SolariX
A Compendium of Sequenced NBS-domains of Resistance Genes in 96 Potato Cultivars
Potatoes are the world's most important food plant after the cereals. Diseases cause the greatest costs of potato production and storage, and natural resistance is the ecological antidote of choice. Resistence genes (R genes) in the potato genome may confer resistance towards pathogens and the largest class of these genes carry a specific nucleotide binding site (NBS) motif. Here we determine the sequences of these R genes from over ninety representative, modern and historical cultivars using amplification primers targeting the NBS domain and high-throughput sequencing. The SolariX database at www.cibiv.at/SolariX/ makes this information publicly accessible. The data in SolariX allow for identifying specific R alleles that make the plant resistant to individual diseases. This facilitates the development of molecular markers to select for resistance. The database facilitates studies at the molecular level of the relationships between potato cultivars and breeding programs and it supports the understanding of genealogy and evolution of disease resistance.