Specific Resistance of Barley to Powdery Mildew, Its Use and Beyond. A Concise Critical Review

Genome-wide association mapping for seedling and adult resistance to powdery mildew in barley

KEY MESSAGE

Two new major QTL were identified for powdery mildew resistance. We confirmed that the QTL on 7HS contributed mainly to the adult-plant resistance, while another one on chromosome arm 1HS made a significant contribution to the seedling resistance. Powdery mildew (PM), caused by Blumeria hordei, can occur at all post emergent stages of barley and constantly threatens crop production. To identify more genes for effective resistance to powdery mildew for use in breeding programs, 696 barley accessions collected from different regions of the world were evaluated for PM resistance at seedling and adult growth stages in three different states of Australia. These barley accessions were genotyped using DArTSeq with over 18,000 markers for a genome-wide association study (GWAS). Using the FarmCPU model, 54 markers showed significant associations with PM resistance scored at the seedling and adult-plant stages in different states of Australia. Another 40 markers showed tentative associations (LOD > 4.0) with resistance. These markers are distributed across all seven barley chromosomes. Most of them were grouped into eleven QTL regions, coinciding with the locations of most of the reported resistance genes. Two major MTAs were identified on chromosome arms 3HS and 5HL, with one on 3HS contributing to adult plant resistance and the one on 5HL to both seedling and adult plant resistance. An MTA on 7HS contributed mainly to the adult-plant resistance, while another one on chromosome arm 1HS made a significant contribution to the seedling resistance.

Heat Pre-Treatment Modified Host and Non-Host Interactions of Powdery Mildew with Barley Brassinosteroid Mutants and Wild Types

High temperatures associated with climate change may increase the severity of plant diseases. This study investigated the effect of heat shock treatment on host and non-host barley powdery mildew interactions using brassinosteroid (BR) mutants of barley. Brassinosteroids are plant steroid hormones, but so far little is known about their role in plant-fungal interactions. Wild type barley cultivar Bowman and its near-isogenic lines with disturbances in BR biosynthesis or signalling showed high compatibility to barley powdery mildew race A6, while cultivar Delisa and its BR-deficient mutants 522DK and 527DK were fully incompatible with this pathogen (host plant-pathogen interactions). On the other hand, Bowman and its mutants were highly resistant to wheat powdery mildew, representing non-host plant-pathogen interactions. Heat pre-treatment induced shifts in these plant-pathogen interactions towards higher susceptibility. In agreement with the more severe disease symptoms, light microscopy showed a decrease in papillae formation and hypersensitive response, characteristic of incompatible interactions, when heat pre-treatment was applied. Mutant 527DK, but not 522DK, maintained high resistance to barley powdery mildew race A6 despite heat pre-treatment. By 10 days after heat treatment and infection, a noticeable shift became apparent in the chlorophyll a fluorescence and in various leaf reflectance parameters at all genotypes.

Mlo-Mediated Broad-Spectrum and Durable Resistance against Powdery Mildews and Its Current and Future Applications

Mlo is a well-known broad-spectrum recessively inherited monogenic durable resistance to powdery mildew caused by Blumeria hordei found first in barley, originally in an induced mutant in 1942 and later in other mutants and also in Ethiopian landraces. The first commercial varieties possessing Mlo resistance were released during 1979-1986, but these often showed symptoms of necrotic leaf spotting associated with reduced grain yield. However, this yield penalty was successfully reduced by breeding Mlo-resistant varieties of spring barley predominate in Europe; for example, in the Czech Republic, their ratio surpassed 90% of the total number of newly released varieties. However, outside Europe, Mlo-varieties are not yet popular and can be exploited more widely. Winter barley varieties are generally non-resistant, but the use of Mlo for their breeding is controversial despite the limited adaptability of the pathogen to this resistance. The renewal of mechanically disturbed epidermal plant cell walls, including the penetration of mildews, is common in plants, and the Mlo-type resistance is exploited in many other crop species, including wheat.

Rare Virulences and Great Pathotype Diversity of a Central European Blumeria hordei Population

Barley is an important crop grown on almost 49 Mha worldwide in 2021 and is particularly significant in Europe where powdery mildew is the most frequent disease on susceptible varieties. The most suitable way to protect crops is by exploiting genetic resistance. However, the causal agent Blumeria hordei is an extremely adaptable pathogen. The aims of this research were to increase our knowledge of the rapidly changing pathogen population and detect rare virulences. Random samples of the pathogen were obtained from the air by means of a mobile spore sampler. Spores were collected by driving across the Czech Republic in 2019, 2021 and 2023, and 299 isolates were analyzed on 121 host varieties. No infection occurred on 35 differentials, rare virulence was recorded on 31 varieties and a higher virulence frequency was found on 55 differentials. A core set of differentials along with four additional varieties distinguishes 295 pathotypes (Simple Index = 0.987) and the virulence complexity of isolates varied from 4 to 19 with an average of 10.39. The detection of new virulences, the increasing frequency of previously rare virulences and high pathotype diversity as well as high virulence complexity confirm that using nonspecific durable resistance is crucial for successfully breeding commercial varieties.

Identification of Quantitative Trait Loci Associated with Powdery Mildew Resistance in Spring Barley under Conditions of Southeastern Kazakhstan

Barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) is one of the most produced cereal crops in the world. It has traditionally been used for the production of animal feed and for malting, as well as for human consumption. However, its production is highly affected by biotic stress factors, particularly the fungal pathogen Blumeria graminis (DC.) f. sp. hordei (Bgh), which causes powdery mildew (PM). In this study, a collection of 406 barley accessions from the USA, Kazakhstan, Europe, and Africa were assessed for resistance to PM over a 3-year period in southeastern Kazakhstan. The collection was grown in the field in 2020, 2021, and 2022 and was genotyped using the 9K SNP Illumina chip. A genome-wide association study (GWAS) was conducted to identify the quantitative trait loci (QTLs) associated with PM resistance. As a result, seven QTLs for PM resistance were detected on chromosomes 4H, 5H, and 7H (FDR p-values < 0.05). Genetic positions of two QTLs were similar to those of PM resistance QTLs previously reported in the scientific literature, suggesting that the five remaining QTLs are novel putative genetic factors for the studied trait. Haplotype analysis for seven QTLs revealed three haplotypes which were associated with total PM resistance and one haplotype associated with the high PM severity in the barley collection. Identified QTLs and haplotypes associated with the PM resistance of barley may be used for further analysis, trait pyramiding, and marker-assisted selection.

Virulence and Genetic Types of Blumeria graminis f. sp. hordei in Tibet and Surrounding Areas

Barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) is the most important cereal crop in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, and the yield has been seriously threatened by Blumeria graminis f. sp. hordei (Bgh) in recent years. To understand the virulence and genetic traits of different Bgh populations, 229 isolates of Bgh were collected from Tibet, Sichuan, Gansu and Yunnan provinces of China during 2020 and 2021, and their pathogenicity to 21 barley lines of different genotypes was assessed. A total of 132 virulent types were identified. The Bgh isolates from Yunnan showed the highest diversity in terms of virulence complexity (Rci) and genetic diversity (KWm), followed by those from Sichuan, Gansu, and Tibet, in that order. Single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) in genes coding for alternative oxidase (AOX), protein kinase A (PKA), and protein phosphatase type 2A (PPA) were detected at seven polymorphic sites. Nine haplotypes (H1–H9) with an average haplotype diversity (Hd) and nucleotide diversity π of 0.564 and 0.00034, respectively, were observed. Of these, haplotypes H1 and H4 accounted for 88.8% of the isolates, and H4 was predominant in Tibet. Genetic diversity analysis using the STRUCTURE (K = 2) and AMOVE indicated that the inter-group variation accounted for 54.68%, and inter- and intra-population genotypic heterogeneity accounted for 23.90% and 21.42%, respectively. The results revealed the recent expansion of the Bgh population in Tibet, accompanied by an increase in virulence and a loss of genetic diversity.

Non-Authenticity of Spring Barley Genotypes Revealed in Gene Bank Accessions

Plant research and breeding depends on plant genotypes; therefore, genotype authenticity of accessions is the basic requirement for users of gene banks. Surprisingly, this extremely important topic is rarely reported in the scientific community. Non-authentic are accessions that are mislabelled and undesirable genotypes of heterogeneous accessions. In barley, we try to uncover both named problems on the basis of postulated major powdery mildew resistance genes. These are diverse, environmentally stable and their use is well documented and suitable for genotype characterization. In this contribution, we postulate resistance genes in 15 varieties represented by 157 derived lines of 32 accessions originating from seven foreign gene banks and compare these findings with previous results including those 15 identically labelled varieties from our domestic gene bank. We found that 37.5% of the gene bank accessions investigated herein were heterogeneous, and at least 20.0% were mislabelled. A large-scale molecular characterisation of varieties is now being carried out, and using authentic varieties must be one of the key requirements. Therefore, accessions of each variety from a minimum of three gene banks whose identity has been verified by reliable methods should be compared before starting new experiments. These will involve molecular varietal characterisation to serve as a foundation for future plant science research and effective crop improvement.

Powdery Mildew Resistance Genes in European Barley Cultivars Registered in the Czech Republic from 2016 to 2020

Barley is an important crop grown annually on about 55 Mha and intensively cultivated in Europe. In central and north-western Europe, spring and winter barley can be grown in similar environments which creates suitable conditions for the development of barley pathogens, including Blumeria graminis f. sp. hordei, the causal agent of powdery mildew. Apart from pesticide application, it can be controlled by inexpensive and environmentally-friendly genetic resistance. In this contribution, results of the resistance gene identification in 58 barley cultivars to powdery mildew are presented. In 56 of them their resistances were postulated and in two hybrid cultivars a recently developed method of gene identification was used. In total, 18 known resistance genes were found and several unknown genes were detected. In spring barley, a gene of durable resistance mlo is still predominant. MlVe found in winter SU Celly was the only new resistance gene recorded in barley cultivars registered in the Czech Republic in this time span. Since 2001 eight new genes of specific resistance have been identified in cultivars registered in the country and their response under field conditions is discussed, including the corresponding responses of the pathogen population due to directional selection. Different strategies for breeding spring and winter barley are recommended.

Postulation of Specific Disease Resistance Genes in Cereals: A Widely Used Method and Its Detailed Description

Cultivation of resistant varieties is an environmentally friendly and inexpensive method of crop protection. Numerous alleles of specific disease resistance occur in cereals and other crops, and knowledge of their presence in individual varieties has wide utilization in research and practice. Postulation based on phenotyping host-pathogen interactions and the gene-for-gene model is a common way of identifying these genes. The same technique and design of tests are used for postulating virulence when pathogen populations are studied. Powdery mildews caused by different formae speciales of Blumeria graminis (Bg) are important cereal diseases. In this contribution, experimental methods are described that use a model organism Bg f. sp. hordei, which can be employed for other cereal mildews and possibly rusts. It includes illustrations and a summary of our long-term practical experience. It also critically evaluates the benefits of leaf segment tests compared with screening whole plants.

Powdery Mildew Resistance Genes in Single-Plant Progenies Derived from Accessions of a Winter Barley Core Collection

The main problems of crop gene banks comprise heterogeneity of accessions, resulting from mechanical admixtures or out-crossing during their multiplication, and especially the mislabeling of accessions. These discrepancies can adversely affect the results of many expensive research and breeding projects that are based on the use of gene bank resources. To tackle these problems, 860 single-plant progenies (SPPs) of 172 accessions of the Czech winter barley core collection were grown and tested with a set of 53 isolates representing the global virulence/avirulence diversity of powdery mildew. Seventy-one resistance phenotypes encompassed the diversity of known specific resistances and their combinations. Based on testing groups of five SPPs, 94 accessions had one phenotype found in all five SPPs (homogeneous accessions), whereas in 78 accessions (45.3%) more than one phenotype was identified (heterogeneous accessions). In three varieties, specific resistances against the whole set of isolates were detected, but due to high adaptability of the pathogen, they are not recommended for breeding resistant cultivars. Selected SPPs were integrated in the gene bank and are now a reliable source of genotypically pure seed with defined powdery mildew resistance genes that can be used by breeders and researchers. The results obtained can be used to verify authenticity of accession genotype and pedigree, particularly for older varieties for which no other original criteria are available.

Powdery Mildew Resistance Phenotypes of Wheat Gene Bank Accessions

Powdery mildew (Blumeria graminis f. sp. tritici) is a common pathogen of bread wheat (Triticum aestivum L.), and genetic resistance is an effective and environmentally friendly method to reduce its adverse impact. The introgression of novel genes from wheat progenitors and related species can increase the diversity of disease resistance and accumulation of minor genes to improve the crop's resistance durability. To accomplish these two actions, host genotypes without major resistances should be preferably used. Therefore, the main aim of this study was to carry out seedling tests to detect such resistances in a set of wheat accessions from the Czech gene bank and to group the cultivars according to their phenotype. Ear progenies of 448 selected cultivars originating from 33 countries were inoculated with three isolates of the pathogen. Twenty-eight cultivars were heterogeneous, and 110 cultivars showed resistance to at least one isolate. Fifty-nine cultivars, mostly from Northwest Europe, were resistant to all three isolates were more than three times more frequently recorded in spring than in winter cultivars. Results will facilitate a rational and practical approach preferably using the set of cultivars without major resistances for both mentioned methods of breeding wheat cultivars resistant to powdery mildew.

Anticancer properties of caudatin and related C-21 steroidal glycosides from Cynanchum plants

Numerous C-21 steroidal glycosides have been isolated from Cynanchum plants. Many of them derive from the aglycone caudatin (CDT) which includes a tetracyclic deacylmetaplexigenin unit and an ikemaoyl ester side chain. CDT can be found in diverse traditional medicines, such as Baishouwu radix used to treat gastro-intestinal disorders. The compound has revealed marked anticancer properties, reviewed here. CDT and its mono-glycoside analogue CDMC display antiproliferative activities against different cancer cell lines in vitro and have revealed significant anticancer effects in tumor xenograft models in vivo. Their mechanism of action is multifactorial, implicating several signaling pathways (Wnt/GSK3/β-catenin, TRAIL/DR5/ER and TNFAIP1/NFκB) which contribute to the antiproliferative, antiangiogenic, antimetastatic and proapoptotic effects of the natural products. CDT also modulates DNA replication, is antioxidant and targets some cancer stem cells. CDT and CDMC are interesting anticancer products, while other CDT glycoside derivatives display antiviral and antifungal activities. Altogether, the present review provides a survey of the pharmacological profiles of CDT and derivatives. The lack of knowledge about the molecular targets of CDT currently limits drug development but the natural product, orally active, warrants further pharmacology and toxicology studies.

You Had Me at "MAGIC"!: Four Barley MAGIC Populations Reveal Novel Resistance QTL for Powdery Mildew

Blumeria graminis f. sp. hordei (Bgh), the causal agent of barley powdery mildew (PM), is one of the most important barley leaf diseases and is prevalent in most barley growing regions. Infection decreases grain quality and yields on average by 30%. Multi-parent advanced generation inter-cross (MAGIC) populations combine the advantages of bi-parental and association panels and offer the opportunity to incorporate exotic alleles into adapted material. Here, four barley MAGIC populations consisting of six to eight founders were tested for PM resistance in field trials in Denmark. Principle component and STRUCTURE analysis showed the populations were unstructured and genome-wide linkage disequilibrium (LD) decay varied between 14 and 38 Mbp. Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) identified 11 regions associated with PM resistance located on chromosomes 1H, 2H, 3H, 4H, 5H and 7H, of which three regions are putatively novel resistance quantitative trait locus/loci (QTL). For all regions high-confidence candidate genes were identified that are predicted to be involved in pathogen defense. Haplotype analysis of the significant SNPs revealed new allele combinations not present in the founders and associated with high resistance levels.

A novel way to identify specific powdery mildew resistance genes in hybrid barley cultivars

Powdery mildew, a common cereal disease caused by the fungus Blumeria graminis, is a major limiting factor of barley production and genetic resistance is the most appropriate protection against it. To aid the breeding of new cultivars and their marketing, resistance genes can be postulated in homogeneous accessions. Although hybrid cultivars (F1) should be homogeneous, they are often not genetically uniform, especially if more than two genotypes are involved in their seed production or due to undesirable self-pollination, out-crossing and mechanical admixtures. To overcome these problems the accepted method of postulating specific resistance genes based on comparing response type arrays (RTAs) of genetically homogeneous cultivars with RTAs of standard genotypes was substituted by analysing the frequency of response types to clusters of pathogen isolates in segregating F2 generations. This method combines a genetic and phytopathological approach for identifying resistance genes. To assess its applicability six hybrid cultivars were screened and from three to seven with a total of 14 resistance genes were found. Two genes were newly located at the Mla locus and their heritability determined. In addition, three unknown dominant genes were detected. This novel, comprehensive and efficient method to identifying resistance genes in hybrid cultivars can also be applied in other cereals and crops.