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Updated: Jul 9, 2026
A Rapid and Efficient Method for Assessing Pathogenicity of Ustilago maydis on Maize and Teosinte Lines
Published on: January 3, 2014
Genome-wide association study and pathway analysis to decipher loci associated with Fusarium ear rot resistance in
Stella Bigirwa Ayesiga1,2, Patrick Rubaihayo1, Bonny Michael Oloka3
1Department of Agricultural Production, College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences, Makerere University, P. O. Box 7062, Kampala, Uganda.
Abstract:
Breeding for host resistance is the most efficient and environmentally safe method to curb the spread of fusarium ear rot (FER). However, conventional breeding for resistance to FER is hampered by the complex polygenic nature of this trait, which is highly influenced by environmental conditions. This study aimed to identify genomic regions, single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), and putative candidate genes associated with FER resistance as well as candidate metabolic pathways and pathway genes involved in it. A panel of 151 tropical inbred maize lines were used to assess the genetic architecture of FER resistance over two seasons. During the study period, seven SNPs associated with FER resistance were identified on chromosomes 1, 2, 4, 5, and 9, accounting for 4-11% of the phenotypic variance. These significant markers were annotated into four genes. Seven significant metabolic pathways involved in FER resistance were identified using the Pathway Association Study Tool, the most significant being the superpathway of the glyoxylate cycle. Overall, this study confirmed that resistance to FER is indeed a complex mechanism controlled by several small to medium-effect loci. Our findings may contribute to fast-tracking the efforts to develop disease-resistant maize lines through marker-assisted selection.
Supplementary Information:
The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s10722-023-01793-4.
