title: SolRgene: an online database to explore disease resistance genes in tuber-bearing Solanum species.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The cultivated potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) is an important food crop, but highly susceptible to many pathogens. The major threat to potato production is the Irish famine pathogen Phytophthora infestans, which causes the devastating late blight disease. Potato breeding makes use of germplasm from wild relatives (wild germplasm) to introduce resistances into cultivated potato. The Solanum section Petota comprises tuber-bearing species that are potential donors of new disease resistance genes. The aim of this study was to explore Solanum section Petota for resistance genes and generate a widely accessible resource that is useful for studying and implementing disease resistance in potato.
  
  
  METHODS
  The SolRgene database contains data on resistance to P. infestans and presence of R genes and R gene homologues in Solanum section Petota. We have explored Solanum section Petota for resistance to late blight in high throughput disease tests under various laboratory conditions and in field trials. From resistant wild germplasm, segregating populations were generated and assessed for the presence of resistance genes. All these data have been entered into the SolRgene database. To facilitate genetic and resistance gene evolution studies, phylogenetic data of the entire SolRgene collection are included, as well as a tool for generating phylogenetic trees of selected groups of germplasm. Data from resistance gene allele-mining studies are incorporated, which enables detection of R gene homologs in related germplasm. Using these resources, various resistance genes have been detected and some of these have been cloned, whereas others are in the cloning pipeline. All this information is stored in the online SolRgene database, which allows users to query resistance data, sequences, passport data of the accessions, and phylogenic classifications.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Solanum section Petota forms the basis of the SolRgene database, which contains a collection of resistance data of an unprecedented size and precision. Complemented with R gene sequence data and phylogenetic tools, SolRgene can be considered the primary resource for information on R genes from potato and wild tuber-bearing relatives.
authors.affiliation: Wageningen UR Plant Breeding, Wageningen University and Research Centre, P.O. Box 386, 6700 AJ Wageningen, The Netherlands. Vivianne.Vleeshouwers@wur.nl
authors.forename: Vivianne G A A
authors.initials: VG
authors.lastname: Vleeshouwers
authors.forename: Richard
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Finkers
authors.forename: Dirk
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Budding
authors.forename: Marcel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Visser
authors.forename: Mirjam M J
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Jacobs
authors.forename: Ralph
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: van Berloo
authors.forename: Mathieu
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pel
authors.forename: Nicolas
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Champouret
authors.forename: Erin
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Bakker
authors.forename: Pavel
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Krenek
authors.forename: Hendrik
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Rietman
authors.forename: DirkJan
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Huigen
authors.forename: Roel
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Hoekstra
authors.forename: Aska
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Goverse
authors.forename: Ben
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Vosman
authors.forename: Evert
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Jacobsen
authors.forename: Richard G F
authors.initials: RG
authors.lastname: Visser
mesh_terms: D001483:Base Sequence; D005075:Biological Evolution; D018556:Crops, Agricultural / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D030541:Databases, Genetic; D060467:Disease Resistance / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology; D017343:Genes, Plant; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010802:Phylogeny; D055750:Phytophthora infestans / Q000276:immunology; D010935:Plant Diseases / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D032322:Solanum / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology; D011198:Solanum tuberosum / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology