Performances and Germplasm Evaluation of Quantitative Resistance to Soybean Mosaic Virus in Soybeans

A sample composed of 96 soybean accessions was evaluated for their diseased rate (I),diseased rank (S), latent period (LP) and rate of disease development (R) in order tostudy the quantitative resistance to soybean mosaic virus (SMV) in soybeans. The resultsshowed that the performances of the above four resistance components were significantlydifferent among accessions and that some of the accessions, such as Zhongzihuangdou,Peixian Tianedan, Youbian30 could be infected by four SMV strains, Sa, SC8, N1 and N3,but their I, S, and R were lower and LP longer than most other accessions. These resultsdemonstrated the existence of quantitative resistance to SMV in soybeans. It was foundthat some soybean accessions, such as AGS19 and Lishui Zhongzihuangdou, previouslyidentified as resistant to SMV infection, performed some infection but resistant toexpansion in the present study. In addition, the resistance in Pixian Chadou and HuaiyinQiuheidou might be either qualitative or quantitative. Furthermore, the present studyalso indicated that the resistance spectrum and durability of accessions with quantitativeresistance might be wider and longer than those with qualitative resistance.

Quantitative disease resistance:Multifaceted players in plant defense

In contrast to large-effect qualitative disease resistance,quantitative disease resistance(QDR)exhibits partial and generally durable resistance and has been extensively utilized in crop breeding.The molecular mechanisms underlying QDR remain largely unknown but considerable progress has been made in this area in recent years.In this review,we summarize the genes that have been associated with plant QDR and their biological functions.Many QDR genes belong to the canonical resistance gene categories with predicted functions in pathogen perception,signal transduction,phytohormone homeostasis,metabolite transport and biosynthesis,and epigenetic regulation.However,other"atypical"QDR genes are predicted to be involved in processes that are not commonly associated with disease resistance,such as vesicle trafficking,molecular chaperones,and others.This diversity of function for QDR genes contrasts with qualitative resistance,which is often based on the actions of nucleotidebinding leucine-rich repeat(NLR)resistance proteins.An understanding of the diversity of QDR mechanisms and of which mechanisms are effective against which classes of pathogens will enable the more effective deployment of QDR to produce more durably resistant,resilient crops.

Isolation and Manipulation of Quantitative Trait Loci for Disease Resistance in Rice Using a Candidate Gene Approach

Bacterial blight caused by Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae and fungal blast caused by Magnaporthe grisea result in heavy production losses in rice, a main staple food for approximately 50% of the world＇s population. Application of host resistance to these pathogens is the most economical and environment-friendly approach to solve this problem. Quantitative trait loci （QTLs） controlling quantitative resistance are valuable sources for broad-spectrum and durable disease resistance. Although large numbers of QTLs for bacterial blight and blast resistance have been identified, these sources have not been used effectively in rice improvement because of the complex genetic control of quantitative resistance and because the genes underlying resistance QTLs are unknown. To isolate disease resistance QTLs, we established a candidate gene strategy that integrates linkage map, expression profile, and functional complementation analyses. This strategy has proven to be applicable for identifying the genes underlying minor resistance QTLs in rice-Xoo and rice-M, grisea systems and it may also help to shed light on disease resistance QTLs of other cereals. Our results also suggest that a single minor QTL can be used in rice improvement by modulating the expression of the gene underlying the QTL. Pyramiding two or three minor QTL genes, whose expression can be managed and that function in different defense signal transduction pathways, may allow the breeding of rice cultivars that are highly resistant to bacterial blight and blast.

Quantitative Disease Resistance： Dissection and Adoption in Maize

Maize is the world＇s most produced crop, providing food, feed, and biofuel. Maize production is constantly threatened by the presence of devastating pathogens worldwide. Characterization of the genetic compo- nents underlying disease resistance is a major research area in maize which is highly relevant for resistance breeding programs. Quantitative disease resistance （QDR） is the type of resistance most widely used by maize breeders. The past decade has witnessed significant progress in fine-mapping and cloning of genes controlling QDR. The molecular mechanisms underlying QDR remain poorly understood and exploited. In this review we discuss recent advances in maize QDR research and strategy for resistance breeding.

An Atypical Thioredoxin Imparts Early Resistance to Sugarcane Mosaic Virus in Maize

Sugarcane mosaic virus （SCMV） causes substantial losses of grain yield and forage biomass in susceptible maize worldwide. A major quantitative trait locus, Scmvl, has been identified to impart strong resistance to SCMV at the early infection stage. Here, we demonstrate that ZmTrxh, encoding an atypical h-type thioredoxin, is the causal gene at Scmvl, and that its transcript abundance correlated strongly with maize resistance to SCMV. ZmTrxh alleles, whether they are resistant or susceptible, share the identical coding/proximal promoter regions, but vary in the upstream regulatory regions. ZmTrxh lacks two canon- ical cysteines in the thioredoxin active-site motif and exists uniquely in the maize genome. Because of this, ZmTrxh is unable to reduce disulfide bridges but possesses a strong molecular chaperone-like activity. ZmTrxh is dispersed in maize cytoplasm to suppress SCMV viral RNA accumulation. Moreover, ZmTrxh- mediated maize resistance to SCMV showed no obvious correlation with the salicylic acid- and jasmonic acid-related defense signaling pathways. Taken together, our results indicate that ZmTrxh exhibits a distinct defense profile in maize resistance to SCMV, differing from previously characterized dominant or recessive potyvirus resistance genes.