Genome-wide association mapping of resistance to the foliar diseases septoria nodorum blotch and tan spot in a global winter wheat collection.

Authors: PETERS HAUGRUD, AMANDA - Oak Ridge Institute For Science And Education (ORISE); SHI, GONJUN - North Dakota State University; SENEVIRATNE, SUDESHI - North Dakota State University; RUNNING, KATHERINE - North Dakota State University; Zhang, Zengcui; SINGH, GURMINDER - North Dakota State University; SZABO-HEVER, AGNES - Oak Ridge Institute For Science And Education (ORISE); ACHARYA, KRISHNA - North Dakota State University; Friesen, Timothy; LIU, ZHAOHUI - North Dakota State University; Faris, Justin

Submitted to: Molecular Breeding
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 6/2/2023
Publication Date: 6/17/2023
Citation: Peters Haugrud, A., Shi, G., Seneviratne, S., Running, K., Zhang, Z., Singh, G., Szabo-Hever, A., Acharya, K., Friesen, T.L., Liu, Z., Faris, J.D. 2023. Genome-wide association mapping of resistance to the foliar diseases septoria nodorum blotch and tan spot in a global winter wheat collection. Molecular Breeding. 43. Article 54. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11032-023-01400-5.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11032-023-01400-5

Interpretive Summary: Septoria nodorum blotch and tan spot are important fungal diseases on winter wheat, which is grown worldwide and used to make bread, pastries, noodles, and a variety of other wheat-based products. Both diseases can cause reductions in yield and quality of wheat grain. A large percentage of wheat planted globally is winter type, and few studies have been conducted to evaluate resistance to these two diseases in winter wheat. In this research, a set of 264 winter wheat lines representing global diversity were evaluated to identify lines with genetic resistance to the two diseases. A total of nine lines were highly resistant to all the fungal strains tested for both pathogens. Genetic analyses revealed regions of the winter wheat genome that contained genes governing susceptibility to the two pathogens. In total, six known genes and four new genes were found to be associated with disease. Identification of resistant wheat lines, disease resistance genes, and DNA markers associated with the genes will aid winter wheat breeders in the development of new varieties with resistance to septoria nodorum blotch and tan spot, which will help to reduce yield losses and increase food production and security.

Technical Abstract: Septoria nodorum blotch (SNB) and tan spot, caused by the necrotrophic fungal pathogens Parastagonospora nodorum and Pyrenophora tritici-repentis, respectively, often occur together as a leaf spotting disease complex on wheat (Triticum aestivum L.). Both pathogens produce necrotrophic effectors (NEs) that contribute to the development of disease. Here, genome-wide association analysis of a diverse panel of 264 winter wheat lines revealed novel loci on chromosomes 5A and 5B associated with sensitivity to the NEs SnTox3 and SnTox5 in addition to the known sensitivity genes for NEs Ptr/SnToxA, SnTox1, SnTox3, and SnTox5. Sensitivity loci for SnTox267 and Ptr ToxB were not detected. Evaluation of the panel with five P. nodorum isolates for SNB development indicated the Snn3-SnTox3 and Tsn1-SnToxA interactions played significant roles in disease development along with additional QTL on chromosomes 2A and 2D, which may correspond to the Snn7-SnTox267 interaction. For tan spot, the Tsc1-Ptr ToxC interaction was associated with disease caused by two isolates, and a novel QTL on chromosome 7D was associated with a third isolate. The Tsn1-ToxA interaction was associated with SNB but not tan spot. Therefore some, but not all, of the previously characterized host gene-NE interactions in these pathosystems play significant roles in disease development in winter wheat. Based on these results, breeders should prioritize the selection of resistance alleles at the Tsc1, Tsn1, Snn3, and Snn7 loci as well as the 2A and 7D QTL to obtain good levels of resistance to SNB and tan spot in winter wheat.