Abstract
Improving sorghum resistance is a sustainable method to reduce yield losses due to anthracnose, a devastating disease caused by Colletotrichum sublineola. Elucidating the molecular mechanisms of sorghum–C. sublineola interactions would help identify biomarkers for rapid and efficient identification of novel sources for host-plant resistance improvement, understanding the pathogen virulence, and facilitating resistance breeding. Despite concerted efforts to identify resistance sources, the knowledge about sorghum–anthracnose interactions remains scanty. Hence, in this review, we presented an overview of the current knowledge on the mechanisms of sorghum-C. sublineola molecular interactions, sources of resistance for sorghum breeding, quantitative trait loci (QTL), and major (R-) resistance gene sequences as well as defense-related genes associated with anthracnose resistance. We summarized current knowledge about C. sublineola populations and its virulence. Illustration of the sorghum-C. sublineola interaction model based on the current understanding is also provided. We highlighted the importance of genomic resources of both organisms for integrated omics research to unravel the key molecular components underpinning compatible and incompatible sorghum–anthracnose interactions. Furthermore, sorghum-breeding strategy employing rapid sorghum germplasm screening, systems biology, and molecular tools is presented.
Highlights
Sorghum [Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench] – a diploid photosynthesis efficient C4 crop – is one of the most important cereals serving as a staple food for over 500 million people globally, used as animal feed, and is increasingly important source of biomass for cellulosic ethanol production
The sorghum genome contains hundreds of putative resistance genes (R-genes) sequences (Mace et al, 2014; McCormick et al, 2018), some of which are localized within the anthracnose resistance associated quantitative trait loci (QTL) regions that were identified in several landraces (Upadhyaya et al, 2013; Felderhoff et al, 2016; Patil et al, 2017; Xu, 2019)
Resistance evaluation of sorghum germplasm originating from various geographical regions using several strains of anthracnose, collected from diverse agro-ecologies, across growing seasons would lead to the identification of a highly useful resistance sources for developing sorghum cultivars with wide adaptation
Summary
Sorghum [Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench] – a diploid photosynthesis efficient C4 crop – is one of the most important cereals serving as a staple food for over 500 million people globally, used as animal feed, and is increasingly important source of biomass for cellulosic ethanol production. The sorghum genome contains hundreds of putative R-gene sequences (Mace et al, 2014; McCormick et al, 2018), some of which are localized within the anthracnose resistance associated quantitative trait loci (QTL) regions that were identified in several landraces (Upadhyaya et al, 2013; Felderhoff et al, 2016; Patil et al, 2017; Xu, 2019) These findings suggest the presence of rich sorghum genetic resource that can be used for enhancing sorghum anthracnose resistance. It provides a summary of current knowledge related to anthracnose population structure and Sorghum–C. sublineola Interactions virulence, which would be crucial for the improvement of the crop’s resistance against the pathogen It highlights the potential use of current advances in omics techniques to enhance the understanding of the interaction process and suggests future directions to accelerate the breeding of resistant sorghum cultivars
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