Two sugar beet chitinase genes, and , analysed with SNP Amplifluor-like markers, are highly expressed after Fusarium root rot inoculations and field susceptibility trial.

BACKGROUND

The pathogens from species can cause Fusarium root rot (RR) and other diseases in plant species including sugar beet ( L.), and they have a strong negative impact on sugar beet yield and quality.

METHODS

A total of 22 sugar beet breeding lines were evaluated for the symptoms of RR after inoculation with Sch., isolate No. 5, and growth in a field trial. Two candidate genes for RR resistance, and , encoding chitinases Class IV and III, respectively, were previously identified in sugar beet, and used for genotyping using modern Amplifluor-like single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) genotyping approach. The qPCR expression analysis was used to verify responses of the candidate genes for RR infections.

RESULTS

A strong association of two SNP markers for and with resistance to RR in sugar beet was found in our study. Very high expression (100-fold compared to Controls) was observed in three RR resistant accessions (2182, 2236 and KWS2320) 14 days after inoculation which returned to the control level on Day 18. RR sensitive breeding line 2210 showed a delay in mRNA level, reaching maximal expression of 18 days after inoculation. The gene , showed a strong expression level in leaf samples from the infected field trial only in the breeding line 2236, which showed symptoms of RR, and this may be a response to other strains of .