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ARS Home » Pacific West Area » Pullman, Washington » WHGQ » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #390800
Research Project: Biology, Ecology, and Genomics of Pathogenic and Beneficial Microorganisms of Wheat, Barley, and Biofuel Brassicas

Location: Wheat Health, Genetics, and Quality Research

Title: Monitoring of host suitability and defense-related genes in wheat to Bipolaris sorokiniana

Author
item ALKAN, MAHTAP - Bolu Abant Izzet Baysal University
item BAYRAKTAR, HARUN - Ankara University Of Turkey
item IMREN, MUFSTAFA - Bolu Abant Izzet Baysal University
item OZDEMIR, FATIH - Konya Food And Agricultural University
item LAHLALI, RACHID - Ecole Nationale D’Agriculture De Meknes
item MOKRINI, FOUAD - National Institute Of Agronomic Research Of Morocco (INRA)
item Paulitz, Timothy
item DABABAT, ABDELFATTAH - International Maize & Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT)
item OZER, GOKSEL - Bolu Abant Izzet Baysal University

Submitted to: The Journal of Fungi
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 1/28/2022
Publication Date: 1/31/2022
Citation: Alkan, M., Bayraktar, H., Imren, M., Ozdemir, F., Lahlali, R., Mokrini, F., Paulitz, T.C., Dababat, A.A., Ozer, G. 2022. Monitoring of host suitability and defense-related genes in wheat to Bipolaris sorokiniana. The Journal of Fungi. 8(2). Article 149. https://doi.org/10.3390/jof8020149.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/jof8020149

Interpretive Summary: Widely used Turkish wheat cultivars were evaluated for resistance to spot blotch (Bipolaris sorokiniana). In addition, primer sets were developed for use in qPCR so the level of the pathogen could be detected, to help determine resistance. Finally, transcript levels of a number of markers of resistance were tested in a resistant and susceptible cultivar, with substantial variation depending on the resistance gene.

Technical Abstract: Spot blotch caused by Bipolaris sorokiniana is a destructive disease of wheat worldwide. This study investigated the aggressiveness of B. sorokiniana isolates from different wheat-growing areas of Bolu province in Turkey on the cultivar Seri-82. Host suitability of 55 wheat cultivars was evaluated against the most aggressive isolate. Our results indicated that the cultivars Anafarta and Koç-2015 were the most resistant. A specific and sensitive qPCR assay was developed for detecting the pathogen in plant tissues and evaluating wheat plants with different resistance levels. Three primer sets, BsGAPDHF/BsGAPDHR, BsITSF/BsITSR, and BsSSUF/BsSSUR, were designed based on GAPDH, ITS, and SSU loci of B. sorokiniana with detection limits of 1, 0.1, and 0.1 of pathogen DNA, respectively. The qPCR assay was highly sensitive and did not amplify DNA from the other closely related fungal species and host plants. The protocol differentiated wheat plants with varying degrees of resistance. The assay developed is a useful a tool for the quantification of pathogen in the early stages of infection and may provide a significant contribution to more efficient selection of wheat genotypes in breeding studies. In the present study, expression levels of PR proteins, phenylalanine ammonia-lyase, catalase, ascorbate peroxidase, and superoxide dismutase enzymes were upregulated in Anafarta (resistant) and Nenehatun (susceptible) cultivars at different post-infection time points, but more induced in the susceptible cultivar. The results showed considerable variation in the expression levels and timing of defense genes in both cultivars.