Homoeologous recombination-based transfer and molecular cytogenetic mapping of powdery mildew-resistant gene Pm57 from Aegilops searsii into wheat.

Pm57, a novel resistant gene against powdery mildew, was transferred into common wheat from Ae. searsi and further mapped to 2S #1L at an interval of FL0.75 to FL0.87. Powdery mildew, caused by the fungus Blumeria graminis f. sp. tritici, is one of the most severe foliar diseases of wheat causing reduction in grain yield and quality. Host plant resistance is the most effective and environmentally safe approach to control this disease. Tests of a set of Chinese Spring-Ae. searsii (SS, 2n = 2x = 14) Feldman & Kislev ex K. Hammer disomic addition lines with a mixed isolate of the powdery mildew fungus identified a novel resistance gene(s), designed as Pm57, which was located on chromosome 2S#1. Here, we report the development of ten wheat-Ae. searsii recombinants. The wheat chromosomes involved in five of these recombinants were identified by FISH and SSR marker analysis and three of them were resistant to powdery mildew. Pm57 was further mapped to the long arm of chromosome 2S#1 at a fraction length interval of FL 0.75 to FL 0.87. The recombinant stocks T2BS.2BL-2S#1L 89-346 (TA5108) with distal 2S#1L segments of 28% and 89(5)69 (TA5109) with 33% may be useful in wheat improvement. The PCR marker X2L4g9p4/HaeIII was validated to specifically identify the Ae. searsii 2S#1L segment harboring Pm57 in T2BS.2BL-2S#1L against 16 wheat varieties and advanced breeding lines, and the development of more user-friendly KASP markers is underway.