The Genetics of Leaf Flecking in Maize and Its Relationship to Plant Defense and Disease Resistance.
Physiological leaf spotting, or flecking, is a mild-lesion phenotype observed on the leaves of several commonly used maize (Zea mays) inbred lines and has been anecdotally linked to enhanced broad-spectrum disease resistance. Flecking was assessed in the maize nested association mapping (NAM) population, comprising 4,998 recombinant inbred lines from 25 biparental families, and in an association population, comprising 279 diverse maize inbreds. Joint family linkage analysis was conducted with 7,386 markers in the NAM population. Genome-wide association tests were performed with 26.5 million single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the NAM population and with 246,497 SNPs in the association population, resulting in the identification of 18 and three loci associated with variation in flecking, respectively. Many of the candidate genes colocalizing with associated SNPs are similar to genes that function in plant defense response via cell wall modification, salicylic acid- and jasmonic acid-dependent pathways, redox homeostasis, stress response, and vesicle trafficking/remodeling. Significant positive correlations were found between increased flecking, stronger defense response, increased disease resistance, and increased pest resistance. A nonlinear relationship with total kernel weight also was observed whereby lines with relatively high levels of flecking had, on average, lower total kernel weight. We present evidence suggesting that mild flecking could be used as a selection criterion for breeding programs trying to incorporate broad-spectrum disease resistance.
Department of Plant Pathology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina 27695-7616 (B.A.O., P.J.B.-K.).|Department of Crop Science, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina 27695-7620 (B.A.O., Y.B., J.B.H.).|Department of Agronomy, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin 53706 (B.D.V., W.F.T.).|Department of Plant and Soil Sciences, University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware 19716 (R.J.W.); and.|United States Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service Plant Science Research Unit, Raleigh, North Carolina 27695 (J.B.H., P.J.B.-K.).
Bode A
0000-0003-4143-8909
BA
Olukolu
Department of Plant Pathology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina 27695-7616 (B.A.O., P.J.B.-K.).|Department of Crop Science, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina 27695-7620 (B.A.O., Y.B., J.B.H.).|Department of Agronomy, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin 53706 (B.D.V., W.F.T.).|Department of Plant and Soil Sciences, University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware 19716 (R.J.W.); and.|United States Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service Plant Science Research Unit, Raleigh, North Carolina 27695 (J.B.H., P.J.B.-K.).
Yang
Y
Bian
Department of Plant Pathology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina 27695-7616 (B.A.O., P.J.B.-K.).|Department of Crop Science, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina 27695-7620 (B.A.O., Y.B., J.B.H.).|Department of Agronomy, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin 53706 (B.D.V., W.F.T.).|Department of Plant and Soil Sciences, University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware 19716 (R.J.W.); and.|United States Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service Plant Science Research Unit, Raleigh, North Carolina 27695 (J.B.H., P.J.B.-K.).
Brian
B
De Vries
Department of Plant Pathology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina 27695-7616 (B.A.O., P.J.B.-K.).|Department of Crop Science, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina 27695-7620 (B.A.O., Y.B., J.B.H.).|Department of Agronomy, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin 53706 (B.D.V., W.F.T.).|Department of Plant and Soil Sciences, University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware 19716 (R.J.W.); and.|United States Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service Plant Science Research Unit, Raleigh, North Carolina 27695 (J.B.H., P.J.B.-K.).
William F
WF
Tracy
Department of Plant Pathology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina 27695-7616 (B.A.O., P.J.B.-K.).|Department of Crop Science, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina 27695-7620 (B.A.O., Y.B., J.B.H.).|Department of Agronomy, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin 53706 (B.D.V., W.F.T.).|Department of Plant and Soil Sciences, University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware 19716 (R.J.W.); and.|United States Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service Plant Science Research Unit, Raleigh, North Carolina 27695 (J.B.H., P.J.B.-K.).
Randall J
0000-0003-1075-0115
RJ
Wisser
Department of Plant Pathology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina 27695-7616 (B.A.O., P.J.B.-K.).|Department of Crop Science, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina 27695-7620 (B.A.O., Y.B., J.B.H.).|Department of Agronomy, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin 53706 (B.D.V., W.F.T.).|Department of Plant and Soil Sciences, University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware 19716 (R.J.W.); and.|United States Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service Plant Science Research Unit, Raleigh, North Carolina 27695 (J.B.H., P.J.B.-K.).
James B
0000-0002-4341-9675
JB
Holland
Department of Plant Pathology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina 27695-7616 (B.A.O., P.J.B.-K.); peter.balint-kurti@ars.usda.gov.|Department of Crop Science, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina 27695-7620 (B.A.O., Y.B., J.B.H.); peter.balint-kurti@ars.usda.gov.|Department of Agronomy, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin 53706 (B.D.V., W.F.T.); peter.balint-kurti@ars.usda.gov.|Department of Plant and Soil Sciences, University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware 19716 (R.J.W.); and peter.balint-kurti@ars.usda.gov.|United States Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service Plant Science Research Unit, Raleigh, North Carolina 27695 (J.B.H., P.J.B.-K.) peter.balint-kurti@ars.usda.gov.
Peter J
0000-0002-3916-194X
PJ
Balint-Kurti
D000483:Alleles; D002874:Chromosome Mapping; D060467:Disease Resistance / Q000235:genetics*; D005828:Genetics, Population; D055106:Genome-Wide Association Study; D007178:Inbreeding; D008027:Light; D010641:Phenotype; D010935:Plant Diseases / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology*; D018515:Plant Leaves / Q000235:genetics* / Q000528:radiation effects; D020641:Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide / Q000235:genetics; D040641:Quantitative Trait Loci / Q000235:genetics; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species / Q000378:metabolism; D012639:Seeds / Q000235:genetics; D003313:Zea mays / Q000235:genetics* / Q000528:radiation effects
D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species
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