Crop wild relative populations of Beta vulgaris allow direct mapping of agronomically important genes
Autor/in:Capistrano-Gossmann, G. G.; D. Ries, D. Holtgräwe, A. Minoche, T. Kraft, S. L. M. Frerichmann, T. Rosleff Soerensen, J. C. Dohm, I. González, M. Schilhabel, M. Varrelmann, H. Tschoep, H. Uphoff, K. Schütze, D. Borchardt, O. Toerjek, W. Mechelke, J. C. Lein, A W. Schechert, L. Frese, H. Himmelbauer, B. Weisshaar, F. J. Kopisch-Obuch
Rapid identification of agronomically important genes is of pivotal interest for crop breeding.
One source of such genes are crop wild relative (CWR) populations. Here we used a CWR
population of o200 wild beets (B. vulgaris ssp. maritima), sampled in their natural habitat, to
identify the sugar beet (Beta vulgaris ssp. vulgaris) resistance gene Rz2 with a modified version
of mapping-by-sequencing (MBS). For that, we generated a draft genome sequence of the
wild beet. Our results show the importance of preserving CWR in situ and demonstrate the
great potential of CWR for rapid discovery of causal genes relevant for crop improvement.
The candidate gene for Rz2 was identified by MBS and subsequently corroborated via RNA
interference (RNAi). Rz2 encodes a CC-NB-LRR protein. Access to the DNA sequence of Rz2
opens the path to improvement of resistance towards rhizomania not only by marker-assisted
breeding but also by genome editing.