Qureshi Naeela, Singh Ravi Prakash, Bhavani Sridhar
International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT), Carretera Mexico-Veracruz Km. 45, El-Batan, Texcoco 56237, Mexico.
International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT), ICRAF Campus, United Nations Avenue, Gigiri, Nairobi P.O. Box 1041-00621, Kenya.
Plants (Basel). 2025 Mar 23;14(7):1007. doi: 10.3390/plants14071007.
Climate change is driving the spread of transboundary wheat diseases, necessitating the development of resilient wheat varieties for sustainable agriculture. Wheat rusts, including leaf rust (LR), yellow rust (YR), and stem rust (SR), remain among the most economically significant diseases, causing substantial yield losses worldwide. Enhancing genetic diversity by identifying and deploying rust resistance genes is crucial for durable resistance in wheat breeding programs. This study aimed to identify quantitative trait loci (QTL) associated with rust resistance in the CIMMYT wheat line Kasuku, released in Kenya in 2018. A recombinant inbred line (RIL) population (181 lines) derived from Kasuku (triple rust-resistant) and Apav#1 (triple rust-susceptible) was evaluated under artificial LR and YR epidemics in Mexico and YR and SR in Kenya. QTL mapping using genotyping-by-sequencing (DArTSeq) and phenotypic data identified four major loci: (//) on 1BL, conferring resistance to LR, YR, and SR; (/) on 2AS, providing LR and YR resistance; on 3AL; and on 6AL, representing novel loci associated with multiple rust resistances. Additionally, minor QTL were also identified: for LR ( on 2DS, on 6DS), for YR ( on 3DS, on 6BS), and for SR ( on 2BS, on 5AL, on 6AS). RILs carrying these QTL combinations exhibited significant reductions in rust severity. Flanking markers for these loci are being used to develop Kompetitive Allele-Specific PCR (KASP) markers for fine mapping and marker-assisted selection (MAS). These findings contribute to the strategic deployment of rust resistance genes in wheat breeding programs, facilitating durable resistance to multiple rust pathogens.
气候变化正在推动跨界小麦病害的传播，因此有必要培育具有抗逆性的小麦品种以实现可持续农业。小麦锈病，包括叶锈病（LR）、条锈病（YR）和秆锈病（SR），仍然是最具经济影响力的病害之一，在全球范围内造成了巨大的产量损失。通过鉴定和部署抗锈基因来增强遗传多样性，对于小麦育种计划中的持久抗性至关重要。本研究旨在鉴定2018年在肯尼亚发布的国际玉米小麦改良中心（CIMMYT）小麦品种Kasuku中与抗锈性相关的数量性状位点（QTL）。在墨西哥人工诱发的叶锈病和条锈病流行条件下，以及在肯尼亚的条锈病和秆锈病流行条件下，对由Kasuku（抗三种锈病）和Apav#1（感三种锈病）衍生的重组自交系（RIL）群体（181个株系）进行了评估。利用简化基因组测序（DArTSeq）和表型数据进行QTL定位，鉴定出四个主要位点：位于1BL上的（//），赋予对叶锈病、条锈病和秆锈病的抗性；位于2AS上的（/），提供对叶锈病和条锈病的抗性；位于3AL上的；以及位于6AL上的，代表与多种锈病抗性相关的新位点。此外，还鉴定出了一些微效QTL：与叶锈病相关的（位于2DS上的，位于6DS上的），与条锈病相关的（位于3DS上的，位于6BS上的），以及与秆锈病相关的（位于2BS上的，位于5AL上的，位于6AS上的）。携带这些QTL组合的RILs在锈病严重程度上显著降低。这些位点的侧翼标记正被用于开发竞争性等位基因特异性PCR（KASP）标记，用于精细定位和标记辅助选择（MAS）。这些发现有助于在小麦育种计划中战略性地部署抗锈基因，促进对多种锈病病原体的持久抗性。
