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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Raleigh, North Carolina » Plant Science Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #398870
Research Project: Genetics of Disease Resistance and Food Quality Traits in Corn

Location: Plant Science Research

Title: Exploring the relationship between pattern-triggered immunity and quantitative resistance to Xanthomonas vasicola pv. vasculorum in maize

Author
item MULLENS, ALEXANDER - University Of Illinois
item LIPKA, ALEXANDER - University Of Illinois
item Balint-Kurti, Peter
item JAMANN, TIFFANY - University Of Illinois

Submitted to: Phytopathology
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 2/28/2023
Publication Date: 12/1/2023
Citation: Mullens, A., Lipka, A.E., Balint Kurti, P.J., Jamann, T. 2023. Exploring the relationship between pattern-triggered immunity and quantitative resistance to Xanthomonas vasicola pv. vasculorum in maize. Phytopathology. 113(11):2127-2133. https://doi.org/10.1094/PHYTO-09-22-0357-SA.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1094/PHYTO-09-22-0357-SA

Interpretive Summary: Bacterial leaf streak (BLS) of maize is an emerging foliar disease of maize in the Americas. It is caused by the bacterium Xanthomonas vasicola pv. vasculorum (Xvv). There are no chemical controls available for BLS, and thus, host resistance is crucial for managing Xvv. We identified the genomic location of three genes that conferred a partial level of BLS resistance in maize. We also showed that two other traits, leaf flecking and response to bacterial elicitors, are to some extent related with BLS resistance.

Technical Abstract: Bacterial leaf streak (BLS) of maize is an emerging foliar disease of maize in the Americas. It is caused by the gram-negative non-vascular bacterium Xanthomonas vasicola pv. vasculorum (Xvv). There are no chemical controls available for BLS, and thus, host resistance is crucial for managing Xvv. The objective of this study was to examine the genetic determinants of resistance to Xvv in maize, as well as the relationship between other defense-related traits and BLS resistance. Specifically, we examined the correlations among BLS severity, severity for three fungal diseases, flg-22 response, hypersensitive response and auricle color. We conducted quantitative trait locus (QTL) mapping for Xvv resistance using the maize recombinant inbred line population Z003 (B73 × CML228). We detected three QTL for BLS resistance. In addition to the disease resistance QTL, we detected a single QTL for auricle color. We observed significant, yet weak, correlations among BLS severity, levels of pattern-triggered immunity (PTI) response and leaf flecking. These results will be useful for understanding resistance to Xvv and mitigating the impact of BLS on maize yields.