Pathogen genetics identifies avirulence/virulence loci associated with barley chromosome 6H resistance in the Pyrenophora teres f. teres - barley interaction

Barley net form net blotch (NFNB) is a foliar disease caused by Pyrenophora teres f. teres. Barley line CIho5791, which harbors the chromosome 6H broad spectrum resistance gene Rpt5, displays dominant resistance to P. teres f. teres. To genetically characterize P. teres f. teres avirulence/virulence on the barley line CIho5791, we generated a P. teres f. teres mapping population using a cross between the Moroccan CIho5791-virulent isolate MorSM40-3, and the avirulent reference isolate 0-1. Genetic maps were generated for all 12 chromosomes (Ch) and quantitative trait locus (QTL) mapping identified two significant QTL associated with P. teres f. teres avirulence/virulence on CIho5791. The most significant QTL mapped to P. teres f. teres Ch1 where the virulent allele was contributed by MorSM40-3. A second QTL mapped to Ch8, however, this virulent allele was contributed by 0-1. The Ch1 and Ch8 loci accounted for 27 and 15% of the disease variation, respectively and the avirulent allele at the Ch1 locus was shown to be epistatic over the virulent allele at the Ch8 locus. Additionally, we used 177 sequenced P. teres f. teres isolates in a genome wide association study that identified the same Ch1 and Ch8 loci as the two most significant associations. Within the identified genomic regions, we identified several genes that encoded small secreted proteins, one or more of which may be responsible for overcoming the CIho5791 resistance. Results presented here demonstrate the complexity of avirulence/virulence in the P. teres f. teres - barley interaction.