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ARS Home » Midwest Area » St. Paul, Minnesota » Cereal Disease Lab » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #248366
Title: Virulence Phenotypes and Molecular Genotypes of Puccinia triticina Isolates from Italy

Author
item MANTOVANI, P. - University Of Bologna
item MACCAFERRI, M. - University Of Bologna
item TUBEROSA, R. - University Of Bologna
item Kolmer, James

Submitted to: Plant Disease
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 2/15/2010
Publication Date: 4/15/2010
Citation: Mantovani, P., Maccaferri, M., Tuberosa, R., Kolmer, J.A. 2010. Virulence Phenotypes and Molecular Genotypes of Puccinia triticina Isolates from Italy. Plant Disease. 94:420-424.

Interpretive Summary: Leaf rust, caused by the fungus Puccinia triticina, attacks bread wheat and also durum wheat in Italy and the United States. Collections of the leaf rust fungus from Italy were characterized for their ability to attack wheat lines that have different resistance genes and also with molecular markers. Three groups of these isolates were characterized. The first group attacked the same resistance genes and had the same molecular markers as did collections of leaf rust from durum wheats in Europe and Mexico. The second group of isolates attacked the same resistance genes as collections of leaf rust from bread wheat in Europe, but had the same molecular markers as the collections from durum wheat. The third group attacked the same resistance genes and had the same molecular markers as the collections of leaf rust from bread wheat in Europe. This information can be used to choose the correct isolates of P. triticina in breeding bread wheat cultivars or durum wheat cultivars for leaf rust resistance.

Technical Abstract: Twenty-four isolates of Puccinia triticina from Italy were characterized for virulence to seedlings of 22 common wheat cv. Thatcher isolines each with a different leaf rust resistance gene, and for molecular genotypes at 15 simple sequence repeat (SSR) loci. The isolates were compared with a set of 13 previously characterized P. triticina isolates from either durum or common wheat. Virulence phenotypes and molecular genotypes were highly correlated (r = 0.74). Clustering of isolates based on virulence phenotypes and SSR genotypes grouped the isolates into three groups. In the first group the isolates had virulence phenotypes and SSR genotypes that were the same or similar to isolates collected from durum wheat. Isolates in the second group were unique because these had virulences similar to the isolates from common wheat but were more similar for SSR variation to the isolates from durum wheat. Isolates in the third group had virulence phenotypes and SSR genotypes the same or closely related to isolates from common wheat. The isolates were grouped into two groups on the basis of known or assumed host origin, virulence phenotype and SSR genotypes. Measures of FST and RST for SSR genotypes, and FST for virulence phenotype were significant, which indicated differentiation between the two groups.