ARS | Publication request: DEVELOPMENT OF SIMPLE SEQUENCE REPEAT MARKERS FOR THE PLANT PATHOGENIC RUST FUNGUS, PUCCINIA TRITICINA

Submitted to: Molecular Ecology Notes
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: December 4, 2007
Publication Date: July 1, 2007
Repository URL: http://hdl.handle.net/10113/2497
Citation: Szabo, L.J., Kolmer, J.A. 2007. Development of Simple Sequence Repeat Markers for the Plant Pathogenic Rust Fungus, Puccinia triticina. Molecular Ecology Notes. 7:708-710.

Interpretive Summary: Leaf rust is a common and economically important disease of wheat. In order to better understand the population structure of this fungal pathogen genotypic markers were needed. A set of 18 specific genetic markers was developed and used to analyze a test population of 21 isolates of the wheat leaf rust fungus from around the world. These results demonstrated that these markers were polymorphic and able to be used for genetic fingerprinting of races of the wheat leaf rust fungus. In addition, these markers are specific to leaf rust and therefore are useful for direct analysis of samples from infected wheat leaf tissue eliminating the need to purify the fungus prior to analysis. This work provides scientists with a set of molecular markers for genetic fingerprinting leaf rust fungal isolates.

Technical Abstract: Eighteen polymorphic di- and trinucleotide simple sequence repeat markers were developed for the phytopathogenic rust fungus, Puccinia triticina. The allelic diversity varied from 2 to 9 alleles per locus. Levels of observed heterozygosity (HO) ranged from 0.095 to 0.952. Seven of the loci deviated significantly from Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium (P < 0.002) with 70% having levels of HO higher than expected (HE). Null allele(s) were observed for locus PtSSR76 with a frequency of 9%. A preliminary screen of other cereal rust fungi (P. coronata, P. graminis, P. recondita and P. striiformis) indicated that these primer pairs are specific to P. triticina.