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Updated: Jun 28, 2025
VIGS-Mediated Forward Genetics Screening for Identification of Genes Involved in Nonhost Resistance
Published on: August 23, 2013
Genome-Wide Association Analysis Uncovers Genes Associated with Resistance to Head Smut Pathotype 5 in Senegalese
Ezekiel Ahn1, Louis K Prom2, Sunchung Park1
1USDA-ARS Sustainable Perennial Crops Laboratory, Beltsville Agricultural Research Center, Beltsville, MD 20705, USA.
Abstract:
A newly documented pathotype 5 of the soil-borne fungus Sporisorium reilianum, causing head smut in sorghum, was tested against 153 unexplored Senegalese sorghum accessions. Among the 153 sorghum accessions tested, 63 (41%) exhibited complete resistance, showing no signs of infection by the fungus. The remaining 90 accessions (59%) displayed varying degrees of susceptibility. Sorghum responses against S. reilianum were explored to analyze the potential link with previously known seed morphology-related traits and new phenotype data from 59 lines for seed weight. A genome-wide association study (GWAS) screened 297,876 SNPs and identified highly significant associations (p < 1 × 10-5) with head smut resistance in sorghum. By mapping these significant SNPs to the reference genome, this study revealed 35 novel candidate defense genes potentially involved in disease resistance.
