Abstract
Rapid identification of agronomically important genes is of pivotal interest for crop breeding. One source of such genes are crop wild relative (CWR) populations. Here we used a CWR population of <200 wild beets (B. vulgaris ssp. maritima), sampled in their natural habitat, to identify the sugar beet (Beta vulgaris ssp. vulgaris) resistance gene Rz2 with a modified version of mapping-by-sequencing (MBS). For that, we generated a draft genome sequence of the wild beet. Our results show the importance of preserving CWR in situ and demonstrate the great potential of CWR for rapid discovery of causal genes relevant for crop improvement. The candidate gene for Rz2 was identified by MBS and subsequently corroborated via RNA interference (RNAi). Rz2 encodes a CC-NB-LRR protein. Access to the DNA sequence of Rz2 opens the path to improvement of resistance towards rhizomania not only by marker-assisted breeding but also by genome editing.
Highlights
Rapid identification of agronomically important genes is of pivotal interest for crop breeding
We demonstrate the potential of a crop wild relative (CWR) population for gene-level resolution mapping by identifying the sugar beet (B. vulgaris ssp. vulgaris) rhizomania-resistance locus Rz2 in a wild beet population of B. vulgaris ssp. maritima through a modified version of mapping-by-sequencing (MBS)[12]
A CWR population to identify a candidate for Rz2 by MBS
Summary
Rapid identification of agronomically important genes is of pivotal interest for crop breeding. Maritima), sampled in their natural habitat, to identify the sugar beet CWR populations collected in their natural habitat provide access to agronomically important traits but can serve to directly identify genes underlying these traits. A potentially additional rhizomania-resistance locus has been mapped to sugar beet Chr[3] (BvChr3) and is most likely identical to Rz2 as it is derived from the same B. vulgaris ssp. We demonstrate the potential of a CWR population for gene-level resolution mapping by identifying the sugar beet The results confirm, in yet another case, the potential of CWR for crop improvement and the importance of preserving CWR in their natural habitats and provide access to an agronomically important gene conferring resistance against rhizomania that encodes a CC-NB-LRR protein
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