Genetic Diversity of Disease Resistance in Crops

A special issue of Agronomy (ISSN 2073-4395). This special issue belongs to the section "Crop Breeding and Genetics".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 December 2020) | Viewed by 13464

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Research Centre for Genomics and Bioinformatics (CREA-GB), Council for Agricultural Research and Economics, 29017 Fiorenzuola d’Arda, Italy
Interests: DNA-based traceability of plant and microbial species; mycotoxin monitoring; natural antimicrobials; transcriptome analysis of cereal–fungal pathogen interactions
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Guest Editor
Department of Sustainable Crop Production, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Via Emilia Parmense 84, 29122 Piacenza, Italy
Interests: plant pathology; mycotoxigenic fungi; disease and toxin prediction model

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

A major objective of plant genetic improvement is to obtain genotypes resistant against one or more pathogens, both present or emerging. Accordingly, breeders have traditionally exploited resistance sources, taken from existing resistant varieties or from wild crop relatives. Over time, however, such resistance is typically overcome by the evolved pathogen population. Pyramiding several resistance genes into a single genotype can lead to more durable disease resistance. Knowledge of plant genetic diversity is essential for its utilization, together with the knowledge of pathogens population diversity. The advancement of genetic and genomic investigation tools has greatly accelerated, on one hand, the ability to exploit plant genetic resources in search of new sources of resistance, and, on the other hand, the efficiency in monitoring the pathogen populations and their evolution.

This Special Issue has two main pillars:

1) Evaluation, characterization, and exploitation of genetic diversity for resistance to pathogens in crop and wild relative collections

2) Evaluation and characterization of plant-pathogen populations diversity and evolution

Dr. Caterina Morcia
Dr. Valentina Manstretta
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • Genetic variability
  • Resistance genes
  • QTLs
  • Mapping
  • Genetic resistance sources
  • Breeding
  • Genomic selection
  • Molecular markers
  • Plant pathogen monitoring

Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

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10 pages, 1041 KiB  
Article
Resistance of European Spring 2-Row Barley Cultivars to Pyrenophora graminea and Detection of Associated Loci
by Nadia Faccini, Stefano Delbono, Arzu Çelik Oğuz, Luigi Cattivelli, Giampiero Valè and Alessandro Tondelli
Agronomy 2021, 11(2), 374; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy11020374 - 20 Feb 2021
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 1947
Abstract
Pyrenophora graminea is the seed-borne pathogen causal agent of barley leaf stripe disease. In this work, we screened a collection of 206 spring two-row barley cultivars from Europe for their resistance to the fungal pathogen. Artificial inoculation with the highly virulent isolate Dg2 [...] Read more.
Pyrenophora graminea is the seed-borne pathogen causal agent of barley leaf stripe disease. In this work, we screened a collection of 206 spring two-row barley cultivars from Europe for their resistance to the fungal pathogen. Artificial inoculation with the highly virulent isolate Dg2 revealed a continuous variation for the incidence of infection, with few highly resistant or highly susceptible genotypes. On average, old cultivars showed higher resistance than the more modern ones. Genome-Wide Association Scan was performed by exploiting available molecular data for >4000 SNP markers and revealed a single, highly significant association on the short arm of chromosome 6H, in a genomic position where quantitative trait loci (QTL) for barley resistance to P. graminea were not detected before. Based on the last version of the reference barley genome, genes encoding for proteins with a kinase domain were suggested as candidates for the locus. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Genetic Diversity of Disease Resistance in Crops)
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13 pages, 2515 KiB  
Article
Hidden Diversity of Crown Rust Resistance within Genebank Resources of Avena sterilis L.
by Edyta Paczos-Grzęda, Maja Boczkowska, Sylwia Sowa, Aneta Koroluk and Joanna Toporowska
Agronomy 2021, 11(2), 315; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy11020315 - 10 Feb 2021
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2432
Abstract
The most widespread and damaging fungal disease of the oat plant is crown rust. Resistance to the crown rust pathogen, Puccinia coronata Cda. f. sp. avenae (Pca), at the seedling stage of Avena sterilis accessions from the Polish national genebank was [...] Read more.
The most widespread and damaging fungal disease of the oat plant is crown rust. Resistance to the crown rust pathogen, Puccinia coronata Cda. f. sp. avenae (Pca), at the seedling stage of Avena sterilis accessions from the Polish national genebank was characterised by five North American and Polish pathotypes of Pca of diverse pathogenicity. Pca pathogenicity was determined on a series of 34 differential lines carrying known seedling resistance genes. Seventy-five percent of studied accessions showed a heterogeneous infection pattern, 17% behaved as homogenous susceptibles, and 7% of tested genotypes could be unambiguously described as resistant. This study proved that A. sterilis accessions preserved in a genebank as complex populations could be a very valuable source of resistance to crown rust. The complexity of analysed populations was ascertained by a detailed variance analysis of transformed resistance/susceptibility data. We demonstrate here that hidden sources of resistance may be discovered in accessions with general susceptibility. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Genetic Diversity of Disease Resistance in Crops)
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20 pages, 3590 KiB  
Article
Genome-Wide Characterization of NLRs in Saccharum spontaneum L. and Their Responses to Leaf Blight in Saccharum
by Zhoutao Wang, Fu Xu, Hui Ren, Guilong Lu, Youxiong Que and Liping Xu
Agronomy 2021, 11(1), 153; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy11010153 - 15 Jan 2021
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2131
Abstract
Sugarcane is an important sugar and potential energy crop, and the complexity of its genome has led to stagnant progress in genome decipherment and hindered the genome-wide analysis of the nucleotide binding site leucine-rich repeat (NLR) receptor until the genome of Saccharum spontaneum [...] Read more.
Sugarcane is an important sugar and potential energy crop, and the complexity of its genome has led to stagnant progress in genome decipherment and hindered the genome-wide analysis of the nucleotide binding site leucine-rich repeat (NLR) receptor until the genome of Saccharum spontaneum was published. From the genome of S. spontaneum, 724 allelic and non-allelic NLRs were identified and classified into five types (N, NL, CN, CNL, and P) according to domain architectures and integrity and at least 35 genes encoded non-canonical domains. The phylogenetic analysis indicated NLRs containing the coiled-coil (CC) domain separated from those without CC in six Poaceae species, including S. spontaneum. The motif analysis determined the characteristics and potential functions of the 137 representative non-allelic NLRs, especially the core motifs contained in the NBS and LRR domains, which indicated that motifs were regularly distributed among clades. Through transcription factor binding site (TFBS) profiles, we predicted that the most important transcription regulator of NLRs in sugarcane were ERF, MIKC_MADS, and C2H2. In addition, based on three sets of transcriptome data from two sugarcane hybrids and one S. spontaneum clone infected by the necrotrophic fungal pathogen Stagonospora tainanensis causing sugarcane leaf blight (SLB), the expression dynamics of NLRs responding to the infection in three sugarcane clones were compared. The different genetic background led to the significant difference of NLRs response to SLB in different sugarcane clones, and we got an inference of the potential mechanism of SLB resistance. These results provided a basic reference and new insights to further study and utilize the NLRs. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Genetic Diversity of Disease Resistance in Crops)
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11 pages, 427 KiB  
Article
Barley Varieties Stoneham and Sydney Exhibit Mild Antibiosis and Antixenosis Resistance to the Wheat Curl Mite, Aceria tosichella (Keifer)
by Lina Maria Aguirre-Rojas, Luaay Kahtan Khalaf and Charles Michael Smith
Agronomy 2019, 9(11), 748; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy9110748 - 12 Nov 2019
Cited by 8 | Viewed by 2860
Abstract
The wheat curl mite, Aceria tosichella (Keifer), devastates cereal crops worldwide by direct feeding damage and transmission of several deadly viruses. Deployment of cereal crop varieties resistant to A. tosichella is key for reduction of crop yield losses, and management of this mite [...] Read more.
The wheat curl mite, Aceria tosichella (Keifer), devastates cereal crops worldwide by direct feeding damage and transmission of several deadly viruses. Deployment of cereal crop varieties resistant to A. tosichella is key for reduction of crop yield losses, and management of this mite and associated viruses that it transmits. Barley varieties resistant to A. tosichella are not known to exist. The objectives of this study were to determine if A. tosichella resistance exists in the barley varieties Sydney and Stoneham, which are resistant to the Russian wheat aphid, Diuraphis noxia (Kurjumov), and, further, to determine which categories mediate the resistance. Categories of resistance to both A. tosichella biotypes were evaluated independently in non-choice and choice experiments using wheat varieties Ike and OK05312 as susceptible and resistant controls, respectively. Sydney barley displays mild antixenosis and antibiosis resistance to A. tosichella biotype 1 and 2, respectively. Stoneham barley exhibits only mild antibiosis to biotype 2. No evidence for plant tolerance was found in either barley variety to either mite biotype. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Genetic Diversity of Disease Resistance in Crops)
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Review

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27 pages, 485 KiB  
Review
Genetic Diversity of Barley Foliar Fungal Pathogens
by Arzu Çelik Oğuz and Aziz Karakaya
Agronomy 2021, 11(3), 434; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy11030434 - 27 Feb 2021
Cited by 15 | Viewed by 3345
Abstract
Powdery mildew, net blotch, scald, spot blotch, barley stripe, and leaf rust are important foliar fungal pathogens of barley. Fungal leaf pathogens negatively affect the yield and quality in barley plant. Virulence changes, which can occur in various ways, may render resistant plants [...] Read more.
Powdery mildew, net blotch, scald, spot blotch, barley stripe, and leaf rust are important foliar fungal pathogens of barley. Fungal leaf pathogens negatively affect the yield and quality in barley plant. Virulence changes, which can occur in various ways, may render resistant plants to susceptible ones. Factors such as mutation, population size and random genetic drift, gene and genotype flow, reproduction and mating systems, selection imposed by major gene resistance, and quantitative resistance can affect the genetic diversity of the pathogenic fungi. The use of fungicide or disease-resistant barley genotypes is an effective method of disease control. However, the evolutionary potential of pathogens poses a risk to overcome resistance genes in the plant and to neutralize fungicide applications. Factors affecting the genetic diversity of the pathogen fungus may lead to the emergence of more virulent new pathotypes in the population. Understanding the factors affecting pathogen evolution, monitoring pathogen biology, and genetic diversity will help to develop effective control strategies. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Genetic Diversity of Disease Resistance in Crops)
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