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Aegilops columnaris is a tetraploid species originated from Ae. umbellulata (2n=2x=14, UU) and a yet unknown diploid grass species. Although Ae. columnaris possesses some agronomically valuable traits, such as heat and drought tolerance and resistance to pests, it has never been used in wheat breeding because of difficulties in producing hybrids and a lack of information on the relationships between Ae. columnaris and common wheat chromosomes. In this paper, we report the development of 57 wheat - Ae. columnaris introgressive lines covering 8 of the14 chromosomes of Aegilops. Based on substitution spectra of hybrids and the results of FISH analysis of the parental Ae. columnaris line with seven DNA probes, we have developed the genetic nomenclature of the U and X chromosomes. Genetic groups and genome affinities were established for 11 of 14 chromosomes; the classification of the remaining three chromosomes remains unsolved. Each Ae. columnaris chromosome was characterized on the basis of C-banding pattern and the distribution of seven DNA sequences. Introgression processes were shown to depend on the parental wheat genotype and the level of divergence of homoeologous chromosomes. We found that lines carrying chromosome 5X are resistant to leaf rust; therefore, this chromosome could possess novel resistance genes that have never been utilized in wheat breeding.

A total of 57 introgression lines and 11 cultivars of spring bread wheat developed by All-Russian Institute of Plant Protection and cultivated in the Volga Region were analyzed. The lines were obtained with the participation of CIMMYT synthetics, durum wheat cultivars, direct crossing with Agropyron elongatum (CI-7-57) and have introgressions from related species of bread wheat, namely translocations from Ag. elongatum (7DS-7DL-7Ae#1L), Aegilops speltoides (2D-2S), Ae. ventricosum (2AL-2AS-2MV#1), Secale cereale (1BL-1R#1S), 6Agi (6D) substitution from Ag. intermedium and triticale Satu. Cultivars and lines were assessed for resistance to Saratov, Lysogorsk, Derbent and Omsk stem rust pathogen populations (Puccinia graminis f. sp. tritici), and analyzed for the presence of the known Sr resistance genes using molecular markers. The analysis of the cultivars’ and lines’ resistance to the Saratov pathogen population in the field, as well as to Omsk, Derbent and Lysogorsk populations at the seedling stage, showed the loss of efficiency of the Sr25 and Sr6Agi genes. The Sr31 gene remained effective. Thirty one wheat lines out of 57 (54.4 % of samples) were resistant to all pathogen populations taken into analysis. The Sr31/Lr26, Sr25/Lr19, Sr28, Sr57/Lr34 and Sr38/Lr37 genes were identified in the introgression lines. The Sr31/Lr26 gene was identified in 19 lines (33.3 % of samples). All lines carrying the 1RS.1BL translocation (Sr31/Lr26) were resistant to all pathogen populations taken into analysis. The Sr25/Lr19 gene was identified in 49 lines (86 %). The gene combination Sr31/Lr26+ Sr25/Lr19 was identified in 15 lines (26.3 %). The gene combinations Sr38/Lr37+Sr25/Lr19, Sr57/Lr34+Sr25/Lr19 and Sr31/Lr26+Sr25/Lr19+Sr28 were identified in 3 introgression lines. These three lines were characterized by resistance to the pathogen populations studied in this work. The Sr2, Sr24, Sr26, Sr32, Sr36 and Sr39 genes were not detected in the analyzed wheat lines.

Leaf rust caused by Puccinia triticina is a common bread wheat disease in the Volga Region o f Russia and breeding for this disease resistance is a priority for the Agricultural Research Institute for South-East Regions wheat program. Knowledge o f the effective resistance genes present in the germplasm is relevant when selecting for effective and more durable resistance. P. triticina races with virulence to Lr9, Lr19, Lr26 and with other different virulence combinations and molecular markers o f L r genes were used to determine which seedling resistance genes might be present in the 68 bread wheat lines and cultivars. Studies have shown that the effective protection against leaf rust widespread in the Volga Region spring bread wheat cultivars is controlled by Lr6A g and Lr6Agi+Lr19 genes. In addition, cultivars carry Lr10, Lr19, Lr10+Lr26 genes. It was found that in the studied set o f lines the leaf rust resistance is determined by the following Lr-genes and its combinations:

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