Agroscope | 2015
Effect of lutein on resistance against Fusarium Head Blight in the Toronit x 211.12014 mapping population
Charlotte Martin1, Julien Dugoud1, Susanne Vogelgsang2, Brigitte Mauch-Mani3 and Fabio Mascher1
1Institute for Plant Production Sciences, Agroscope
2Institute for Sustainability Sciences, Agroscope
3Institute of Biology, University of Neuchâtel
Wheat disposes of different resistance mechanisms against Fusarium Head Blight (FHB). Antioxidants in the grain are supposed to contribute to FHB resistance. Carotenoids, including lutein, are among the most common wheat antioxidants, give a yellow coloration to the grains, and could partly protect the plant from this disease. The aim of this study is to determine the genetic basis of FHB resistance and to assess the role played by lutein. For that, we are studying double haploid lines from wheat mapping population Toronit x “211.12014”. The first genitor, Toronit produces grains with an elevated content of lutein, and has a superior resistance against FHB. The latter is a highly FHB susceptible breeding line with a low lutein content This approach will allow us to precisely dissect the impact of lutein on FHB resistance and the its heritability.
Materials and methods
165 DH lines have been sown in Delley (FR) with 3 repetitions and have been infected artificially with Fusarium graminearum. Disease incidence, representing the risk for the plant to develop the disease is measured by rating the proportion of infected spikes.
Symptoms were scored over 2 weeks.
DH lines harvested grains have been milled and lutein content has been measured by b* value thanks to Chroma Meter CR400 (KONICA MINOLTA) on wholemeal flour.
Fig 1 a: Typical symptoms of FHB as observed in field with scalding on spikelets.
Fig 1 b: Comparison of grains with an enhanced lutein content, visible by yellow coloration (left), and with grains poor in lutein (right).
Fig 1 c: Analyse of lutein content by Chroma Meter on whole meal flour. The coloration is optically analysed and expressed by the “b* value” correlated with the lutein content.
Fig 2. Disease incidence in the 165 lines expressed as relative AUDPC. Low AUDPC values indicate a higher resistance level of the plants.
• The first results show significant differences between genotypes for both resistance (p- value<0.05) and lutein content. Some of these genotypes showed even higher resistance or higher lutein content than Toronit, the resistant parent.
• Disease incidence and lutein content are weakly correlated (-0.16, p-value<0.05).
• Here, lutein concentration was measured in the grains and not at flowering in the spike. Yet, this first result suggests a genetic link between FHB resistant components and the lutein content in this population.
• The significant differences in disease resistance and lutein content allow the study of the underlying mechanisms and their heritability with the Toronit x 211.12014 mapping population.
• Resistance against Fusarium infection and propagation throughout the spike seems not to be linked genetically with lutein content
• Futures studies will focus on the role of the lutein against Fusarium toxins accumulation in grains, DON analyses are in progress.
Photo : C.Parodi AGROSCOPE
Fig 3. b* values of DH lines and standard varieties reflecting yellow coloration of the flour.
High b* values indicate higher lutein content . b
a c
b
