New Simple Sequence Repeat Markers on Linkage Groups 2 and 7, and Investigation of New Sources of Eastern Filbert Blight Resistance in Hazelnut

Abstract

Eastern filbert blight (EFB), caused by Anisogramma anomala, is a fungal disease threatening the european hazelnut (Corylus avellana) industry in the Willamette Valley of Oregon. The pathogen is endemic to the eastern United States where it causes little damage to the wild Corylus americana but causes severe cankers on most cultivars of the commercially important european hazelnut. The host genetic resistance in ‘Gasaway’ is conferred by a dominant allele at a single locus on linkage group 6 (LG6), and resistance from several other sources has been mapped to the same region. Some fungal isolates can overcome ‘Gasaway’ resistance, prompting a search for other sources of resistance. Resistance from other sources has been mapped to LG2 and LG7, for which additional simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers would facilitate marker-assisted selection (MAS). In this study, an in silico approach was used to develop new polymorphic SSR markers in the EFB resistance regions on LG2 and LG7. Starting with a search of 17 contigs of the ‘Jefferson’ genome sequence, 45 new polymorphic SSR markers were developed, characterized, and placed on the linkage map. The new SSR markers had an average of 10.18 alleles per locus, and average values for expected heterozygosity, observed heterozygosity, polymorphism information content, and frequency of null alleles of 0.72, 0.65, 0.68, and 0.068, respectively. Of the 42 new polymorphic SSRs segregating in the mapping population, 24 were on LG2, 12 were on LG7, and six were placed on other LGs. The new and previously developed SSR markers were used to study six new sources of EFB resistance, four from Russia and two from Crimea. Six resistant selections were crossed with susceptible selections, resulting in 7 progenies. Phenotyping for disease response revealed that segregation in progenies of the two Moscow selections (#2 and #27), one Russian selection (OSU 1187.101), and one Crimean selection (H3R12P62) fit the 1:1 segregation ratio expected for control of resistance by a dominant allele at a single locus; but in progenies of the other Russian selection (OSU 1166.123) and the other Crimean selection (H3R07P11), there was an excess of resistant seedlings. Correlation of disease scores and alleles at SSR loci indicated that resistance from three Russian selections (Moscow selections #2 and #27 and OSU 1166.123) and the Crimean selection H3R12P62 was on LG7, while resistance from Russian selection OSU 1187.101 was on LG2. Resistance from Crimean selection H3R07P11 was not correlated with markers on LG6, or LG2, or LG7. These sources and new SSR markers will be useful in MAS and the pyramiding of resistance genes in the breeding of new EFB-resistant cultivars.

A haplotype-resolved chromosome-level assembly and annotation of European hazelnut (C. avellanacv. Jefferson) provides insight into mechanisms of eastern filbert blight resistance

“…LG7 (Bhattarai et al, 2017;Sathuvalli et al, 2011b;Şekerli et al, 2021), LG10 and LG11 (Lombardoni et al, 2022), and more recently LG4 and LG1 (unpublished). A complete summary of resistant cultivars and their related linkage group can be found in Table 1 of Mehlenbacher et al (2023).…”

“…Fine mapping of the 'Gasaway' region using bacterial artificial chromosomes (BACs) identified a span of approximately 135 kb and five candidate EFB resistance genes (Sathuvalli et al, 2017). Other sources of EFB resistance have been identified and mapped in over 30 C. avellana cultivars and accessions, and while the majority map to LG6 (Sathuvalli et al, 2012;Colburn et al, 2015;Komaei Koma 2020), other sources of qualitative and quantitative resistance have been mapped to LG2 (Sathuvalli et al, 2011a;Şekerli et al, 2021),…”

“…Fine mapping of the ‘Gasaway’ region using bacterial artificial chromosomes (BACs) identified a span of approximately 135 kb and five candidate EFB resistance genes (Sathuvalli et al, 2017). Other sources of EFB resistance have been identified and mapped in over 30 C. avellana cultivars and accessions, and while the majority map to LG6 (Sathuvalli et al, 2012; Colburn et al, 2015; Komaei Koma 2020), other sources of qualitative and quantitative resistance have been mapped to LG2 (Sathuvalli et al, 2011a; Şekerli et al, 2021), LG7(Bhattarai et al, 2017; Sathuvalli et al, 2011b; Şekerli et al, 2021), LG10 and LG11 (Lombardoni et al, 2022), and more recently LG4 and LG1 (unpublished). A complete summary of resistant cultivars and their related linkage group can be found in Table 1 of Mehlenbacher et al (2023).…”

A haplotype-resolved chromosome-level assembly and annotation of European hazelnut (C. avellana cv. Jefferson) provides insight into mechanisms of eastern filbert blight resistance

“…Fine mapping of the “Gasaway” region using bacterial artificial chromosomes (BACs) identified a span of approximately 135 kb and five candidate EFB resistance genes ( Sathuvalli et al 2017 ). Other sources of EFB resistance have been identified and mapped in over 30 C. avellana cultivars and accessions, and while the majority map to LG6 ( Sathuvalli et al 2012 ; Colburn et al 2015 ; Komaei Koma 2020 ), other sources of qualitative and quantitative resistance have been mapped to LG2 ( Sathuvalli, Mehlenbacher, et al 2011 ; Şekerli et al 2021 ), LG7 ( Sathuvalli et al 2011 ; Bhattarai et al 2017 ; Şekerli et al 2021 ), LG10 and LG11 ( Lombardoni et al 2022 ), and more recently LG4 and LG1 (Mehlenbacher personal communication). A complete summary of resistant cultivars and their related linkage groups can be found in Table 1 of Mehlenbacher et al (2023) .…”