Elucidating the genetics and biology of disease and insect resistance in wheat

这项NSERC发现赠款计划将开发新的遗传知识和工具，以开发抗病虫害的小麦。在加拿大，大量的病虫害降低了小麦的产量和谷物的品质。小麦遗传和基因组资源在过去的5年里发展迅速，并将在本研究中得到利用。该计划将识别编码对影响加拿大小麦的生物胁迫的抗性的基因，包括锈病、赤霉病、普通黑穗病和昆虫小麦吸浆虫。这将通过多管齐下的战略来实现。遗传研究将在染色体上定位单个抗性基因，而DNA和RNA测序将识别潜在的控制抗性特征的基因。诱变研究将确定哪个基因编码每个抗性特征。一旦确定，将开发DNA标记，使小麦育种者能够识别具有特定抗性基因的小麦。多个生物抗逆基因将成为靶点。第一种是SrCad，它可以抵抗茎锈病。初步数据表明，SrCad还能抵抗种子传播的普通黑穗病。第二个目标基因是叶锈病抗性基因Lr16。第三个目标是小麦吸浆虫抗性基因，该基因导致该昆虫在小麦头上产卵较少。这种基因改变了小麦头的气味，导致小麦吸浆虫无法识别它们的宿主。这项研究将为培育携带这些基因的小麦提供DNA标记工具。最后，过去的遗传研究发现，身高降低基因(Rht-B1、Rht-D1)与增加对镰刀菌赤霉病的易感性之间存在关联。一种促进早熟的基因(PPD-D1)也被检测到有类似的关联。突变研究将确定这些基因是否直接导致对镰刀菌赤霉病的易感性增加。除了实用工具外，这项研究还将增加我们对生物抗逆性以及小麦和相关植物物种生物学的了解。该项目的研究成果将被加拿大和世界各地的小麦科学家以及种植这些生物抗逆基因小麦品种的加拿大农民使用。这些品种将因受益于农民、农业部门和加拿大整体经济的病虫害而遭受较少的损失。具有生物抗逆性的品种减少了杀菌剂和杀虫剂的使用，这对环境有利，并将农药的药效保存到未来。这项研究将由2名硕士和2名博士生在Curt McCartney博士(小麦育种者和遗传学家)的指导下进行，并与马尼托巴大学小麦育种团队合作，该团队由5名技术人员和10名本科生组成。这些硕士和博士生将在农业和生物科学领域就业。

This NSERC Discovery Grant program will develop new genetic knowledge and tools to develop disease and insect resistant wheat. Numerous diseases and insects lower wheat productivity and grain quality in Canada. Wheat genetic and genomic resources have developed quickly over the past 5 years and will be utilized in this research. The program will identify wheat genes encoding resistance to biotic stresses affecting Canadian wheat, including rust diseases, Fusarium head blight, common bunt, and the insect wheat midge. This will be accomplished with a multi-pronged strategy. Inheritance studies will locate individual resistance genes on chromosomes, while DNA and RNA sequencing will identify genes potentially controlling the resistance traits. Mutagenesis studies will determine which gene encodes each resistance trait. Once identified, DNA markers will be developed to enable wheat breeders to identify wheats with specific resistance genes. Multiple biotic stress resistance genes will be targeted. The first is SrCad, which provides resistance to stem rust. Preliminary data suggests the SrCad also provides resistance to common bunt, a seed-borne disease. The second targeted gene is the leaf rust resistance gene Lr16. The third target is a gene for wheat midge resistance that results in the insect laying fewer eggs on wheat heads. This gene alters the smell of wheat heads causing wheat midge to not recognize their host. This research will provide DNA markers tools to develop wheat carrying these genes. Finally, past genetic research has found an association between height reducing genes (Rht-B1, Rht-D1) and increased susceptibility to Fusarium head blight. A similar association has been detected for a gene promoting earlier maturity (Ppd-D1). Mutagenesis research will determine if these genes are directly responsible for increased susceptibility to Fusarium head blight. In additional to practical tools, this research will increase our understanding of biotic stress resistance, and the biology of wheat and related plant species. Research findings from the program will be used by wheat scientists in Canada and around the world, and by Canadian farmers who grow wheat varieties with these biotic stress resistance genes. Such varieties will suffer less losses due to diseases and insects benefiting farmers, the agricultural sector, and the overall Canadian economy. Varieties with biotic stress resistance reduce fungicide and insecticide use, which is beneficial to the environment and preserves the efficacy of pesticides into the future. The research will be conducted by 2 MSc and 2 PhD students under the supervision of Dr. Curt McCartney (wheat breeder and geneticist) and in conjunction with the University of Manitoba wheat breeding team, consisting of 5 technicians and 10 undergraduate students. These MSc and PhD students will enter employment within the agricultural and biological sciences sectors.