Molecular Tagging of a Rust Resistance Gene in Cultivated Groundnut

Groundnut (Arachis hypogaea L.) is an important oilseed crop, which ranks fifth in the world oilseeds land area. However, it has low productivity compared to other oilseed crops due to severe damage caused by foliar diseases such as rust. Identification of linked markers would help categorize rust-resistant genotypes and develop disease-resistant varieties.

Suvendu Mondal and colleagues at the Bhabha Atomic Research Center, India created molecular tags for rust resistance gene in cultivated groundnut. A total of 164 recombinant inbred lines derived from resistant and susceptible parents were screened for rust resistance in five environments. Subsequent genotyping delivered a genetic map consisting of 24 linkage groups. Two microsatellite markers (pPGPseq4A05 and gi56931710) were found close to the resistance gene in the linkage group 2. The association of these two markers to the resistance gene was further confirmed by the results of the discriminant analysis. The two markers were able to identify susceptible genotypes from a group of 20 genotypes with different rust reaction. Tagging the location of the rust resistance gene and markers will be useful in choosing rust resistant genotypes from segregating populations and introgressing rust resistance genes from diploid wild species.

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