Ergot Alkaloid Contents in Hybrid Rye are Reduced by Breeding

Abstract

Contamination by ergot caused by the phytopathogenic fungus Claviceps purpurea is a constant threat to the whole rye value chain. Ergot alkaloids (EA) produced within the fungal sclerotia are toxic for humans and animals and are subjected to strict regulations in human food. Our main objective was to analyze whether less susceptible rye cultivars with a lower content of sclerotia also contain fewer ergot alkaloids (EA). We analyzed 15 factorial single crosses in multi-environmental trials with artificial inoculation for their ergot severity, the content of twelve EAs by HPLC, and the total ergot content by ELISA. The genotypes displayed a wide range of pollen shedding from fully sterile to fully fertile, of ergot severity expressed as percentage of sclerotia relative to the harvest (0.22–11.47%), and of EA contents when analyzed by HPLC (0.57–45.27 mg/kg. Entry-mean heritabilities were high throughout (0.87–0.98). The factorial analysis yielded a preponderance of male general combining ability (GCA) variances, the estimates for the females were smaller, although significant. EA contents measured by ELISA were, on average, seven times larger. The correlation between ergot severity and EA contents determined by HPLC was r = 0.98 (p ≤ 0.01) and only somewhat lower when analyzed by ELISA. In conclusion, less ergot prone rye genotypes also support lower EA contents.

Discovery of a Novel Leaf Rust (Puccinia recondita) Resistance Gene in Rye (Secale cereale L.) Using Association Genomics

“…Tul [ 2 , 3 ]. Recent decades of breeding efforts and the introduction of the exotic restoration of male fertility genes have, however, reduced the importance of ergot and the resulting toxic alkaloids in rye grains [ 4 , 5 ]. This provides an opportunity to focus on leaf rust, also termed brown rust, which has received little scientific attention and commercial interest in recent years.…”

Effective Pollen-Fertility Restoration Is the Basis of Hybrid Rye Production and Ergot Mitigation

“…The close association between pollen availability and ergot susceptibility poses a problem for hybrid breeding when full pollen shedding cannot be guaranteed due to lack of superior restoration [10]. In the early hybrid cultivars, pollen-fertility restoration was inferior, leading to high ergot contamination when the weather was conducive for the disease.…”

“…The association between pollen shedding ability and contamination by ergot has been established in several studies [10,70,71]. In particular, when European Rf genes are used that are not as effective as non-adapted Rf genes, the higher ergot susceptibility becomes obvious.…”

ERGOT Claviceps purpurea (Fries) Tulasne ALKALOID DIVERSITY AND VIRULENCE: EVOLUTION, GENETIC DIVERSIFICATION, AND METABOLIC ENGINEERING (review)

“…Важным предметом изучения остается связь между вирулентностью спорыньи и содержанием эргоалкалоидов (213,214). У генотипов ржи, менее восприимчивых к спорынье, снижено содержание эргоалкалоидов (213), однако гаметоцидная обработка ржи не влияла на это (169).…”

“…Важным предметом изучения остается связь между вирулентностью спорыньи и содержанием эргоалкалоидов (213,214). У генотипов ржи, менее восприимчивых к спорынье, снижено содержание эргоалкалоидов (213), однако гаметоцидная обработка ржи не влияла на это (169). Выявлена отрицательная зависимость между массой одного склероция и накоплением эргоалкалоидов у озимой ржи и яровой пшеницы (214).…”