New wheat-rye 5DS-4RS.4RL and 4RS-5DS.5DL translocation lines with powdery mildew resistance

Powdery mildew is one of the serious diseases of wheat (Triticum aestivum L., 2n = 6 x = 42, genomes AABBDD). Rye (Secale cereale L., 2n = 2 x = 14, genome RR) offers a rich reservoir of powdery mildew resistant genes for wheat breeding program. However, extensive use of these resistant genes may render them susceptible to new pathogen races because of co-evolution of host and pathogen. Therefore, the continuous exploration of new powdery mildew resistant genes is important to wheat breeding program. In the present study, we identified several wheat-rye addition lines from the progeny of T. aestivum L. Mianyang11 x S. cereale L. Kustro, i.e., monosomic addition lines of the rye chromosomes 4R and 6R; a disomic addition line of 6R; and monotelosomic or ditelosomic addition lines of the long arms of rye chromosomes 4R (4RL) and 6R (6RL). All these lines displayed immunity to powdery mildew. Thus, we concluded that both the 4RL and 6RL arms of Kustro contain powdery mildew resistant genes. It is the first time to discover that 4RL arm carries powdery mildew resistant gene. Additionally, wheat lines containing new wheat-rye translocation chromosomes were also obtained: these lines retained a short arm of wheat chromosome 5D (5DS) on which rye chromosome 4R was fused through the short arm 4RS (designated 5DS-4RS.4RL; 4RL stands for the long arm of rye chromosome 4R); or they had an extra short arm of rye chromosome 4R (4RS) that was attached to the short arm of wheat chromosome 5D (5DS) (designated 4RS5DS.5DL;5DL stands for the long arm of wheat chromosome 5D). These two translocation chromosomes could be transmitted to next generation stably, and the wheat lines containing 5DS-4RS.4RL chromosome also displayed immunity to powdery mildew. The materials obtained in this study can be used for wheat powdery mildew resistant breeding program.