Sr31

Isolates of Puccinia graminis f. sp. tritici belonging to the Ug99 race group are virulent to a broad spectrum of resistance genes, rendering most of the world's wheat germplasm susceptible to stem rust (3). Following the initial detection of Ug99 (TTKSK, North American [NA] race notation) in Uganda, virulence to the widely used Sr31 resistance gene has been reported from Kenya, Ethiopia, Sudan, and Iran (2,3). In November 2009, a wheat genotype suspected to carry Sr31 showed a susceptible response to stem rust in a disease nursery (29°08′05.02′′S, 30°38′29.18′′E), inoculated with race TTKSP, near Greytown in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. Inoculation of urediniospores of the field collection (isolate UVPgt60) onto seedlings of line Federation4*/Kavkaz confirmed virulence for Sr31. In three independent, replicated, and comparative seedling tests, eight single-pustule isolates of UVPgt60 all typed to race PTKST following the NA race nomenclature. These isolates produced compatible infection types (ITs) (3+ to 4) on the Sr31 testers Gamtoos, Sr31/6*LMPG, Federation4*/Kavkaz, Kavkaz, and Clement, whereas isolate UVPgt59 (TTKSP) was avirulent (ITs ;1 to 1) on these genotypes. In addition to Sr31 virulence, the new race differed from TTKSP by producing a lower IT (2 to 2++) on Cns_T.mono_ deriv., the accepted entry for Sr21 in the NA differential set. The UVPgt60 isolates were clearly avirulent on Einkorn (Sr21) (IT ;1=), a response that also differed from those produced by BPGSC, TTKSF, and TTKSP (IT 2). With the exception of Sr21, UVPgt60 isolates had a virulence pattern similar to race TTKST (1), notably the virulence combination for Sr24 and Sr31. Isolate UVPgt60.6 was randomly selected for testing on additional Sr genes and South African wheat cultivars and breeding lines. Similar to the race identification experiments seedling tests were duplicated and compared with reactions produced by TTKSP and other races. Greenhouse temperatures for all seedling tests ranged between 18 and 25°C. On the basis of primary leaf responses, PTKST is avirulent (ITs 0; to 2++) for Sr13, 14, 21, 22, 25, 26, 27, 29, 32, 33, 35, 36, 37, 39, 42, 43, 44, Em, Tmp, and Satu and virulent (ITs 3 to 4) for Sr5, 6, 7b, 8a, 8b, 9a, 9b, 9d, 9e, 9g, 10, 11, 16, 17, 24, 30, 31, 34, 38, 41, and McN. From 103 South African wheat cultivars and lines tested as seedlings, 59 and 47 were susceptible (IT ≥ 3) to races PTKST and TTKSP, respectively. Simple-sequence repeat analysis (4) with selected primer pairs showed that PTKST clusters with isolates belonging to the Ug99 lineage. Subsequent to the collection made at Greytown, stem rust sampled in December 2009 from naturally infected breeders' lines at Cedara (29°32′19.59′′S, 30°16′03.50′′E), KwaZulu-Natal, revealed five isolates with a virulence profile similar to PTKST. On the basis of current evidence it appears that PTKST may be an introduction to South Africa rather than a single-step mutation from local stem rust races.

In much of the world, resistance to stem rust in wheat, caused by Puccinia graminis f. sp. tritici, is based at least in part on the gene Sr31. During February 1999, high levels of stem rust infection were observed on entries in wheat (Triticum aestivum) grown in a nursery at Kalengyere Research Station in Uganda. Because several of the rusted entries were known to carry the 1BL-1RS chromosome translocation containing the Sr31, Lr26, and Yr9 genes for rust resistance, virulence to Sr31 was suspected. Urediniospores, collected in bulk from rusted stems of seven entries containing Sr31, were suspended in light mineral oil and sprayed on primary leaves of 7-day-old seedlings of South African wheat cv. Gamtoos (=Veery #3, pedigree: Kvz/Buho‘S’//Kal/BB). Plants were kept overnight at 19 to 21°C in a dew chamber before placement in a greenhouse at 18 to 25°C. After ≈14 days, urediniospores were collected from large, susceptible-type stem rust pustules and subsequently increased on Gamtoos, which served as a selective host for the new rust culture, designated Pgt-Ug99. Pathogenicity of Pgt-Ug99 was studied in seedling tests of available wheats containing Sr31, as well as other stem rust differential lines. All seedling tests were conducted at least three times in independent inoculations. Isolate Pgt-Ug99 was not virulent to Avocet‘S’/Yr9 (Australian line containing Sr26) or Oom Charl (South African cultivar) but was virulent to the other Sr31 testers: Alondra ‘S’, Bobwhite, Chokka, Clement, Federation/Kavkaz, Gamtoos, Grebe, Kavkaz, Letaba, Line E/Kavkaz, RL6078, and Veery ‘S’. Virulence to Sr31 (infection types [ITs] 3^-3 to 3⁺⁺4) was clearly contrasted by the low reactions (ITs 0; to 1) produced by UVPgt53, a South African pathotype avirulent to Sr31. According to the reactions of the differential lines, Pgt-Ug99 is avirulent to Sr21, -22, -24, -25, -26, -27, -29, -32, -33, -34, -35, -36, -39, -40, -42, and -43, Agi, and Em and virulent to Sr5, -6, -7b, -8a, -8b, -9b, -9e, -9g, -11, -15, -17, -30, -31, and -38. Virulence to the T. ventricosum-derived gene Sr38, which is linked to Lr37 and Yr17 and occurs in cultivars from Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States, was not known previously (1). Both Pgt-Ug99 and UVPgt53 produced a continuum of ITs (; to 2+3) on Petkus rye (obtained from the USDA-ARS National Small Grains Collection, Aberdeen, ID), the original Sr31 donor source. Pgt-Ug99 did not appear more virulent than UVPgt53 on Petkus. All triticales tested, as well as oat cv. Overberg, were highly resistant to Pgt-Ug99. According to McIntosh et al. (1), Huerta-Espino mentioned a Sr31-virulent culture from Turkey, but this could not be confirmed. Should the Sr31-virulent pathotype migrate out of Uganda, it poses a major threat to wheat production in countries where the leading cultivars have resistance based on this gene.