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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 #348753
Title: Development and validation of diagnostic markers for Fhb1, a major QTL for Fusarium head blight resistance in wheat

Author
item SU, ZHENQI - Kansas State University
item JIN, SUJUAN - Kansas State University
item ZHANG, DADONG - Kansas State University
item Bai, Guihua

Submitted to: Theoretical and Applied Genetics
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 8/3/2018
Publication Date: 8/22/2018
Citation: Su, Z., Jin, S., Zhang, D., Bai, G. 2018. Development and validation of diagnostic markers for Fhb1, a major QTL for Fusarium head blight resistance in wheat. Theoretical and Applied Genetics. 2018. https://doi.org/10.1007/s0012 2-018-3159-6.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00122-018-3159-6

Interpretive Summary: Fusarium head blight (FHB) is an important disease that attacks spikes and grains of wheat and barley. Fhb1 is a gene identified from a Chinese wheat cultivar, Sumai3, for FHB resistance and shows the largest effect of any resistance gene on FHB severity reported to date. Here, we developed two diagnostic DNA markers for Fhb1 using the genomic sequences of the Fhb1 candidate gene. Both markers were developed based on a loss-of-function mutation in an Fhb1 candidate gene, TaHRC. These markers were validated in different populations. The two new markers are highly diagnostic for Fhb1 in different backgrounds, and superior to all previously used markers in selection accuracy. They are low cost, flexible, and easy assay markers for breeding purposes.

Technical Abstract: Wheat Fusarium head blight is a devastating disease in wheat and barley worldwide. Growing FHB resistant cultivars is an effective strategy to minimize FHB damage in wheat production. Fhb1 is a quantitative trait (QTL) for FHB resistance identified with the largest effect to date. Here, we developed diagnostic DNA markers for Fhb1 by comparison of the genomic sequences of Fhb1 candidate genes between near-isogenic lines contrasting in Fhb1 alleles and phenotypic effects of the markers developed from those candidate genes and from previous studies. Two markers were developed based on a loss-of-function mutation in an Fhb1 candidate gene TaHRC and validated in different types of populations. Haplotype or sequence analyses of the two markers in the three sets of diversity panels demonstrated that they are diagnostic for Fhb1, and superior to all previously used markers in selection accuracy. They also have the advantages of low cost, flexibility with laboratory setup, and easy assay, therefore, are suitable for breeding programs with either high- or low-throughput marker laboratories. Fhb1 from various sources carrying the same Fhb1 resistance allele as Sumai3 makes these markers useful for selecting Fhb1 from any sources.