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ERA-PG / File repository / Call 2006 / / GENBLAST| Acronym | GENBLAST | | | | | Title | Deciphering the genetic basis of field resistance to blast in European rice varieties to improve breeding for durable resistance | | | | | Duration | 1 October 2007 - 1 October 2010 | | | | | Project leader | Ramón M. Carreres, IVIA, Spain | | | | Project partners | Didier Tharreau, CIRAD, France
Pere Arús, IRTA, Spain
José Maria Osca Lluch, UPV, Spain
Manuel Aguilar Portero, CIFA-IFAPA, Spain
Carlos Baixauli Soria, Fundación RURALCAJA, Spain [Company]
Luis Marqués Falcó, COPSEMAR, Spain [Company] | | | | | Funding | France | National Institute for Agricultural Research (INRA) | | | Spain | Ministry for Education and Science (MEC) | | | | | | Total granted budget | € 433,222 | | | | | Abstract | | Rice blast (caused by Magnaporthe grisea) is the most damaging fungal disease of rice (Oryza sativa L.), and it is the only pathogen of rice treated with pesticides in Europe, where most of the rice growing areas are river deltas and damps, with special environmental protection. The use of resistant rice varieties is a cost effective method to control the disease and can be incorporated as component of an integrated pest management (IPM) strategy, avoiding fungicide applications in such fragile areas. Determining the genetic and molecular basis of resistance in European varieties and including this knowledge in breeding programs is of primary importance to develop rice varieties durably resistant to blast. This project aims at using the appropriate genomic tools to identify the important genes for durable blast resistance and to start creating resistant varieties adapted for European growing conditions, through the combined efforts of different teams and using different methods: evaluation of resistance to blast in the field and in controlled conditions, study of expression patterns of genes involved in defense mechanisms, characterization of allelic variability, and QTL analysis. | | | | | Progress |  Work package 1: Evaluation of resistance to blast in the field and in controlled conditions
During the first year we have obtained blast isolates from samples collected from the three main rice growing regions in Spain and characterize their genetic diversity with microsatellite markers. Preliminary analyses show that: 1) populations from the South, seem genetically different from populations from Central and North regions of Spain, 2) most of the isolates sampled belong to genetic groups already identified in Europe, but 3) new groups have also been found.
In the three main rice growing regions of Spain, 60 varieties and differential lines were evaluated for blast resistance in a specific design to favor blast pressure. Leaf and neck blast damages were measured for each variety or line. Rice partial resistance to blast was measured in controlled conditions on a set of 18 varieties. The level of partial resistance blast is relatively high in most varieties tested.
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 Work package 2: Expression pattern of genes involved in defense mechanism
Transcriptomics data were analyzed to identify potential candidate genes to measure preformed partial resistance. Among thousands of genes, 20 have been identified as potentially interesting to measure preformed partial resistance in rice. Further, these genes were validated by Quantitatitve-Reverse Transcription PCR (QRT-PCR).
The expression before inoculation of these validated genes was measured on a set of 18 diverse rice cultivars with varying degrees of partial resistance. We could not find a close correlation between them, probably due to the variability between replicates or because of behavior differences between temperate and tropical japonica rice varieties.
Partial resistance of an F2 progeny of 2 crosses between resistant and adapted European rice varieties was assessed after inoculation with three M. oryzae strains. |
Work package 3: Characterization of allelic variability
This task has been recently started.  Work package 4: QTL analysis and obtaining of resistant breeding lines
DNA of plants of F2 progenies segregating for blast resistance was extracted. Genotyping of these progenies is in progress: a first set of 59 polymorphic markers have been identified and screened in one of the F2 populations, while new polymorphisms are searched for in genomic areas where QTLs and candidate genes are suspected. Genotyping of the second progeny will start shortly. F3 seeds of the first population was obtained and F3 lines are being evaluated for field resistance. |
| | | | Project website | http://www.genblast.com | | | | Output from the project (publications, patents, data resources, etcetera) | The project was presented in two international meetings:
- First ERA-PG Grantholders meeting. Puerto de la Cruz (Tenerife). October 2nd, 2007. Abstracts of the Granted Projects of Sub Call B pp 56 - IVth International Rice Blast Conference. Changsha (China). October 9-14, 2007. Genblast project: Deciphering the genetic basis of field resistance to blast in European rice varieties to improve breeding for durable A flyer in Spanish describing the project was produced and distributed to rice growers.
Click here to download the english version of the flyer. | | | |
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