Transcriptome‐based analysis of resistance mechanisms to Bipolaris sorokiniana, a common wheat root‐rot disease

Abstract

In common root and crown rot (CRR), Bipolaris sorokiniana (Sace.) is one of the important in wheat, causing considerable yield losses globally. Sources of resistance can provide a feasible and effective method of control for plant disease management. However, knowledge on mechanisms of resistance is scarce.• We screened 33 wheat genotypes against B. sorokiniana under greenhouse and field conditions. In addition, real-time quantitative PCR (qPCR) analysis using ten novel candidate gene markers, Cre3, EDS1, LTP5, PGIP, PR-1, PIEP1, TLP, UGT, Stb6 and PFT, was conducted on leaves and roots, along with changes in activity of antioxidant enzymes, peroxidase, catalase, b-1,3-glucanase, and phenolic content for their involvement in disease impact mechanisms.• Lowest disease severity was in 'Alvand', followed by 'Baharan' and 'Bam' as resistant genotypes. Quantitative gene expression showed that, although the candidate defence genes were upregulated 1.24-to 3.5-fold in wheat roots and leaves inoculated with B. sorokiniana, they were highly regulated in resistant varieties 'Alvand', 'Mehregan' and 'Bam'. Cre3, a resistance gene to cereal cyst nematode Heterodera filipjevi, was regulated in cultivars resistant to B. sorokiniana. Similar results were obtained for Stb6, a gene resistant to Septoria tritici blotch, EDS1 resistant to powdery mildew, Blumeria graminis, and the genes PR-1 and UGT resistant to leaf rust, Puccinia triticina. Antioxidant enzyme activity also showed the highest increases in resistant genotypes.• In conclusion, the T. aestivum-B. sorokiniana interaction in resistant wheat cultivars uses defence-related genes and enzymes that protect wheat towards sustainable development. Further such studies will shed light on simultaneous resistance to other diseases in wheat cultivars.

A review on common root rot of wheat and barley in Australia

“…The results showed that cv. Alvand had the lowest CRR severity, followed by Baharan and Bam(Qalavand et al, 2023). These findings highlight the potential of defencerelated genes and enzymes that could contribute to the development of resistant wheat genotypes in the future.Investigating and comprehending the mechanisms of necrotrophic effectors on developing genetic interventions could increase plant resistance to pathogens such as B. sorokiniana(Shao et al, 2021) Mahdi et al (2022).…”

“…Morphological and molecular markers are crucial tools for developing genetic diversity strategies and when associated with CRR resistance could significantly enhance the efficiency of identifying resistant germplasm, leading to the transfer of these traits to commercial cultivars (Kutcher, Bailey, Rossnagel, & Franckowiak, 1996;Li et al, 2021;Qalavand et al, 2023). Molecular marker methods, ToxA gene may have a selective advantage (Friesen et al, 2018).…”

“…Morphological and molecular markers are crucial tools for developing genetic diversity strategies and when associated with CRR resistance could significantly enhance the efficiency of identifying resistant germplasm, leading to the transfer of these traits to commercial cultivars (Kutcher, Bailey, Rossnagel, & Franckowiak, 1996; Li et al, 2021; Qalavand et al, 2023). Molecular marker methods, including amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP), RAPD, retrotransposon microsatellite amplified polymorphism (REMAP), inter‐simple sequence repeat (ISSR) and inter‐primer binding site (IPBS), have been effectively employed to detect genetic diversity among B .…”

“…The results showed that cv. Alvand had the lowest CRR severity, followed by Baharan and Bam (Qalavand et al, 2023). These findings highlight the potential of defence‐related genes and enzymes that could contribute to the development of resistant wheat genotypes in the future.…”

“…They found wheat resistance to CRR is primarily related to the increased activity of antioxidant enzymes, although the specific metabolic pathway needs further investigation(Qalavand et al, 2022). Moreover,Qalavand et al (2023) conducted screening of 33 wheat genotypes for their resistance to B. sorokiniana, under greenhouse and field conditions, and performed realtime quantitative PCR analysis on leaves and roots using 10 novel candidate gene markers. The results showed that cv.…”