One gene-one name: the AvrLmJ1 avirulence gene of Leptosphaeria maculans is AvrLm5

Abstract

Leptosphaeria maculans, the causal agent of blackleg disease, interacts with Brassica napus (oilseed rape, canola) and other Brassica hosts in a gene-for-gene manner. The avirulence gene AvrLmJ1 has been cloned previously and shown to interact with an unidentified Brassica juncea resistance gene. In this study, we show that the AvrLmJ1 gene maps to the same position as the AvrLm5 locus. Furthermore, isolates complemented with the AvrLmJ1 locus confer avirulence towards B. juncea genotypes harbouring Rlm5. These findings demonstrate that AvrLmJ1 is AvrLm5 and highlight the need for shared resources to characterize accurately avirulence and/or resistance genes.

Keywords: Brassica napus; avirulence; canola; oilseed rape; resistance.