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Title: ASSESSMENT OF MOLECULAR MARKER ASSISTED SELECTION FOR PHYTOPHTHORA FRAGARIAE VAR FRAGARIAE RESISTANCE IN EUROPEAN AND NORTH AMERICAN STRAWBERRY GENOTYPES

Author
item HAYMES, KENNETH - CONTRACT EMPLOYEE
item VAN DE WEG, W. - WAGENINGEN, NETHERLANDS
item ARENS, P - WAGENINGEN, NETHERLANDS
item Maas, John
item DEN NIJS, A.P. - WAGENINGEN, NETHERLANDS
item VOSMAN, B. - WAGENINGEN, NETHERLANDS

Submitted to: Journal of Theoretical and Applied Genetics
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 2/14/2000
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary: The strawberry disease red stele root rot, caused by the fungus Phytophthora fragariae var. fragariae, is economically important to strawberry production worldwide in the northern hemisphere. The presence of this pathogen limits strawberry production in many areas of the United States and Canada. However, the USDA and Agriculture Canada each have breeding programs to produce varieties resistant to red stele, as does The Netherlands. Traditional breeding methods may be improved by identifying molecular markers in the DNA of prospective parents that are closely tied to genes for resistance. Several such markers were identified and shown to be inherited in the same manner as the resistance genes, thus providing an aid in selecting parents for breeding resistant varieties and identifying the specific genes that resistant types may possess. By this process, pyramiding of resistance genes may be possible in the future and the time required for traditional breeding processes and evaluation of resistant seedlings will be shortened, making more economical use of resources while producing disease resistant strawberry varieties for the commercial grower.

Technical Abstract: Two dominant sequence characterized amplified region (SCAR) markers (linked at 3.0 cM, coupling phase) were constructed for the strawberry gene Rpf1. This gene confers resistance to red stele root rot, caused by the soil-borne fungus Phytophthora fragariae var. fragariae. SCAR markers were originally developed from the sequence of RAPD OPO-16C (438) that is linked in repulsion phase to the Rpf1 allele. This SCAR primer set produced multiple bands in the resistant test progeny and in some of the susceptible progeny; therefore, new SCARs were developed based on the sequence differences among these bands. These new SCARs were linked in coupling phase to the Rpf allele and mapped to the same location as the original RAPD OPO-16C (438). These SCAR markers, as well as some additional RAPD markers known to be linked to Rpf1, were shown to be highly conserved to the gene based on the examination of 133 European and North American strawberry (Fragaria spp.) cultivars and breeding selections. This proves that these flanking RAPD and SCAR-PCR markers can be used in breeding programs for the selection of red stele (Rpf1) resistant genotypes.