Analysis of Stem Rust Resistance in Australian Barley Cultivars

Exploring Wild Hordeum spontaneum and Hordeum marinum Accessions as Genetic Resources for Fungal Resistance

Crop Wild Relatives (CWRs), as potential sources of new genetic variants, are being extensively studied to identify genotypes that will be able to confer resistance to biotic stresses. In this study, a collection of barley wild relatives was assessed in the field, and their phenotypic variability was evaluated using a Barley Description List, reflecting the identified ecosites. Overall, the CWRs showed significant field resistance to various fungal diseases. To further investigate their resistance, greenhouse tests were performed, revealing that several CWRs exhibited resistance against Fusarium culmorum, Pyrenophora teres, and Puccinia hordei G.H. Otth. Additionally, to characterize the genetic diversity within the collection, DNA polymorphisms at 21 loci were examined. We successfully employed barley-specific SSR markers, confirming their suitability for identifying H. spontaneum and even H. marinum, i.e., perennial species. The SSR markers efficiently clustered the investigated collection according to species and ecotypes, similarly to the phenotypic assessment. Moreover, SSR markers associated with disease resistance revealed different alleles in comparison to those found in resistant barley cultivars. Overall, our findings highlight that this evaluated collection of CWRs represents a valuable reservoir of genetic variability and resistance genes that can be effectively utilized in breeding programs.

A Genome-Wide Association Study of Resistance to Puccinia striiformis f. sp. hordei and P. graminis f. sp. tritici in Barley and Development of Resistant Germplasm

Stripe rust (incited by Puccinia striiformis f. sp. hordei) and stem rust (incited by P. graminis f. sp. tritici) are two of the most important diseases affecting barley. Building on prior work involving the introgression of the resistance genes rpg4/Rpg5 into diverse genetic backgrounds and the discovery of additional quantitative trait locus (QTLs) for stem rust resistance, we generated an array of germplasm in which we mapped resistance to stripe rust and stem rust. Stem rust races TTKSK and QCCJB were used for resistance mapping at the seedling and adult plant stages, respectively. Resistance to stripe rust, at the adult plant stage, was determined by QTLs on chromosomes 1H, 4H, and 5H that were previously reported in the literature. The rpg4/Rpg5 complex was validated as a source of resistance to stem rust at the seedling stage. Some parental germplasm, selected as potentially resistant to stem rust or susceptible but having other positive attributes, showed resistance at the seedling stage, which appears to be allelic to rpg4/Rpg5. The rpg4/Rpg5 complex, and this new allele, were not sufficient for adult plant resistance to stem rust in one environment. A QTL on 5H, distinct from Rpg5 and a previously reported resistance QTL, was required for resistance at the adult plant stage in all environments. This QTL is coincident with the QTL for stripe rust resistance. Germplasm with mapped genes/QTLs conferring resistance to stripe and stem rust was identified and is available as a resource to the research and breeding communities.

Introgression of rpg4/Rpg5 Into Barley Germplasm Provides Insights Into the Genetics of Resistance to Puccinia graminis f. sp. tritici Race TTKSK and Resources for Developing Resistant Cultivars

Stem rust (incited by Puccinia graminis f. sp. tritici) is a devastating disease of wheat and barley in many production areas. The widely virulent African P. graminis f. sp. tritici race TTKSK is of particular concern, because most cultivars are susceptible. To prepare for the possible arrival of race TTKSK in North America, we crossed a range of barley germplasm-representing different growth habits and end uses-with donors of stem rust resistance genes Rpg1 and rpg4/Rpg5. The former confers resistance to prevalent races of P. graminis f. sp. tritici in North America, and the latter confers resistance to TTKSK and other closely related races from Africa. We produced doubled haploids from these crosses and determined their allele type at the Rpg loci and haplotype at 7,864 single-nucleotide polymorphism loci. The doubled haploids were phenotyped for TTKSK resistance at the seedling stage. Integration of genotype and phenotype data revealed that (i) Rpg1 was not associated with TTKSK resistance, (ii) rpg4/Rpg5 was necessary but was not sufficient for resistance, and (iii) specific haplotypes at two quantitative trait loci were required for rpg4/Rpg5 to confer resistance to TTKSK. To confirm whether lines found resistant to TTKSK at the seedling resistance were also resistant at the adult plant stage, a subset of doubled haploids was evaluated in Kenya. Additionally, adult plant resistance to leaf rust and stripe rust (incited by Puccinia hordei and Puccinia striiformis f. sp. hordei, respectively) was also assessed on the doubled haploids in field trials at three locations in the United States over a 2-year period. Doubled haploids were identified with adult plant resistance to all three rusts, and this germplasm is available to the research and breeding communities.

Pyramiding rpg4- and Rpg1-Mediated Stem Rust Resistance in Barley Requires the Rrr1 Gene for Both to Function

Stem rust, caused by Puccinia graminis f. sp. tritici (Pgt) is an economically important disease of wheat and barley. Rpg1 is the only resistance gene deployed in Midwestern US barley varieties and provides remarkable resistance to most North American races, except Pgt race QCCJB. Rpg1 is also ineffective against Pgt race TTKSK and its lineage that originated in Africa. The barley rpg4-mediated resistance locus (RMRL) conferring resistance to Pgt races QCCJB and TTKSK was isolated from line Q21861, which is resistant to all known Pgt races due to Rpg1 and RMRL. To develop elite barley varieties RMRL was pyramided into the varieties, Pinnacle and Conlon (both contain Rpg1), producing the near isogenic lines (NILs), Pinnacle RMRL-NIL (PRN) and Conlon RMRL-NIL (CRN). The CRN was resistant to Pgt races QCCJB (RMRL specific) and HKHJC (Rpg1 specific) at the seedling stage and Pgt race TTKSK (RMRL specific) at the adult stage. In contrast, PRN was susceptible to QCCJB and HKHJC at the seedling stage and TTKSK at the adult stage. Interestingly, PRN's susceptibility to QCCJB and HKHJC showed that RMRL was non-functional in the Pinnacle background but its presence also suppressed Rpg1-mediated resistance. Thus, in the absence of a gene/s found in the Q21861 background, Rpg1 becomes non-functional if RMRL is present, suggesting that another polymorphic gene, that we designated Rrr1 (required for rpg4-mediated resistance 1), is required for RMRL resistance and Rpg1-mediated resistance in the presence of RMRL. Utilizing a PRN/Q21861 derived recombinant inbred line (RIL) population, Rrr1 was delimited to a ∼0.5 MB physical region, slightly proximal (∼1.8 MB) of RMRL on barley chromosome 5H. A second gene, designated required for Rpg1-mediated resistance 2 (Rrr2), with duplicate gene action to Rrr1 in Rpg1-mediated resistance function, was genetically delimited to a physical region of ∼0.7 MB, slightly distal (∼3.1 MB) to Rpg1 on the short arm of barley chromosome 7H. Thus, Rrr1 is required for RMRL resistance and Rrr1 or Rrr2 is required for functional Rpg1-mediated resistance in the presence of the RMRL introgression. Candidate Rrr1 and Rrr2 genes were identified that need to be considered when pyramiding Rpg1 and RMRL in barley.

Genome-Wide Association Mapping of Stem Rust Resistance in Hordeum vulgare subsp. spontaneum

Stem rust was one of the most devastating diseases of barley in North America. Through the deployment of cultivars with the resistance gene Rpg1, losses to stem rust have been minimal over the past 70 yr. However, there exist both domestic (QCCJB) and foreign (TTKSK aka isolate Ug99) pathotypes with virulence for this important gene. To identify new sources of stem rust resistance for barley, we evaluated the Wild Barley Diversity Collection (WBDC) (314 ecogeographically diverse accessions of Hordeum vulgare subsp. spontaneum) for seedling resistance to four pathotypes (TTKSK, QCCJB, MCCFC, and HKHJC) of the wheat stem rust pathogen (Puccinia graminis f. sp. tritici, Pgt) and one isolate (92-MN-90) of the rye stem rust pathogen (P. graminis f. sp. secalis, Pgs). Based on a coefficient of infection, the frequency of resistance in the WBDC was low ranging from 0.6% with HKHJC to 19.4% with 92-MN-90. None of the accessions was resistant to all five cultures of P. graminis A genome-wide association study (GWAS) was conducted to map stem rust resistance loci using 50,842 single-nucleotide polymorphic markers generated by genotype-by-sequencing and ordered using the new barley reference genome assembly. After proper accounting for genetic relatedness and structure among accessions, 45 quantitative trait loci were identified for resistance to P. graminis across all seven barley chromosomes. Three novel loci associated with resistance to TTKSK, QCCJB, MCCFC, and 92-MN-90 were identified on chromosomes 5H and 7H, and two novel loci associated with resistance to HKHJC were identified on chromosomes 1H and 3H. These novel alleles will enhance the diversity of resistance available for cultivated barley.

Vulnerability of Barley to African Pathotypes of Puccinia graminis f. sp. tritici and Sources of Resistance

The emergence of widely virulent pathotypes (e.g., TTKSK in the Ug99 race group) of the stem rust pathogen (Puccinia graminis f. sp. tritici) in Africa threatens wheat production on a global scale. Although intensive research efforts have been advanced to address this threat in wheat, few studies have been conducted on barley, even though pathotypes such as TTKSK are known to attack the crop. The main objectives of this study were to assess the vulnerability of barley to pathotype TTKSK and identify possible sources of resistance. From seedling evaluations of more than 1,924 diverse cultivated barley accessions to pathotype TTKSK, more than 95% (1,844) were found susceptible. A similar high frequency (910 of 934 = 97.4%) of susceptibility was found for the wild progenitor (Hordeum vulgare subsp. spontaneum) of cultivated barley. Additionally, 55 barley lines with characterized or putative introgressions from various wild Hordeum spp. were also tested against pathotype TTKSK but none was found resistant. In total, more than 96% of the 2,913 Hordeum accessions tested were susceptible as seedlings, indicating the extreme vulnerability of the crop to the African pathotypes of P. graminis f. sp. tritici. In total, 32 (1.7% of accessions evaluated) and 13 (1.4%) cultivated and wild barley accessions, respectively, exhibited consistently highly resistant to moderately resistant reactions across all experiments. Molecular assays were conducted on these resistant accessions to determine whether they carried rpg4/Rpg5, the only gene complex known to be highly effective against pathotype TTKSK in barley. Twelve of the 32 (37.5%) resistant cultivated accessions and 11 of the 13 (84.6%) resistant wild barley accessions tested positive for a functional Rpg5 gene, highlighting the narrow genetic base of resistance in Hordeum spp. Other resistant accessions lacking the rpg4/Rpg5 complex were discovered in the evaluated germplasm and may possess useful resistance genes. Combining rpg4/Rpg5 with resistance genes from these other sources should provide more durable resistance against the array of different virulence types in the Ug99 race group.

Unraveling the Wheat Stem Rust Infection Process on Barley Genotypes Through Relative qPCR and Fluorescence Microscopy

The infection process of wheat stem rust (Puccinia graminis f. sp. tritici) on barley (Hordeum vulgare) is often observed as a mesothetic infection type at the seedling stages, and cultivars containing the same major resistance genes often show variation in the level of resistance provided against the same pathogen race or isolate. Thus, robust phenotyping data based on quantification of fungal DNA can improve the ability to elucidate host-pathogen interaction, especially at early time points of infection when disease symptoms are not yet evident. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) was used to determine the amount of fungal DNA relative to host DNA in infected tissue, providing new insights about fungal development and host resistance during the infection process in this pathosystem. The stem rust susceptible 'Steptoe', resistant cultivars containing only Rpg1 ('Beacon', 'Morex', and 'Chevron'), and the resistant line Q21861 containing Rpg1 and the rpg4/Rpg5 complex were evaluated using the traditional 0-to-4 rating scale, fluorescence microscopy, and qPCR. Statistical differences (P<0.05) were observed in fungal development as early as 24 h postinoculation using the qPCR assay. Fungal development observed using fluorescence microscopy displayed the same hierarchal ordering observed using the qPCR assay. The fungal development occurring at 24 and 48 h postinoculation was vastly different than what was expected using the traditional disease phenotyping methodology; with Steptoe appearing more resistant than the barley lines harboring the known Rpg1 and rpg4/Rpg5 resistance complex. These data indicate potential early prehaustorial resistance contributions in a cultivar considered susceptible based on infection type. Moreover, the temporal differences in resistance suggest pre- and post-haustorial resistance mechanisms in the barley-wheat stem rust infection process, indicating potential host genotype contributions related to basal defense during the wheat stem rust infection process.

Resistance to Puccinia graminis f. sp. avenae in Barley Is Associated with the Rpg5 Locus

In barley, gene Rpg5 was first identified for providing resistance to the rye stem rust pathogen (Puccinia graminis f. sp. secalis). A subsequent study determined that Rpg5 is required for rpg4-mediated resistance to the wheat stem rust pathogen (P. graminis f. sp. tritici) including pathotype TTKSK ("Ug99"), which poses a major threat to global wheat and barley production. Based on the effectiveness of Rpg5 against P. graminis f. sp. tritici and P. graminis f. sp. secalis, we assessed whether it also conferred resistance to the oat stem rust pathogen (P. graminis f. sp. avenae). A barley F8 recombinant inbred line (RIL) population was produced by crossing 'Q21861' (Rpg1 and Rpg5) with '73-G1' (Rpg1), which is susceptible to P. graminis f. sp. avenae, P. graminis f. sp. secalis, and some pathotypes of P. graminis f. sp. tritici. Seedling tests were performed on the F8 RIL population using Australian pathotypes of P. graminis f. sp. tritici, P. graminis f. sp. secalis, P. graminis f. sp. avenae, and a putative somatic hybrid between P. graminis f. sp. tritici and P. graminis f. sp. secalis known as the 'Scabrum' rust. Segregation in the responses to all rust isolates for the RILs was identical (50 resistant: 52 susceptible), and fitted a 1:1 ratio (X2=0.039, P=0.843), indicating that resistance to all isolates was monogenetically inherited. Screening of the RILs and the parental lines with perfect markers for the functional Rpg1 and Rpg5 resistance alleles indicated that Rpg1 was fixed, while Rpg5 was positive in all resistant lines and negative in all susceptible lines. This suggests that different formae speciales of P. graminis may share common effectors, and that the Rpg5 locus confers resistance to both P. graminis f. sp. tritici and P. graminis f. sp. secalis and the heterologous formae speciales of P. graminis, P. graminis f. sp. avenae.

Genetic mapping of a new race specific resistance allele effective to Puccinia hordei at the Rph9/Rph12 locus on chromosome 5HL in barley

BACKGROUND

Barley is an important cereal crop cultivated for malt and ruminant feed and in certain regions it is used for human consumption. It is vulnerable to numerous foliar diseases including barley leaf rust caused by the pathogen Puccinia hordei.

RESULTS

A temporarily designated resistance locus RphCantala (RphC) identified in the Australian Hordeum vulgare L. cultivar 'Cantala' displayed an intermediate to low infection type (";12 = N") against the P. hordei pathotype 253P- (virulent on Rph1, Rph2, Rph4, Rph6, Rph8 and RphQ). Phenotypic assessment of a 'CI 9214' (susceptible) x 'Stirling' (RphC) (CI 9214/Stirling) doubled haploid (DH) population at the seedling stage using P. hordei pathotype 253P-, confirmed that RphC was monogenically inherited. Marker-trait association analysis of RphC in the CI 9214/Stirling DH population using 4,500 DArT-seq markers identified a highly significant (-log10Pvalue > 17) single peak on the long arm of chromosome 5H (5HL). Further tests of allelism determined that RphC was genetically independent of Rph3, Rph7, Rph11, Rph13 and Rph14, and was an allele of Rph12 (Rph9.z), which also maps to 5HL.

CONCLUSION

Multipathotype tests and subsequent pedigree analysis determined that 14 related Australian barley varieties (including 'Stirling' and 'Cantala') carry RphC and that the likely source of this resistance is via a Czechoslovakian landrace LV-Kvasice-NA-Morave transferred through common ancestral cultivars 'Hanna' and 'Abed Binder'. RphC is an allele of Rph12 (Rph9.z) and is therefore designated Rph9.am. Bioinformatic analysis using sequence arrays from DArT-seq markers in linkage disequilibrium with Rph9.am identified possible candidates for further gene cloning efforts and marker development at the Rph9/Rph12/Rph9.am locus.

Inheritance of prehaustorial resistance to Puccinia graminis f. sp. avenae in barley (Hordeum vulgare L.)

Rust pathogens within the genus Puccinia cause some of the most economically significant diseases of crops. Different formae speciales of P. graminis have co-evolved to mainly infect specific grass hosts; however, some genotypes of other closely related cereals can also be infected. This study investigated the inheritance of resistance to three diverse pathotypes of the oat stem rust pathogen (P. graminis f. sp. avenae) in the 'Yerong' ✕ 'Franklin' (Y/F) barley doubled haploid (DH) population, a host with which it is not normally associated. Both parents, 'Yerong' and 'Franklin', were immune to all P. graminis f. sp. avenae pathotypes; however. there was transgressive segregation within the Y/F population, in which infection types (IT) ranged from complete immunity to mesothetic susceptibility, suggesting the presence of heritable resistance. Both QTL and marker-trait association (MTA) analysis was performed on the Y/F population to map resistance loci in response to P. graminis f. sp. avenae. QTL on chromosome 1H ('Yerong' Rpga1 and Rpga2) were identified using all forms of analysis, while QTL detected on 5H ('Franklin' Rpga3 and Rpga4) and 7H (Rpga5) were only detected using MTA or composite interval mapping-single marker regression analysis respectively. Rpga1 to Rpga5 were effective in response to all P. graminis f. sp. avenae pathotypes used in this study, suggesting resistance is not pathotype specific. Rpga1 co-located to previously mapped QTL in the Y/F population for adult plant resistance to the barley leaf scald pathogen (Rhynchosporium secalis) on chromosome 1H. Histological evidence suggests that the resistance observed within parental and immune DH lines in the population was prehaustorial and caused by callose deposition within the walls of the mesophyll cells, preventing hyphal penetration.