Evaluation of the potential for sexual reproduction in field populations of Cercospora beticola from USA.

Cercospora leaf spot, caused by the hemibiotrophic fungal pathogen Cercospora beticola, is the most economically damaging foliar disease of sugarbeet worldwide. Although most C. beticola populations display characteristics reminiscent of sexual recombination, no teleomorph has been described. To assess whether populations in northern United States have characteristics consistent with sexual reproduction, 1024 isolates collected over a 3-y period were analyzed for frequency and distribution of mating type genes. After clone correction, an approximately equal distribution of mating types was found for each sampling year. Mating type frequency was also assessed in individual lesions. Lesions always consisted of isolates with a single mating type and microsatellite haplotype, but both mating types and up to five microsatellite haplotypes could be found on an individual leaf. The MAT1-1-1 and MAT1-2-1 genes were sequenced from 28 MAT1-1 and 28 MAT1-2 isolates, respectively. Three MAT1-1-1 nucleotide haplotypes were identified that encoded a single amino acid sequence. For MAT1-2-1, five nucleotide haplotypes were identified that encoded four protein variants. MAT1-1-1 and MAT1-2-1 gene expression analyses were conducted on plants inoculated with either or both mating types. MAT1-1-1 expression remained low, but MAT1-2-1 spiked during late stages of colonization. A segment of the MAT1-2-1 coding sequence was also found in MAT1-1 isolates. Taken together, these results suggest that C. beticola has the potential for sexual reproduction.

QTL analyses for seed iron and zinc concentrations in an intra-genepool population of Andean common beans (Phaseolus vulgaris L.).

Legumes provide essential micronutrients that are found only in low amounts in the cereals or root crops. An ongoing project at CIAT has shown that the legume common bean is variable in the amount of seed minerals (iron, zinc, and other elements), vitamins, and sulfur amino acids that they contain and that these traits are likely to be inherited quantitatively. In this study we analyzed iron and zinc concentrations in an Andean recombinant inbred line (RIL) population of 100 lines derived from a cross between G21242, a Colombian cream-mottled climbing bean with high seed iron/zinc and G21078, an Argentinean cream seeded climbing bean with low seed iron/zinc. The population was planted across three environments; seed from each genotype was analyzed with two analytical methods, and quantitative trait loci (QTL) were detected using composite interval mapping and single-point analyses. A complete genetic map was created for the cross using a total of 74 microsatellite markers to anchor the map to previously published reference maps and 42 RAPD markers. In total, nine seed mineral QTL were identified on five linkage groups (LGs) with the most important being new loci on b02 and other QTL on b06, b08, and b07 near phaseolin. Seed weight QTL were associated with these on b02 and b08. These Andean-derived QTL are candidates for marker-assisted selection either in combination with QTL from the Mesoamerican genepool or with other QTL found in inter and intra-genepool crosses, and the genetic map can be used to anchor other intra-genepool studies.

QTL for seed iron and zinc concentration and content in a Mesoamerican common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) population.

Iron and zinc deficiencies are human health problems found throughout the world and biofortification is a plant breeding-based strategy to improve the staple crops that could address these dietary constraints. Common bean is an important legume crop with two major genepools that has been the focus of genetic improvement for seed micronutrient levels. The objective of this study was to evaluate the inheritance of seed iron and zinc concentrations and contents in an intra-genepool Mesoamerican × Mesoamerican recombinant inbred line population grown over three sites in Colombia and to identify quantitative trait loci (QTL) for each mineral. The population had 110 lines and was derived from a high-seed iron and zinc climbing bean genotype (G14519) crossed with a low-mineral Carioca-type, prostrate bush bean genotype (G4825). The genetic map for QTL analysis was created from SSR and RAPD markers covering all 11 chromosomes of the common bean genome. A set of across-site, overlapping iron and zinc QTL was discovered on linkage group b06 suggesting a possibly pleiotropic locus and common physiology for mineral uptake or loading. Other QTL for mineral concentration or content were found on linkage groups b02, b03, b04, b07, b08 and b11 and together with the b06 cluster were mostly novel compared to loci found in previous studies of the Andean genepool or inter-genepool crosses. The discovery of an important new locus for seed iron and zinc concentrations may facilitate crop improvement and biofortification using the high-mineral genotype especially within the Mesoamerican genepool.