White pine blister rust resistance in limber pine: evidence for a major gene

Limber pine (Pinus flexilis) is being threatened by the lethal disease white pine blister rust caused by the non-native pathogen Cronartium ribicola. The types and frequencies of genetic resistance to the rust will likely determine the potential success of restoration or proactive measures. These fi...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Phytopathology 2014-02, Vol.104 (2), p.163-173
Main Authors: Schoettle, A W, Sniezko, R A, Kegley, A, Burns, K S
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Alleles
Basidiomycota - pathogenicity
Cronartium ribicola
Crosses, Genetic
Disease Resistance
Genetic Variation
Phenotype
Pinus - genetics
Pinus - microbiology
Pinus flexilis
Plant Diseases - immunology
Plant Diseases - microbiology
Plant Leaves - genetics
Plant Leaves - microbiology
Plant Proteins - genetics
Plant Stems - genetics
Plant Stems - microbiology
Seedlings - genetics
Seedlings - microbiology
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Summary:Limber pine (Pinus flexilis) is being threatened by the lethal disease white pine blister rust caused by the non-native pathogen Cronartium ribicola. The types and frequencies of genetic resistance to the rust will likely determine the potential success of restoration or proactive measures. These first extensive inoculation trials using individual tree seed collections from >100 limber pine trees confirm that genetic segregation of a stem symptom-free trait to blister rust is consistent with inheritance by a single dominant resistance (R) gene, and the resistance allele appears to be distinct from the R allele in western white pine. Following previous conventions, we are naming the R gene for limber pine "Cr4." The frequency of the Cr4 allele across healthy and recently invaded populations in the Southern Rocky Mountains was unexpectedly high (5.0%, ranging from 0 to 13.9%). Cr4 is in equilibrium, suggesting that it is not a product of a recent mutation and may have other adaptive significance within the species, possibly related to other abiotic or biotic stress factors. The identification of Cr4 in native populations of limber pine early in the invasion progress in this region provides useful information for predicting near-term impacts and structuring long-term management strategies.
ISSN:0031-949X
1943-7684
DOI:10.1094/PHYTO-04-13-0092-R