Mutagenesis of  Puccinia graminis f. sp. tritici and selection of gain-of-virulence mutants.

Wheat stem rust is regaining prominence due to the recent emergence of virulent isolates and epidemics in Africa, Europe and Central Asia

Abstract

Wheat stem rust caused by the fungus Puccinia graminis f. sp. tritici (Pgt), is regaining prominence due to the recent emergence of virulent isolates and epidemics in Africa, Europe and Central Asia. The development and deployment of wheat cultivars with multiple stem rust resistance (Sr) genes stacked together will provide durable resistance. However, certain disease resistance genes can suppress each other or fail in particular genetic backgrounds. Therefore, the function of each Sr gene must be confirmed after incorporation into an Sr-gene stack. This is difficult when using pathogen disease assays due to epistasis from recognition of multiple avirulence (Avr) effectors. Heterologous delivery of single Avr effectors can circumvent this limitation, but this strategy is currently limited by the paucity of cloned Pgt Avrs. To accelerate Avr gene cloning, we outline a procedure to develop a mutant population of Pgt spores and select for gain-of-virulence mutants.

This is a publication arising from the Sustainable Crop production for International Development (SCPRID) programme

Citation

Kangara N, Kurowski T, Radhakrishnan G, Ghosh S, Cook N, Yu G, Arora S, Steffenson B, Figueroa M, Mohareb F, Saunders D, Wulff B (2020). Mutagenesis of Puccinia graminis f. sp. tritici and Selection of Gain-of-Virulence Mutants. Front Plant Sci 11:1371.

Mutagenesis of  Puccinia graminis f. sp. tritici and selection of gain-of-virulence mutants

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Published 16 September 2020