Genome-Wide Association Mapping of Host Resistance to Stem Rust, Leaf Rust, Tan Spot, and Septoria Nodorum Blotch in Cultivated Emmer Wheat

Abstract

Cultivated emmer wheat (Triticum turgidum ssp. dicoccum) is a good source of genes for resistance to several major diseases of wheat. The objectives of this study were to use genome-wide association analysis to detect genomic regions in cultivated emmer germplasm harboring novel resistance genes to four wheat diseases: stem rust, leaf rust, tan spot, and Septoria nodorum blotch (SNB). A natural population including 180 cultivated emmer accessions with a high level of geographic diversity was assembled as the association-mapping panel. This cultivated emmer panel was evaluated phenotypically by scoring reactions to stem rust, leaf rust, tan spot, and SNB and was genotyped using a 9K SNP Infinium array. After filtering for missing data points and minor allele frequency (MAF), 4,134 SNPs were used for association analysis using 178 emmer accessions. Based on principle component (PC) analysis, five subpopulations strongly associated with geographic origins were suggested by the first three PCs. Genome-wide association analysis revealed that 222, 42, 146, and 42 SNPs were significantly associated with resistance to stem rust, leaf rust, tan spot, and SNB, respectively, at the significant level of 1 percentile. Among the significant SNPs at the significant level of 0.1 percentile, ten, one, nine, and one co-located with known genes or QTL associated with resistance to the four diseases, respectively. The remaining significant SNPs were located in the genomic regions where no known resistance genes have been identified for the four diseases. This evidence suggests that some of the emmer wheat accessions carry novel genes conferring resistance to the four diseases. Additionally, 14, three, eight, and five LD blocks harboring at least one significant SNP were identified and might harbor putative QTL related to resistance to the four diseases, respectively. These studies provide information about the genomic regions in cultivated emmer that are associated with resistance to stem rust, leaf rust, tan spot, and SNB. Results from these studies provide guidance for selecting emmer accessions when decisions are being made about the parents that will be used for the development of new resistant germplasm and mapping populations for identifying novel genes conferring resistance to major wheat diseases.