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ARS Home » Plains Area » El Reno, Oklahoma » Oklahoma and Central Plains Agricultural Research Center » Peanut and Small Grains Research Unit » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #357541
Research Project: Genetic Mechanisms and Improvement of Insect Resistance in Wheat, Barley, and Sorghum

Location: Peanut and Small Grains Research Unit

Title: Identification of powdery mildew resistance loci in wheat by integrating genome-wide association study (GWAS) and linkage mapping

Author
item Li, Genqiao
item Xu, Xiangyang
item Tan, Chengcheng
item CARVER, BRETT - Oklahoma State University
item Bai, Guihua
item WANG, XUEWEN - University Of Georgia
item Bonman, John
item WU, YANQI - Oklahoma State University
item HUNGER, ROBERT - Oklahoma State University
item Cowger, Christina

Submitted to: The Crop Journal
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 3/8/2019
Publication Date: 4/9/2019
Citation: Li, G., Xu, X., Tan, C., Carver, B.F., Bai, G., Wang, X., Bonman, J.M., Wu, Y., Hunger, R., Cowger, C. 2019. Identification of powdery mildew resistance loci in wheat by integrating genome-wide association study (GWAS) and linkage mapping. The Crop Journal. 7(3):294-306. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cj.2019.01.005.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cj.2019.01.005

Interpretive Summary: Wheat powdery mildew (Blumeria graminis f. sp. tritici) is a disease of increasing importance globally due to the adoption of high yielding varieties and modern sustainable farming technologies. Growing resistant cultivars is a preferred approach to managing this disease, and novel powdery mildew resistance genes are urgently needed for new cultivar development. A genome-wide association study was performed on a panel of 1,292 wheat landraces and historical cultivars using 5,011 single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers. Association analysis identified three loci for powdery mildew resistance on chromosome 2B, designated as QPm.stars-2BC, QPm.stars-2BL1, and QPm.stars-2BL2. To evaluate the efficacy of GWAS in gene discovery, QPm.stars-2BL2 was validated using F2 and F2:3 populations derived from PI 420646 x OK1059060-126135-3. Linkage analysis delimited the powdery mildew resistance gene in PI 420646 to an interval where QPm.stars-2BL2 was located, lending credence to the GWAS results. QPm.stars-2BC and QPm.stars-2BL1 were not reported previously and are likely novel loci for powdery mildew resistance and can be used in wheat breeding to improve powdery mildew resistance.

Technical Abstract: Wheat powdery mildew (Blumeria graminis f. sp. tritici) is a disease of increasing importance globally due to the adoption of high yielding varieties and modern sustainable farming technologies. Growing resistant cultivars is a preferred approach to managing this disease, and novel powdery mildew resistance genes are urgently needed for new cultivar development. A genome-wide association study was performed on a panel of 1,292 wheat landraces and historical cultivars using 5,011 single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers. The association panel was evaluated for powdery mildew reactions to three powdery mildew inoculants, OKS(14)-B-3-1, OKS(14)-C-2-1, and Bgt15. Population structure analysis revealed seven subgroups in the panel. Association analysis using a mixed linear model (MLM) identified three loci for powdery mildew resistance on chromosome 2B, designated as QPm.stars-2BC, QPm.stars-2BL1, and QPm.stars-2BL2. To evaluate the efficacy of GWAS in gene discovery, QPm.stars-2BL2 was validated using F2 and F2:3 populations derived from PI 420646 x OK1059060-126135-3. Linkage analysis delimited the powdery mildew resistance gene in PI 420646 to an interval where QPm.stars-2BL2 was located, lending credence to the GWAS results. QPm.stars-2BC and QPm.stars-2BL1 were not reported previously and are likely novel loci for powdery mildew resistance and can be used in wheat breeding to improve powdery mildew resistance.