Leaf rust caused by Puccinia triticina is the most common and widely distributed of the three wheat rusts. Losses from leaf rust are usually less damaging than those from stem rust and stripe rust, but leaf rust causes greater annual losses due to its more frequent and widespread occurrence. Yield losses from leaf rust are mostly due to reductions in kernel weight. Many laboratories worldwide conduct leaf rust surveys and virulence analyses. Most currently important races (pathotypes) have either evolved through mutations in existing populations or migrated from other, often unknown, areas. Several leaf rust resistance genes are cataloged, and high levels of slow rusting adult plant resistance are available in high yielding CIMMYT wheats. This paper summarizes the importance of leaf rust in the main wheat production areas as reflected by yield losses, the complexity of virulence variation in pathogen populations, the role cultivars with race-specific resistance play in pathogen evolution, and the control measures currently practiced in various regions of the world.

Global status of wheat leaf rust caused by Puccinia triticina

The common wheat cultivar Parula possesses a high level of slow rusting, adult plant resistance (APR) to all three rust diseases of wheat. Previous mapping studies using an Avocet-YrA/Parula recombinant inbred line (RIL) population showed that APR to leaf rust (Puccinia tritici- na) in Parula is governed by at least three independent slow rusting resistance genes: Lr34 on 7DS, Lr46 on 1BL, and a previously unknown gene on 7BL. The use of field rust reaction and flanking markers identified two F6 RILs, Arula1 and Arula2, from the above population that lacked Lr34 and Lr46 but carried the leaf rust resistance gene in 7BL, hereby designated Lr68. Arula1 and Arula2 were crossed with Apav, a highly susceptible line from the cross Avocet-YrA/Pavon 76, and 396 F4-derived F5 RILs were developed for mapping Lr68. The RILs were phenotyped for leaf rust resistance for over 2 years in Ciudad Obregon, Mexico, with a mixture of P. triticina races MBJ/SP and MCJ/SP. Close genetic linkages with several DNA markers on 7BL were established using 367 RILs; Psy1-1 and gwm146 flanked Lr68 and were estimated at 0.5 and 0.6 cM, respectively. The relationship between Lr68 and the race-specific seedling resistance gene Lr14b, located in the same region and present in Parula, Arula1 and Arula2, was investigated by evaluating the RILs with Lr14b-avir- ulent P. triticina race TCT/QB in the greenhouse. Although Lr14b and Lr68 homozygous recombinants in repulsion were not identified in RILs, c-irradiation-induced deletion stocks that lacked Lr68 but possessed Lr14b showed that Lr68 and Lr14b are different loci. Flanking DNA markers that are tightly linked to Lr68 in a wide array of genotypes can be utilized for selection of APR to leaf rust.

Lr68: a new gene conferring slow rusting resistance to leaf rust in wheat Sybil A. Herrera-FoesselRavi P. SinghJulio Huerta-Espino • Garry M. RosewarneSambasivam K. PeriyannanLibby Viccars • Violeta Calvo-SalazarCaixia LanEvans S. Lagudah

Catalogue of gene symbols for wheat: 2013-14 Supplement

Leaf rust and powdery mildew, caused by Puccinia triticina and Blumeria graminis f. sp. tritici, respectively, are widespread fungal diseases of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.). Development of cultivars with durable resistance is crucially important for global wheat production. This paper reviews the progress of genetic study and application of adult plant resistance (APR) to wheat leaf rust and powdery mildew. Eighty leaf rust and 119 powdery mildew APR quantitative trait loci (QTL) have been reported on 16 and 21 chromosomes, respectively, in over 50 publications during the last 15 yr. More important, we found 11 loci located on chromosomes 1BS, 1BL, 2AL, 2BS (2), 2DL, 4DL, 5BL, 6AL, 7BL, and 7DS showing pleiotropic effects on resistance to leaf rust, stripe rust, and powdery mildew. Among these, QTL on chromosomes 1BL, 4DL, and 7DS also correlate with leaf tip necrosis. Fine mapping and cloning of these QTL will be achieved with the advent of cheaper high-throughput genotyping technologies. Germplasm carrying these potential resistance genes will be useful for developing cultivars with durable multidisease resistance. In addition to its non-NBS–LRR (nucleotide binding site–leucine rich repeat) structure, the senescence-like processes induced by Lr34 could be the reason for durability of resistance; however, more information is needed for a full understanding of the molecular mechanism related to durability. Adult plant resistance genes have been used by CIMMYT for more than 30 yr and have also been transferred to many Chinese wheat varieties through shuttle breeding.

Overview and Application of QTL for Adult Plant Resistance to Leaf Rust and Powdery Mildew in Wheat

Screening of wheat genotypes for leaf rust resistance along with grain yield

Identification of resistance genes is important for developing leaf rust resistant wheat (Triticum aestivum) cultivars. A total of 102 Chinese winter wheat cultivars and advanced lines were inoculated with 24 pathotypes of Puccinia triticina for postulation of leaf rust resistance genes effective at the seedling stage. These genotypes were also planted in the field for characterization of slow rusting responses to leaf rust in the 2006–07 and 2007–08 cropping seasons. Fourteen leaf rust resistance genes—Lr1, Lr2a, Lr3bg, Lr3ka, Lr14a, Lr16, Lr17a, Lr18, Lr20, Lr23, Lr24, Lr26, Lr34, and LrZH84—either singly or in combinations, were postulated in 65 genotypes, whereas known resistance genes were not identified in the other 37 accessions. Resistance gene Lr26 was present in 44 accessions. Genes Lr14a and Lr34 were each detected in seven entries. Lr1 and Lr3ka were each found in six cultivars, and five lines possessed Lr16. Lr17a and Lr18 were each identified in four lines. Three cultivars were post...

https://apsjournals.apsnet.org/doi/pdf/10.1094/PDIS-94-1-0045

Seedling and slow rusting resistance to leaf rust in Chinese wheat cultivars.

Neijiang 977671 and 19 near-isogenic lines with known leaf rust resistance genes were inoculated with 12 pathotypes of Puccinia triticina for postulation of leaf rust resistance genes effective at the seedling stage. The reaction pattern of Neijiang 977671 differed from those of the lines with known leaf rust resistance genes used in the test, indicating that Neijiang 977671 may carry a new leaf rust resistance gene(s). With the objective of identifying and mapping the new gene for resistance to leaf rust, F1 and F2 plants, and F2:3 families, from Neijiang 977671 × Zhengzhou 5389 (susceptible) were inoculated with Chinese P. triticina pathotype FHNQ in the greenhouse. Results from the F2 and F2:3 populations indicated that a single dominant gene, temporarily designated LrNJ97, conferred resistance. In order to identify other possible genes in Neijiang 977671 other eight P. triticina pathotypes avirulent on Neijiang 977671 were used to inoculate 25 F2:3 families. The results showed that at least three leaf rust resistance genes were deduced in Neijiang 977671. Bulked segregant analysis was performed on equal amounts of genomic DNA from 20 resistant and 20 susceptible F2 plants. SSR markers polymorphic between the resistant and susceptible bulks were used to analyze the F2:3 families. LrNJ97 was linked to five SSR loci on chromosome 2BL. The two closest flanking SSR loci were Xwmc317 and Xbarc159 at genetic distances of 4.2 and 2.2 cM, respectively. At present two designated genes (Lr50 and Lr58) are located on chromosome 2BL. In the seedling tests, the reaction pattern of LrNJ97 was different from that of Lr50. Lr50 and Lr58 were derived from T. armeniacum and Ae. triuncialis, respectively, whereas according to the pedigree of Neijiang 977671 LrNJ97 is from common wheat. Although seeds of lines with Lr58 were not available, it was concluded that LrNJ97 is likely to be a new leaf rust resistance gene.

Molecular mapping of leaf rust resistance gene LrNJ97 in Chinese wheat line Neijiang 977671

Leaf rust, caused by Puccinia triticina, is one of the most widespread diseases in common wheat (Triticum aestivum L) globally With the objective of identifying and mapping new genes for resistance to leaf rust, F1, F2 plants and F3 lines from a cross between resistant cultivar Bimai 16 and susceptible cultivar Thatcher were inoculated with Chinese Puccinia triticina pathotypes FHTT and PHTS in the greenhouse In the first seedling test, Bimai 16, Thatcher, 20 F1 plants, 359 F2 plants and 298 F3 lines were inoculated with pathotype FHTT A set of 1,255 simple sequence repeat (SSR) primer pairs were used to test the parents, and resistant and susceptible bulks Seven polymorphic markers on chromosome 7BL were used for genotyping the F2 and F3 populations The results indicated that Bimai 16 carried a single dominant resistance gene, temporarily designated LrBi16, closely linked to SSR markers Xcfa2257 and Xgwm344, with genetic distances of 28 and 29 cM, respectively In the second seedling test, two dominant resistance genes were identified in Bimai 16 based on seedling reactions of 254 F2 plants inoculated with pathotype PHTS One of the genes was LrBi16, and the other was likely to be LrZH84, which is located in chromosome 1BL The seedling reaction pattern of plants with LrBi16 was different from that of the Thatcher lines, with Lr14a and Lr14b located on chromosome 7BL It was concluded that LrBi16 is likely to be a new leaf rust resistance gene

Molecular mapping of leaf rust resistance gene LrBi16 in Chinese wheat cultivar Bimai 16

Wheat leaf rust (caused by Puccinia triticina) and stripe rust (caused by Puccinia striiformis f. sp. tritici) cause large production losses in many regions of the world. The objective of this study was to identify quantitative trait loci (QTL) for resistance to leaf rust and stripe rust in a recombinant inbred line population derived from a cross between wheat cultivars SW 8588 and Thatcher. The population and parents were genotyped with the Wheat 55K SNP Array and SSR markers and phenotyped for leaf rust severity at Zhoukou in Henan Province and Baoding in Hebei Province. Stripe rust responses were also evaluated at Chengdu in Sichuan Province, and at Baoding. Seven and six QTL were detected for resistance to leaf rust and stripe rust, respectively. Four QTL on chromosomes 1BL, 2AS, 5AL, and 7BL conferred resistance to both rusts. The QTL on 1BL and 2AS were identified as Lr46/Yr29 and Lr37/Yr17, respectively. QLr.hebau-2DS from Thatcher, identified as Lr22b that was previously thought to be ineffective in China, contributed a large effect for leaf rust resistance. QLr.hebau-5AL/QYr.hebau-5AL, QLr.hebau-3BL, QLr.hebau-6DS, QYr.hebau-4BS, and QYr.hebau-6DS are likely to be new QTL, but require further validation. Kompetitive allele-specific PCR (KASP) markers for QLr.hebau-2DS and QLr.hebau-5AL/QYr.hebau-5AL were successfully developed and validated in a diverse wheat panel from Sichuan Province, indicating their usefulness under different genetic backgrounds. These QTL and their closely linked SNP and SSR markers will be useful for fine mapping, candidate gene discovery, and marker-assisted selection in breeding for durable resistance to both leaf and stripe rusts.

QTL Mapping of Adult-Plant Resistance to Leaf and Stripe Rust in Wheat Cross SW 8588/Thatcher using the Wheat 55K SNP Array.

Zhou 8425B, possessing the leaf rust resistance gene LrZH84, is an elite wheat (Triticum aestivum) parental line in the Yellow-Huai Valley region of China. In the present study, 2,086 F2 plants derived from Zhou 8425B/Chinese Spring were used for fine mapping of LrZH84 with expressed sequence tag (EST) and sequence-tagged site (STS) markers. Seventy inter-simple sequence repeat EST and STS markers on 1BL were used to screen the two parents and resistant and susceptible bulks; those polymorphic were used to analyze the entire F2 population. Three EST markers (BF474863, BE497107, and CD373538) were closely linked to LrZH84, with genetic distances of 0.7, 0.7, and 1.7 cM, respectively. STS marker Hbsf-1 was developed from the sequences of polymerase chain reaction fragments amplified from EST marker BF474863. LrZH84 was 8.19 cM proximal to Lr44, but may be allelic to LrXi and LrG98 although they showed different reactions with some Puccinia triticina pathotypes.

Fine mapping of leaf rust resistance gene Lrzh84 using expressed sequence tag and sequence-tagged site markers, and allelism with other genes on wheat chromosome 1b

Xing Li

Papers

Seedling and slow rusting resistance to leaf rust in Chinese wheat cultivars.

Molecular mapping of leaf rust resistance gene LrNJ97 in Chinese wheat line Neijiang 977671

Molecular mapping of leaf rust resistance gene LrBi16 in Chinese wheat cultivar Bimai 16

QTL Mapping of Adult-Plant Resistance to Leaf and Stripe Rust in Wheat Cross SW 8588/Thatcher using the Wheat 55K SNP Array.

Fine mapping of leaf rust resistance gene Lrzh84 using expressed sequence tag and sequence-tagged site markers, and allelism with other genes on wheat chromosome 1b