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Acta Agronomica Sinica ›› 2025, Vol. 51 ›› Issue (8): 2240-2250.doi: 10.3724/SP.J.1006.2025.51008

• RESEARCH NOTES • Previous Articles    

Mapping and identification of a novel sharp eyespot resistance locus Qse.hnau-5AS and its candidate genes in wheat

GAO Meng-Juan,ZHAO He-Ying,CHEN Jia-Hui,CHEN Xiao-Qian,NIU Meng-Kang,QIAN Qi-Run,CUI Lu-Fei,XING Jiang-Min,YIN Qing-Miao,GUO Wen,ZHANG Ning SUN Cong-Wei,YANG Xia,PEI Dan,JIA Ao-Lin,CHEN Feng,YU Xiao-Dong*,REN Yan*   

  1. College of Agronomy, Henan Agricultural University / State Key Laboratory of High-Efficiency Production of Wheat-Maize Double Cropping, Zhengzhou 450046, Henan, China
  • Received:2025-01-17 Revised:2025-04-27 Accepted:2025-04-27 Online:2025-08-12 Published:2025-05-13
  • Supported by:
    This study was supported by the National Key Research and Development Program (2022YFD1201504), the Henan Major Science and Technology Project (201100110100), the Science and Technology R & D Plan Joint Fund of Henan Province (242103810020), and the China Postdoctoral Science Foundation (2023M741068).

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Abstract:

Sharp eyespot, caused by Rhizoctonia cerealis, is a destructive soil-borne disease that poses a serious threat to wheat production in China, significantly affecting yield stability and productivity. Breeding and deploying resistant varieties is one of the most economical, effective, and environmentally sustainable strategies for disease control. Identifying resistance genes is fundamental to the development of superior resistant varieties. In this study, 349 wheat varieties (or lines) from the Huang-Huai region of China were collected and evaluated for sharp eyespot resistance in an artificial climate chamber at the Wheat Molecular Breeding Innovation Center, Henan Agricultural University. Genotyping was performed using the wheat 660K SNP array. A genome-wide association study (GWAS) was conducted using a mixed linear model (MLM) approach, integrating phenotypic data to identify loci associated with resistance. A novel quantitative trait locus (QTL), designated Qse.hnau-5AS, was identified on the short arm of chromosome 5A. GWAS results revealed 15 significant SNPs clustered within a 960.6 kb genomic region. Haplotype analysis confirmed that this locus significantly enhances resistance to sharp eyespot. Within the Qse.hnau-5AS region, 13 high-confidence annotated genes were identified. Based on expression profiling and response to R. cerealis infection, two candidate genes were proposed: one encoding a Hedgehog-interacting-like protein (TaHIPL) and the other encoding a plasma membrane ATPase (TaHA). Functional validation using virus-induced gene silencing (VIGS) showed that silencing of TaHIPL and TaHA resulted in significant downregulation of gene expression (confirmed by qRT-PCR) and a marked increase in disease index (DI) compared to control plants. These findings indicate that TaHIPL and TaHA positively regulate resistance to sharp eyespot in wheat. This study provides valuable genetic resources for understanding the molecular mechanisms underlying sharp eyespot resistance and for advancing resistance breeding in wheat.

Key words: wheat, sharp eyespot, seedling-stage resistance, GWAS, VIGS

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