Towards positional cloning of an avirulence gene from Cronartium quercuum f. sp. fusiforme

Cronartium quercuum f. sp. fusiforme (Cqf) is the causal agent of fusiform rust on oaks and pines and is the most devastating fungal pathogen on pine trees in southeastern USA, with losses estimated to exceed $135 million annually. Genetic resistance is the only economically feasible control method...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Phytopathology 2008-06, Vol.98 (6), p.S13-S13
Main Authors: Anderson, C, Smith, JA, Davis, J M, Kubisiak, T L, Nelson, C
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Cronartium quercuum
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Summary:Cronartium quercuum f. sp. fusiforme (Cqf) is the causal agent of fusiform rust on oaks and pines and is the most devastating fungal pathogen on pine trees in southeastern USA, with losses estimated to exceed $135 million annually. Genetic resistance is the only economically feasible control method for this pathogen and several resistance genes have been identified and utilized in breeding programs. However, as pine resistance genes function by recognition of specifically corresponding avirulence genes in the pathogen, successful deployment of resistant varieties will only occur if the corresponding avirulence gene is present at high frequency in the local pathogen population. The Cqf avirulence gene, AvrFr1, specifically interacts with the Fr1 resistance gene in loblolly pine and a project has been initiated to isolate AvrFr1 by positional cloning. Four Randomly Amplified Polymorphic DNA (RAPD) markers have been identified that are linked to the avirulence locus and these define the location of AvrFr1 within a 10.4 cM interval. Fluorescent Amplified Fragment Length Polymorphism (AFLP) technology is now being used to fine map the location of AvrFr1 within this interval, to facilitate our positional cloning efforts. It is hoped that the isolation of AvrFr1 and other Cqf avirulence genes will ultimately aid in deployment of resistant pine genotypes by allowing the frequencies of avirulence alleles to be determined in natural Cqf populations.
ISSN:0031-949X