ARS | Publication request: Rapid Identification of Genes Contributing to FH Resistance in Wheat

Submitted to: The Canadian Workshop on Fusarium Head Blight
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: November 1, 2007
Publication Date: November 27, 2007
Citation: Scofield, S.R. 2007. Rapid Identification of Genes Contributing to FH Resistance in Wheat. The Canadian Workshop on Fusarium Head Blight. p. 76.

Technical Abstract: Development of wheat and barley with improved Fusarium head blight resistance will be greatly aided by knowledge of the plant genes that make essential contributions to the FHB resistance mechanism. This knowledge will permit identification of the best naturally occurring variants for use in breeding and identification the genes that should be utilized in transgenic solutions to FHB. However, identification of gene contributing to resistance to FHB is greatly hindered by the lack of a rapid assay for gene function in wheat and barley. In this presentation, I will discuss a system we have developed for virus-induced gene silencing (VIGS) which permits the rapid “switching off” of all copies of genes chosen by the experimenter. We are currently employing this system to switch off genes with suspected roles in FHB resistance. If we observe that switching off a candidate gene causes normally resistant plants to become susceptible, we conclude that the candidate has a validated function in FHB resistance.