To achieve durable control of wheat diseases, additional knowledge is required on the molecular genetic basis of plant-pathogen co-evolution. Little is known about the components regulating defence responses in bread wheat (Triticum aestivum) due to its huge and hexaploid genome. In an attempt to circumvent these difficulties, reverse and association genetics studies in the diploid Einkorn wheat species Triticum monococcum (Tm) with a less complex genome are in progress. There is a high level of micro-colinearity in different genome regions between Tm, wheat, rice and barley. Therefore, studies in Tm as a reference species should help to elucidate gene functions in T. aestivum. Initial phenotyping analyses indicate that Tm is a rich source of resistance to many of UK wheat fungal and viral pathogens. To explore gene function, the Tm homologues of known global regulators of defence responses RAR1, SGT1 and NPR1 were identified and gene variants screened for using a TILLING (Targeting Induced Local Lesions IN Genomes) platform in Tm and bread wheat. Through association genetics, the specific resistance/susceptibility phenotype-novel allele relationships will be explored in order to identify whether specific genes and gene variants may confer diseaseresistance in wheat to one or more pathogen species. In this article, we also discuss how this new combined approach could help to achieve durable resistance to multiple pathogens in polyploid species.
展开▼
