Cytogenetic analysis and mapping of leaf rust resistance in Aegilops speltoides Tausch derived bread wheat line “Selection 2427” carrying putative gametocidal gene(s)

Leaf rust (Puccinia triticina) is a major biotic stress affecting wheat yields worldwide. Host plant resistance is the best method for controlling leaf rust. Aegilops speltoides is a good source of resistance against wheat rusts. So far five Lr genes, Lr28, Lr35, Lr36, Lr47 and Lr51 have been transferred from Ae. speltoides to bread wheat. In Selection2427, a bread wheat introgresed line with Ae. speltoides as donor parent, a dominant gene for leaf rust resistance was mapped to the long arm of chromosome 3B (LrS2427). None of the Lr genes introgressed from Aegilops speltoides has been mapped to chromosome 3B. Since none of the designated seedling leaf rust resistance genes have been located on chromosome 3B, LrS2427 seems to be a novel gene. Sel.2427 showed a unique property typical of gametocidal genes that when crossed to other bread wheat cultivars the F1 showed partial pollen sterility as well as poor seed setting whilst Sel.2427 shows reasonable male and female fertility. Accidental co-transfer of gametocidal genes with LrS2427 may have occurred in Selection2427. Though LrS2427 did not show any segregation distortion and assorted independently of putative gametocidal gene(s), its utilization will be difficult due to the selfish behavior of gametocidal genes.The accepted manuscript in pdf format is listed with the files at the bottom of this page. The presentation of the authors' names and (or) special characters in the title of the manuscript may differ slightly between what is listed on this page and what is listed in the pdf file of the accepted manuscript; that in the pdf file of the accepted manuscript is what was submitted by the author