Poplar trees (Populus spp.) are important and are widely grown worldwide. However, the extensive occurrence of leaf rust disease caused by Melampsora spp. seriously inhibits their growth and reduces their biomass. In our previous study, a high-quality genetic map was constructed for the poplar F1 population I-69 × XYY by using next-generation sequencing-based genotyping-by-sequencing. Here, we collected phenotypic data on leaf rust disease resistance on three different dates for all 300 progenies of the F1 population. Combining a high-quality genetic map and phenotypic data, we were able to detect 11 major quantitative trait loci (QTLs) for leaf rust disease resistance. Among these 11 QTLs, two pairs were detected on at least two dates. In the corresponding genomic sequence, we found that resistance (R) gene clusters were located in these two QTL regions. By using genome resequencing, PCR confirmation and statistical analysis, a 611-bp deletion within an R gene in one QTL region was found to be associated with variation in leaf rust disease resistance. A PCR-based examination of this 611-bp deletion was performed. This 611-bp deletion was also found to affect mRNA splicing and form a new protein with the loss of some key protein domains. Based on this study, we were able to determine the genetic architecture of variation in poplar leaf rust disease resistance, and the 611-bp deletion in the R gene could be used as a diagnostic marker for future poplar molecular breeding.
Keywords: QTL mapping; R gene indel; genetics and resistance; genome resequencing; leaf rust disease resistance; poplar.