T. aestivum ssp. spelta Iranian type has long been thought to potentially be the direct non-free threshing hexaploid progenitor. I evaluated a RIL population derived from a cross between CS and Iranian spelta accession P503 to identify loci suppressing free-threshabilty in P503. Identification of QTL associated with threshability in region known to harbor the Tg2A gene, and an inactive tg2D allele supported the hypothesis of Iranian spelta being derived from a more recent hybridization between free-threshing hexaploid and emmer wheat. Parastagonospora nodorum is an important fungal pathogen and secretes necrotrophic effectors that evoke cell death. In this research, a DH population segregating for Snn5 was used to saturate Snn5 region of chromosome 4B with molecular markers. The physical distance between Snn5 flanking markers was narrowed to 1.38 Mb with genetic distance of 2.8 cM. The markers developed in this study will provide a strong foundation for map-based cloning of Snn5.

Please read the abstract in the section 07chapter7. / Dissertation (MSc (Genetics))--University of Pretoria, 2002. / Genetics / unrestricted

Pyrenophora tritici-repentis (Ptr) is the necrotrophic fungus responsible for tan spot of wheat (Triticum aestivum). Ptr causes disease on susceptible wheat cultivars through the production and secretion of host-selective toxins (HSTs). HSTs are compounds that are only known to be produced by fungi and considered to be primary determinants of pathogenicity. Infiltration of these toxins into sensitive wheat elicits the same symptoms as the pathogen, which simplifies investigations of host- pathogen interactions due to exclusion of the pathogen. These characteristics make HSTs ideal molecules to dissect molecular plant-microbe interactions. Known HSTs of Ptr include Ptr ToxA (ToxA), Ptr ToxB (ToxB) and Ptr ToxC (ToxC). ToxA is the most characterized toxin of Ptr, as well as the first proteinaceous HST identified. The proposed mode-of-action for ToxA includes internalization into sensitive wheat mesophyll cells, localization to the chloroplast, photosystem perturbations and elicitation of high amounts of reactive oxygen species (ROS), all of which lead to necrosis. However, it is still unknown how ToxA is transported to the chloroplast. To identify additional interacting components involved in ToxA symptom development, genes were silenced in tobacco plants (Nicotiana benthamiana) using the tobacco rattle virus (TRV) virus-induced gene-silencing (VIGS) system. Four genes were identified that potentially could play a role in ToxA-induced cell death: a 40S ribosomal subunit, peroxisomal glycolate oxidase (GOX), a thiamine biosynthetic enzyme (Thi1), and the R-gene mediator, Sgt1. Ptr exhibits a complex race structure determined by the HST(s) produced and the symptom(s) elicited on sensitive wheat cultivars. Currently, there are eight characterized races and other HSTs and races have been proposed. Isolate SO3 was discovered in southern Oregon and elicits ToxA-like symptoms on a wheat differential set, yet lacks the ToxA gene. The transcriptome of SO3 was sequenced, assembled, and aligned to a ToxA-producing isolate, Pt-1C-BFP, which will aid in the identification of the protein(s) that may be responsible for these ToxA-like symptoms. SO3 contains a set of 497 sequences that were not found in the ToxA-producing isolate Pt-1C-BFP (BFP). These sequences should be further investigated to identify those that encode small secreted proteins (SSPs) and could potentially serve as HSTs and pathogenicity factors of SO3. / Graduation date: 2013

Made available in DSpace on 2015-03-26T13:36:45Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 texto completo.pdf: 381629 bytes, checksum: ba2d77de1fafa6029bbd57e8ee35252d (MD5) Previous issue date: 2013-03-25 / Blast, caused by the fungus Pyricularia oryzae, has become an economically important disease in wheat. The objective of this study was to determine the effect of silicon (Si) on the photosynthetic gas exchange parameters (net CO 2 assimilation rate (A), stomatal conductance to water vapor (g s ), internal CO 2 concentration (C i ), and transpiration rate (E)) and chlorophyll fluorescence parameters (maximum quantum quenching (F v /F m and F v '/F m '), photochemical (q P ) and nonphotochemical (NPQ) quenching coefficients and electron transport rate (ETR)) in wheat plants grown in a nutrient solution containing 0 (-Si) or 2 mM Si (+Si) and inoculated with P. oryzae. The leaf Si concentration significantly increased for the +Si plants compared to the - Si plants and contributed to a decrease in the severity of blast symptoms. For the inoculated +Si plants, A was significantly higher at 72 (14%), 96 (12%) and 120 (58%) hours after inoculation (hai) when compared with their inoculated -Si counterparts. The g s and E were significantly higher by 60 and 42% at 120 hai for the inoculated +Si plants compared with the inoculated -Si plants, respectively. Significant differences between non-inoculated and inoculated plants were observed from 48 to 120 hai for A, g s and E and from 48 to 96 hai for C i . For the inoculated +Si plants, significant differences of F v /F m between the -Si and +Si treatments occurred at 48, 96 and 120 hai and at 72, 96 and 120 hai of F v '/F m '. The values of F v /F m significantly decreased by 1, 3 and 5% at 48, 96 and 120 hai, respectively, in the -Si plants compared with the +Si plants. Significant decreases of 10, 11 and 22% at 72, 96 and 120 hai, respectively, were observed for F v '/F m ' in the -Si plants when compared with the +Si plants. Significant differences between the non-inoculated and inoculated plants occurred from 48 to 120 hai for F v /F m and F v '/F m ', respectively. For the inoculated plants, significant differences between the -Si and +Si treatments occurred at 96 hai for both q P and NPQ and 72 and 120 hai for ETR. Significant differences between the non-inoculated and inoculated plants occurred at 120 hai for q P and at 96 and 120 hai for ETR. The total chlorophyll content (a + b) and the chlorophyll a/b ratio significantly decreased for the -Si plants compared with the +Si plants. The results of this study clearly demonstrate that the severity of blast symptoms decreased in wheat plants supplied with Si. These plants also exhibited improved gas exchange performance and less dysfunctions at the photochemical level. / A brusone, causada pelo fungo Pyricularia oryzae, tornou-se uma doença economicamente importante no trigo. Este estudo teve como objetivo determinar o efeito do silício (Si) sobre os parâmetros das trocas gasosas (taxa de assimilação líquida de CO 2 (A), condutância estomática ao vapor de água (g s ), a concentração interna de CO 2 (C i ) e taxa de transpiração (E)) e parâmetros de fluorescência da clorofila (eficiencia quântica máxima do fotosistema II (F v /F m e F v '/F m '), fotoquímica (q P ) e coeficiente de extinção não-fotoquimico (NPQ) e a taxa de transporte de eletrons (TTE)) em plantas de trigo crescendas em recipiente com solução nutritiva contendo 0 ou 2 mM de silício (Si) e inoculadas com P. oryzae. A concentração foliar de Si incrementou-se significativamente para plantas, contribuindo à dismunição da severidade da brusone. Para plantas inoculadas com +Si, A foi significativamente maior a 72 (14%), 96 (12%) e 120 (58%) hai do que em suas contrapartes inoculadas. A g s e E foram significativamente maiores em 60 e 42%, respectivamente, às 120 hai para as plantas inoculadas +Si em comparação com as plantas inoculadas -Si. Diferenças significativas entre as plantas inoculadas e não inoculadas ocorreu entre as 48 a 120 hai para A, g s e E e entre as 48 a 96 hai para C i . Para as plantas inoculadas +Si, diferenças significativas para F v /F m entre os tratamentos Si e +Si foram encontradas às 48, 96 e 120 dai e às 72, 96 e 120 hai para F v '/ F m '. Os valores de F v /F m diminuiram significativamente em 1, 3 e 5%, respectivamente, aos 48, 96 e 120 hai para plantas -Si, em comparação com as plantas de +Si. Reduções significativas de 10, 11 e 22%, respectivamente, às 72, 96 e 120 hai para F v '/F m ' ocorreu para as plantas -Si, em comparação com as plantas +Si. Diferenças significativas entre as plantas inoculadas e não inoculadas ocorreu às 48 a 120 hai para F v /F m e F v '/F m '. Para as plantas inoculadas, diferenças significativas entre os tratamentos -Si e +Si ocorreu apenas às 96 hai para ambos q P e NPQ e às 72 e 120 hai para TTE. Diferenças significativas entre as plantas inoculadas e não inoculadas só ocorreu em 120 hai para q P e às 96 e 120 hai para TTE. A concentração de clorofila total (a + b), e a razão de clorofil a/b diminuiu significativamente para as plantas -Si, em comparação com as plantas de +Si. Os resultados deste estudo demonstraram claramente que a severidade da brusone diminuiu em plantas de trigo supridas com Si em paralelo a um melhor desempenho das trocas gasosas e menores perdas disfuncionais ao nível fotoquímico.

The Russian wheat aphid (RWA) (Diuraphis noxia Kurdjumov) is one of the important insect pests of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.), barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) and other grasses. To date, there are four RWA biotypes identified in South Africa. The virulent biotypes emerged, partly due to climate change and new genetic variations within populations of RWA; hence there is a need to improve host-plant resistance, as an effective control measure. Bread wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) accession Cereal Introduction (CItr) 2401 is known to be resistant to all RWA biotypes worldwide. The goal of this study was to use a backcrossed near-isogenic line (NIL) BC5F5 mapping population, developed from a cross between CItr 2401 and susceptible Kavkaz, to identify and validate single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers linked to the resistance phenotype in CItr 2401. This was achieved by (i) conducting a preliminary study that evaluated the suitability of simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers previously reported in literature for discriminating stacked RWA resistance genes and, (ii) employing SNP markers for the first time in a RWA resistance study as a future alternative to the widely used SSR markers. None of the tested SSR markers showed potential use in marker-assisted selection (MAS). The mapping population was phenotypically evaluated for RWA resistance using the four South African biotypes, viz. RWASA1, RWASA2, RWASA3 and RWASA4. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) showed significant (P<0.001) differences of genotypes after confirming the normality of residuals and homogeneity of variance. The Illumina iSelect 9,000 wheat SNP platform was used to genotype the two crossing parents and a selection of 24 NIL genotypes from the mapping population. Eight SNP markers found to be linked to the phenotype were converted to breeder-friendly and high-throughput Kompetitive allele-specific polymerase chain reaction (KASP) markers. The designed KASP markers were validated on the two crossing parents, the 24 NIL sent for SNP genotyping, on the mapping population and on the preliminary study genotypes for their effectiveness. The KASP assays developed in this study will be useful for stacking the RWA resistance from CItr 2401 with other Dn genes effective against the RWA. / Life and Consumer Sciences / M. Sc. (Life Sciences)