qi, X., Gealy, D.R., Olsen, K.M., Caicedo, A.L., Jia, Y. 2015. QTLs analysis for resistance to blast disease in US weedy rice. Molecular Plant-Microbe Interactions. p. 1-36. doi.org/10.1094/MPMI-12-14-0386-R.

Interpretive Summary: US weedy rice is well-adapted to the local conditions in the southern US rice fields. Rice blast disease is one of the most destructive diseases of cultivated rice, which has been threatening rice production worldwide. However, information about blast resistance in US weedy rice is limited. We found that US weedy rice exhibits a broad resistance spectrum. Using genotyping by sequencing (GBS) methods, we identified 28 statistically supported quantitative trait loci (QTLs) responsible for blast resistance in two US weedy rice ecotypes. Comparing with known resistance (R) genes close to these QTLs, we found that R genes at these resistance QTLs are novel suggesting that US weedy rice evolved novel mechanisms for adaption and is a potential source of novel blast R genes for resistant breeding in the US.

Technical Abstract: Understanding the genetic architecture of adaptation is of great importance in evolutionary biology. US weedy rice is well-adapted to the local conditions in US rice fields. Rice blast disease is one of the most destructive diseases of cultivated rice worldwide. However, information about resistance to blast in weedy rice is limited. Here, we evaluated the disease reactions of 60 US weedy rice accessions with 14 blast races, and investigated the QTLs associated with blast resistance in two major ecotypes of US weedy rice. Our results revealed that US weedy rice exhibited a broad resistance spectrum. Using genotyping by sequencing (GBS), we identified 28 resistance quantitative trait loci (QTLs) in two US weedy rice ecotypes. The resistances QTLs with relatively large and small effects suggest that US weedy rice groups have adapted to blast disease using two ways, both major resistance genes and QTLs. Three genomic loci shared by some of the resistance QTLs indicated that these loci may contribute to no-race-specific resistance in weedy rice. Comparing with known blast disease resistance (R) genes, we found that the R genes at these resistance QTLs are novel, suggesting that US weedy rice is a potential source of novel blast R genes for resistant breeding.