Effect of Drechslera (Helminthosporium) sacchari Toxin upon the Permeability of Sugarcane Leaf and Callus Tissues

Sugarcane leaves and calli from highly susceptible and resistant varieties to eyespot disease were used to evaluate the Drechslera sacchari toxin effect at different concentrations and incubation times by measuring electrolyte leakage. This expression of disease resistance was observed not only in the leaf but also in the callus. Furthermore, the growth of resistant calli MS medium supplemented with DS toxin, was higher when compared to the susceptible ones. The possibility of obtaining resistant somaclones is confirmed.     

Sclerotinia rot resistance in red clover: Identification of RAPD markers using bulked segregant analysis

Random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) was used with the objective of identifying DNA markers linked to the sclerotinia crown and stem rot (SCSR) resistance of red clover. Bulked segregant analysis was used to detect polymorphism that should be linked to SCSR resistance. Two bulks were made by pooling previously extracted DNA. Each bulk (one resistant, and the other susceptible) consisted of eight genotypes from an F₂ population obtained from a cross between a susceptible and a resistant parent. A binomial model was used to select RAPD fragments with a low probability of no linkage with SCSR resistance. Four RAPD fragments were retained as candidate markers of SCSR resistance. Three are associated with resistance and one with susceptibility.     

Breeding wheat and rye for resistance to Fusarium diseases

Fusarium culmorum and F. graminearum Groups 1 and 2 cause seedling blight, crown rot, foot rot and head blight in wheat and rye that may affect grain yield and quality for baking and feeding. This review starts with an analysis of Fusarium populations with regard to their genetic variation for aggressiveness, mycotoxin production, and isolate-by-host genotype interaction. To assess resistance in the different host growth stages, quantitative inoculation and disease assessment techniques are necessary. Based on estimated population parameters, breeding strategies are reviewed to improve Fusarium resistance in wheat and rye. Epidemiological and toxicological aspects of Fusarium resistance that are important for resistance breeding are discussed. F. culmorum and F. graminearum display large genetic variation for aggressiveness in isolate collections and in naturally occurring populations. The production of mycotoxins, especially deoxynivalenol and its derivatives, is a common trait in these populations. Significant isolate-by-host genotype interactions were not found across environments in wheat and rye. Artificial infections in the field are indispensable for improving Fusarium crown rot, foot rot and head blight resistance in wheat and rye. For a reliable disease assessment of large populations, disease severity ratings were found to be the most convenient. The differentiation of host resistance is greatly influenced by an array of nongenetic factors (macro-environment, microclimate, host growth stage, host organ) that show significant interactions with host genotype. Selection for environmentally stable resistance has to be performed in several environments under a maximum array of different infection levels. Selection in early growth stages or on one plant organ does not in most cases allow prediction of resistance in adult-plant stages or another plant organ. Significant genetic variation for resistance exists for all Fusarium-incited diseases in breeding populations of wheat and rye. The patho-systems studied displayed a prevalence of additive gene action with no consistent specific combining ability effects and thus rapid progress can be expected from recurrent selection. In wheat, intensive testing of parental genotypes allows good prediction of the mean head blight resistance after crossing. Subsequent selection during selfing generations enables the use of transgression towards resistance. In hybrid breeding of winter rye, the close correlation between foot rot resistance of inbred lines and their GCA effects implies that selection based on the lines per se should be highly effective. This is not valid for F. culmorum head blight of winter rye caused by a greater susceptibility of the inbred lines compared to their crosses. For both foot rot and head blight resistance, a high correlation between the resistance to F. graminearum and F. culmorum was found in wheat and rye. Mycotoxin accumulation occurs to a great extent in naturally and artificially infected plant stands. The correlation between resistance traits and mycotoxin contents are medium and highly dependent on the environment. Further experiments are needed to clarify whether greater resistance will lead to a correlated reduction of the mycotoxin content of the grains under natural infection.     

The effect of environment on level of resistance to Phomopsis leptostromiformis in lupins and implications for resistance breeding to this disease

Summary Four varieties of lupins were sown at three planting dates and the level of Phomopsis leptostromiformis measured on the mature stems. When averaged over planting dates the varieties did not differ in resistance to this disease, however there were highly significant interactions between varieties and planting dates for level of disease. The implications of this result for resistance breeding to Phomopsis leptostromiformis are discussed.     

Identification of pathogenic races ofPhytophthora fragariae Hickman in Germany

Summary The fungusPhytophthora fragariae Hickman is the causal agent of red stele disease in strawberry (Fragaria × ananassa), this being a major disease in many areas with cool and moist conditions. Success of resistance breeding can be nullified by the appearence of specific races of the fungus capable of overcoming the introduced resistance. In some countries (USA, UK, Japan and Canada) races were identified by using a differential set of strawberry cultivars. The absence of an international standard differential set and the use of different test methods make a comparison of the identified races difficult or even lead to contradictory results for one variety/race combination. The aim of this study was to obtain information about the spectrum of pathogenic races in Germany as a basic contribution to research on resistance breeding against the fungus. The susceptibility of different strawberry cultivars to German isolates ofP. fragariae was evaluated. The inoculation was done by modifying a method described by Milholland et al. (1989). Rootedin vitro plants, four weeks after transferring them to the soil, were used for the investigation. Inoculation was done with a zoospore suspension of defined concentration. Up to now three German isolates, G-1, G-2, and G-3, can be separated by their ability to infect and produce oospores in the roots of the strawberry cultivars ‘Senga Sengana’, either ‘Saladin’, ‘Redgauntlet’ or ‘Climax’ andFragaria chiloensis clone ‘YaquinaB’. These results confirm the existence of pathogenic races ofP. fragariae in Germany and should be taken into consideration for resistance breeding against the fungus.     

Stability of bacterial leaf spot resistance in peach regenerants under in vitro,greenhouse and field conditions

Summary Phenotypic stability of bacterial leaf spot resistance in peach (Prunus persica (L.) Batsch) regenerants, either selected at the cellular level for insensitivity to a toxic culture filtrate of Xanthomonas campestris pv. pruni or screened at the whole plant level for resistance to X. campestris pv. pruni, was investigated. A detached-leaf bioassay was used to evaluate the original regenerants again after three years in the greenhouse and also after a two to three year cycle of tissue culture propagation. Peach trees derived through micropropagation from the original regenerants were also evaluated after one to three years growth in the field. Although leaf spot resistance was retained in some regenerants over time in the greenhouse, following in vitro propagation, and under field conditions, resistance was either lost or not expressed in others. Regenerants # 19-1 and #156-6, derived from embryo callus of bacterial spot susceptible Sunhigh, were significantly more resistant than Sunhigh. High levels of resistance were exhibited in greenhouse plants and field-grown trees of regenerant #122-1, derived from embryo callus of moderately resistant Redhaven. This research provides additional evidence that selecting or screening for somaclonal variants with disease resistance is a feasible approach to obtaining peach trees with increased levels of bacterial spot resistance.Abbreviations TC Tissue-Cultured - TF Toxic culture Filtrate     

Inheritance of angular leaf spot resistance in common bean line BAT 332 and identification of RAPD markers linked to the resistance gene

The existence of genetic variability for angular leaf spot (ALS) resistance in the common bean germplasm allows the development of breeding lines resistant to this disease. The BAT 332 line is an important resistance source to common bean ALS. In this work we determined the inheritance pattern and identified RAPD markers linked to a resistance gene present in BAT 332. Populations F₁, F₂,BCs and BCr derived from crosses between BAT 332 and cultivar Rudá were used. Rudá is a commercial cultivar with carioca type grains and susceptible to ALS. The resistance of BAT 332 to race 61.41 of the pathogen was confirmed. Segregation analysis of the plants indicated that a single dominant gene confers resistance. For identification of RAPD markers linked to the resistance gene, bulk segregant analysis (BSA) was used. Two RAPD markers,OPAA07₉₅₀ and OPAO12₉₅₀, linked in coupling phase at 5.10 and 5.83 cM of this gene, respectively, were identified. These molecular markers are important for common bean breeders and geneticists as source of genetic information and for marker assisted selection in breeding programs. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Expression of nucleolus, endosperm storage proteins and disease resistance in an amphiploid between Aegilops tauschii and Secale silvestre

Cytology and gene expression of an amphiploid between Aegilops tauschiiL., native to China, and Secale silvestre L. were studied to reveal the genomic interaction between the donor species. High frequencies of aneuploids were observed in the progenies of the amphiploid, indicating its cytological instability. Feulgen staining and Giemsa-C banding showed that only the nucleolar organizing region from chromosome 5D of Ae. tauschii existed in the amphiploid (2n = 28). The nucleolus of S. silvestre was not observed. Endosperm storage protein electrophoresis indicated most gliadin and glutenin genes from both parents were expressed in the endosperm of the amphiploid. When inoculated by wheat stripe rust and powdery mildew isolates,the amphiploid did not express the resistance from its Secale parent,suggesting the presence of disease resistance suppressor(s) in the D genome of Ae. tauschii as well as nucleolar organizer suppressors. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Potential use of doubled haploid lines for the screening of resistance to yellow rust (Puccinia striiformis) in hexaploid wheat

Doubled haploid lines derived from anther culture of two Iranian spring wheat genotypes‘Ghods’susceptible and‘9106’resistant to yellow rust in Iranian field conditions, and their F₁ hybrids were used in this study. Seedlings of 36 doubled haploid lines, selected out of 96 according to their agronomic traits and the two parental genotypes were inoculated with eight races of yellow rust. The parental genotypes (‘Ghods’and‘9106’) were segregating for some of the races but their doubled haploid lines were either resistant or susceptible to them.‘Ghods’was susceptible to three of the races studied but three doubled haploid lines derived from it were resistant to them. Five selected doubled haploids from the‘9106’genotype and six from F₁ hybrid plants were resistant to all eight races tested. After further investigations in Iranian field conditions it was found that some of these lines can be used as donor genotypes for resistance to yellow rust in wheat breeding programmes. Use of these genotypes should be possible if the French yellow rust races used for selection also represent the dominant races in Iran. It can be concluded that anther culture provides an efficient method for fixing genes of resistance to yellow rust and desirable doubled haploids from F₁ plants can be derived.     

Resistance to barley yellow-dwarf-virus disease in derivatives of crosses between hexaploid wheat and species of Lophopyrum (Triticeae; Poaceae)

Among the wheatgrasses that are possible sources of genetic resistance for wheat to barley yellow-dwarf-virus disease (BYD) are those that have been commonly subsumed under the name Agropyron elongatum (Host) P. Beauv. Two of these wheatgrass species are the diploid Lophopymm elongatum (Host) Á. Löve (2n = 2x = 14) and the decaploid L. ponticum (Podp.) Á. Löve (2n = 10x = 70). These two species, the addition and substitution lines of L. elongatum chromosomes in hexaploid wheat (Triticum aestivum L.), and derivatives of hybrids between hexaploid wheat and L. ponticum, were screened for resistance to BYD, as defined by visual symptoms in field-grown plants. The two species, an amphiploid derived from L. elongatumבChinese Spring’ wheat, and the derivatives involving L. ponticum chromosomes were all highly resistant. The substitution and addition lines of L. elongatum chromosomes in ‘Chinese Spring’ revealed that the genetic control of resistance in L. elongatum must be complex, with more than one critical locus involved. Chromosomes 2E and 5E are involved and there are lesser contributions to resistance from the remaining wheatgrass chromosomes. One highly resistant derivative was determined to have only three pairs of L. ponticum chromosomes. It has a wheat-like morphology and shows promise for further characterization.