scholarly journals Recent Findings Unravel Genes and Genetic Factors Underlying Leptosphaeria maculans Resistance in Brassica napus and Its Relatives

2020 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
pp. 313
Author(s):  
Aldrin Y. Cantila ◽  
Nur Shuhadah Mohd Saad ◽  
Junrey C. Amas ◽  
David Edwards ◽  
Jacqueline Batley

Among the Brassica oilseeds, canola (Brassica napus) is the most economically significant globally. However, its production can be limited by blackleg disease, caused by the fungal pathogen Lepstosphaeria maculans. The deployment of resistance genes has been implemented as one of the key strategies to manage the disease. Genetic resistance against blackleg comes in two forms: qualitative resistance, controlled by a single, major resistance gene (R gene), and quantitative resistance (QR), controlled by numerous, small effect loci. R-gene-mediated blackleg resistance has been extensively studied, wherein several genomic regions harbouring R genes against L. maculans have been identified and three of these genes were cloned. These studies advance our understanding of the mechanism of R gene and pathogen avirulence (Avr) gene interaction. Notably, these studies revealed a more complex interaction than originally thought. Advances in genomics help unravel these complexities, providing insights into the genes and genetic factors towards improving blackleg resistance. Here, we aim to discuss the existing R-gene-mediated resistance, make a summary of candidate R genes against the disease, and emphasise the role of players involved in the pathogenicity and resistance. The comprehensive result will allow breeders to improve resistance to L. maculans, thereby increasing yield.

Author(s):  
Junrey Amas ◽  
Robyn Anderson ◽  
David Edwards ◽  
Wallace Cowling ◽  
Jacqueline Batley

Abstract Key message Quantitative resistance (QR) loci discovered through genetic and genomic analyses are abundant in the Brassica napus genome, providing an opportunity for their utilization in enhancing blackleg resistance. Abstract Quantitative resistance (QR) has long been utilized to manage blackleg in Brassica napus (canola, oilseed rape), even before major resistance genes (R-genes) were extensively explored in breeding programmes. In contrast to R-gene-mediated qualitative resistance, QR reduces blackleg symptoms rather than completely eliminating the disease. As a polygenic trait, QR is controlled by numerous genes with modest effects, which exerts less pressure on the pathogen to evolve; hence, its effectiveness is more durable compared to R-gene-mediated resistance. Furthermore, combining QR with major R-genes has been shown to enhance resistance against diseases in important crops, including oilseed rape. For these reasons, there has been a renewed interest among breeders in utilizing QR in crop improvement. However, the mechanisms governing QR are largely unknown, limiting its deployment. Advances in genomics are facilitating the dissection of the genetic and molecular underpinnings of QR, resulting in the discovery of several loci and genes that can be potentially deployed to enhance blackleg resistance. Here, we summarize the efforts undertaken to identify blackleg QR loci in oilseed rape using linkage and association analysis. We update the knowledge on the possible mechanisms governing QR and the advances in searching for the underlying genes. Lastly, we lay out strategies to accelerate the genetic improvement of blackleg QR in oilseed rape using improved phenotyping approaches and genomic prediction tools.


2020 ◽  
Vol 61 (5) ◽  
pp. 879-890 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mohammad Rashed Hossain ◽  
Mostari Jahan Ferdous ◽  
Jong-In Park ◽  
Arif Hasan Khan Robin ◽  
Sathishkumar Natarajan ◽  
...  

Abstract Blackleg disease, caused by Leptosphaeria maculans, greatly affects the production of cabbage (Brassica oleracea). However, definitive R-gene(s) are yet to be identified in this crop. In contrast, a number of R-loci have been identified in A- or B-genome crops. Identification of few resistant cabbage genotypes indicates the presence of R-genes in this C-genome crop. High ancestral synteny between Brassica genomes suggests that the collinear regions of known A- or B-genome R-loci may also contain functional R-genes in the C-genome. Strong resistance was observed in the cotyledons of cabbage inbred line SCNU-98 against two L. maculans isolates, 03–02 s and 00–100 s. We investigated the collinear region of the Brassica napus blackleg resistance locus LepR2’ in B. oleracea since both isolates of L. maculans contain corresponding avirulence genes. The locus was collinear to a 5.8 Mbp genomic segment of B. oleracea chromosome C09 containing 13 genes that have putative disease resistance-related domains. High expression of genes Bo9g117290 and Bo9g111510 against isolate 00–100 s, and high expression of genes Bo9g126150 and Bo9g111490 against both isolates in the resistant-line SCNU-98 indicate their putative roles in blackleg resistance, which remained to be functionally verified. This work enhances our understanding of R-gene-mediated resistance to blackleg in cabbage.


2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Justine Cornelsen ◽  
Zhongwei Zou ◽  
Shuanglong Huang ◽  
Paula Parks ◽  
Ralph Lange ◽  
...  

Blackleg, caused by the fungal pathogen Leptosphaeria maculans, is a serious threat to canola (Brassica napus L.) production in western Canada. Crop scouting and extended crop rotation, along with the use of effective genetic resistance, have been key management practices available to mitigate the impact of the disease. In recent years, new pathogen races have reduced the effectiveness of some of the resistant cultivars deployed. Strategic deployment and rotation of major resistance (R) genes in cultivars have been used in France and Australia to help increase the longevity of blackleg resistance. Canada also introduced a grouping system in 2017 to identify blackleg R genes in canola cultivars. The main objective of this study was to examine and validate the concept of R gene deployment through monitoring the avirulence (Avr) profile of L. maculans population and disease levels in commercial canola fields within the Canadian prairies. Blackleg disease incidence and severity was collected from 146 cultivars from 53 sites across Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and Alberta in 2018 and 2019, and the results varied significantly between gene groups, which is likely influenced by the pathogen population. Isolates collected from spring and fall stubble residues were examined for the presence of Avr alleles AvrLm1, AvrLm2, AvrLm3, AvrLm4, AvrLm5, AvrLm6, AvrLm7, AvrLm9, AvrLm10, AvrLm11, AvrLepR1, AvrLepR2, AvrLep3, and AvrLmS using a set of differential host genotypes carrying known resistance genes or PCR-based markers. The Simpson’s evenness index was very low, due to two dominant L. maculans races (AvrLm2-4-5-6-7-10-11 and AvrLm2-5-6-7-10-11) representing 49% of the population, but diversity of the population was high from the 35 L. maculans races isolated in Manitoba. AvrLm6 and AvrLm11 were found in all 254 L. maculans isolates collected in Manitoba. Knowledge of the blackleg disease levels in relation to the R genes deployed, along with the L. maculans Avr profile, helps to measure the effectiveness of genetic resistance.


PLoS ONE ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 13 (5) ◽  
pp. e0197752 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yong-Ju Huang ◽  
Georgia K. Mitrousia ◽  
Siti Nordahliawate M. Sidique ◽  
Aiming Qi ◽  
Bruce D. L. Fitt

1995 ◽  
Vol 75 (2) ◽  
pp. 437-439 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. R. Stringam ◽  
V. K. Bansal ◽  
M. R. Thiagarajah ◽  
D. F. Degenhardt ◽  
J. P. Tewari

The doubled haploid breeding method and greenhouse screening using cotyledon bio-assay were successfully applied to transfer blackleg resistance from the Australian cultivar Maluka (Brassicas napus), into susceptible advanced B. napus lines from the University of Alberta. This approach for blackleg resistance breeding was effective and efficient as several superior blackleg resistant breeding lines were identified within 4 yr from the initial cross. One of these lines (91–21864NA) was entered in the 1993 trials of the Western Canada Canola/Rapeseed Recommending Committee. Key words: Blackleg resistance, Leptosphaeria maculans, doubled haploid, Brassica napus


Genome ◽  
2000 ◽  
Vol 43 (3) ◽  
pp. 452-460 ◽  
Author(s):  
D Sillito ◽  
I AP Parkin ◽  
R Mayerhofer ◽  
D J Lydiate ◽  
A G Good

Common structural and amino acid motifs among cloned plant disease-resistance genes (R genes), have made it possible to identify putative disease-resistance sequences based on DNA sequence identity. Mapping of such R-gene homologues will identify candidate disease-resistance loci to expedite map-based cloning strategies in complex crop genomes. Arabidopsis thaliana expressed sequence tags (ESTs) with homology to cloned plant R genes (R-ESTs), were mapped in both A. thaliana and Brassica napus to identify candidate R-gene loci and investigate intergenomic collinearity. Brassica R-gene homologous sequences were also mapped in B. napus. In total, 103 R-EST loci and 36 Brassica R-gene homologous loci were positioned on the N-fo-61-9 B. napus genetic map, and 48 R-EST loci positioned on the Columbia × Landsberg A. thaliana map. The mapped loci identified collinear regions between Arabidopsis and Brassica which had been observed in previous comparative mapping studies; the detection of syntenic genomic regions indicated that there was no apparent rapid divergence of the identified genomic regions housing the R-EST loci.Key words: RFLP mapping, candidate R genes, R-gene homologues, genomic collinearity, Arabidopsis ESTs.


Genome ◽  
2008 ◽  
Vol 51 (1) ◽  
pp. 64-72 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fengqun Yu ◽  
Derek J. Lydiate ◽  
S. Roger Rimmer

The spectrum of resistance to isolates of Leptosphaeria maculans and the map location of a new blackleg resistance gene found in the canola cultivar Brassica napus ‘Surpass 400’ are described. Two blackleg resistance genes, LepR1 and LepR2, from B. rapa subsp. sylvestris and introgressed in B. napus were identified previously. ‘Surpass 400’ also has blackleg resistance introgressed from B. rapa subsp. sylvestris. Using 31 diverse isolates of L. maculans, the disease reaction of ‘Surpass 400’ was compared with those of the resistant breeding lines AD9 (which contains LepR1), AD49 (which contains LepR2), and MC1-8 (which contains both LepR1 and LepR2). The disease reaction on ‘Surpass 400’ was different from those observed on AD9 and MC1-8, indicating that ‘Surpass 400’ carries neither LepR1 nor both LepR1 and LepR2 in combination. Disease reactions of ‘Surpass 400’ to most of the isolates tested were indistinguishable from those of AD49, which suggested ‘Surpass 400’ might contain LepR2 or a similar resistance gene. Classical genetic analysis of F1 and BC1 plants showed that a dominant allele conferred resistance to isolates of L. maculans in ‘Surpass 400’. The resistance gene, which mapped to B. napus linkage group N10 in an interval of 2.9 cM flanked by microsatellite markers sR12281a and sN2428Rb and 11.7 cM below LepR2, was designated LepR3. A 9 cM region of the B. napus genome containing LepR3 was found to be syntenic with a segment of Arabidopsis chromosome 5.


2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sanu Arora ◽  
Burkhard Steuernagel ◽  
Sutha Chandramohan ◽  
Yunming Long ◽  
Oadi Matny ◽  
...  

Genetic resistance is the most economic and environmentally sustainable approach for crop disease protection. Disease resistance (R) genes from wild relatives are a valuable resource for breeding resistant crops. However, introgression of R genes into crops is a lengthy process often associated with co-integration of deleterious linked genes1, 2 and pathogens can rapidly evolve to overcome R genes when deployed singly3. Introducing multiple cloned R genes into crops as a stack would avoid linkage drag and delay emergence of resistance-breaking pathogen races4. However, current R gene cloning methods require segregating or mutant progenies5–10, which are difficult to generate for many wild relatives due to poor agronomic traits. We exploited natural pan-genome variation in a wild diploid wheat by combining association genetics with R gene enrichment sequencing (AgRenSeq) to clone four stem rust resistance genes in <6 months. RenSeq combined with diversity panels is therefore a major advance in isolating R genes for engineering broad-spectrum resistance in crops.


Plants ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (11) ◽  
pp. 484
Author(s):  
Zou ◽  
Liu ◽  
Chen ◽  
Fernando

Global warming by increased atmospheric CO2 concentration has been widely accepted. Yet, there has not been any consistent conclusion on the doubled CO2 concentration that in the future will affect plant disease incidence and severity. Blackleg disease, mainly caused by Leptosphaeria maculans, is a major disease on canola production globally. Brassica napus and L. maculans have a gene-for-gene interaction, which causes an incompatible reaction between canola plants carrying resistance genes and L. maculans isolates carrying corresponding avirulence genes. In this study, B. napus varieties and lines inoculated with different Leptosphaeria isolates were subjected to simulated growth conditions, namely, growth chambers with normal environments and with controlled CO2 concentrations of 400, 600, and 800 ppm. The results indicated that the elevated CO2 concentrations have no noticeable effect on the inferred phenotypes of the canola–blackleg interactions. However, the disease severity decreased in most of the B. napus–L. maculans interactions at extremely high CO2 concentration (800 ppm). The varied pathogenicity changes of the B. napus–L. maculans pathosystem under elevated CO2 concentrations at 400 or 600 ppm may be due to the genetic background or physiological differences in plants and pathogenicity differences in L. maculans isolates having different Avr gene profiles. The mechanisms by which elevated CO2 concentrations affect the B. napus–L. maculans pathosystem will help us understand how climate change will impact crops and diseases.


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