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The Genetic Architecture of Disease Resistance in Maize: A Synthesis of Published Studies

Published by:
Publication date
25/01/2008
Number of Pages
10
Language:
English
Type of Publication:
Articles & Journals
Focus Region:
Global
Focus Topic:
Health & Diseases
Type of Risk:
Biological & environmental
Commodity:
Crops
Source
http://dx.doi.org/10.1094/PHYTO-96-0120
Author
Wisser, R.J.; Balint-Kurti, P.J.; Nelson, R.J.

Fifty publications on the mapping of maize disease resistance loci were synthesized. These papers reported the locations of 437 quantitative trait loci (QTL) for disease (dQTL), 17 resistance genes (R-genes), and 25 R-gene analogs. A set of rules was devised to enable the placement of these loci on a single consensus map, permitting analysis of the distribution of resistance loci identified across a variety of maize germplasm for a number of different diseases. The confidence intervals of the dQTL were distributed over all 10 chromosomes and covered 89% of the genetic map to which the data were anchored. Visual inspection indicated the presence of clusters of dQTL for multiple diseases. Clustering of dQTL was supported by statistical tests that took into account genome-wide variations in gene density. Several novel clusters of resistance loci were identified. Evidence was also found for the association of dQTL with maturity-related QTL. It was evident from the distinct dQTL distributions for the different diseases that certain breeding schemes may be more suitable for certain diseases. This review provides an up-to-date synthesis of reports on the locations of resistance loci in maize.