Fine mapping of a Fusarium crown rot resistant locus on chromosome arm 6HL in barley by exploiting near isogenic lines, transcriptome profiling, and a large near isogenic line-derived population

KEY MESSAGE: This study reported validation and fine mapping of a Fusarium crown rot resistant locus on chromosome arm 6HL in barley using near isogenic lines, transcriptome sequences, and a large near isogenic line-derived population. ABSTRACT: Fusarium crown rot (FCR), caused by Fusarium pseudograminearum, is a chronic and serious disease affecting cereal production in semi-arid regions globally. The increasing prevalence of this disease in recent years is attributed to the widespread adoption of minimum tillage and stubble retention practices. In the study reported here, we generated eight pairs of near isogenic lines (NILs) targeting a putative QTL (Qcrs.caf-6H) conferring FCR resistance in barley. Assessing the NILs confirmed the large effect of this locus. Aimed to develop markers that can be reliably used in incorporating this resistant allele into breeding programs and identify candidate genes, transcriptomic analyses were conducted against three of the NIL pairs and a large NIL-derived population consisting of 1085 F7 recombinant inbred lines generated. By analyzing the transcriptomic data and the fine mapping population, Qcrs.caf-6H was delineated into an interval of 0.9 cM covering a physical distance of ~ 547 kb. Six markers co-segregating with this locus were developed. Based on differential gene expression and SNP variations between the two isolines among the three NIL pairs, candidate genes underlying the resistance at this locus were detected. These results would improve the efficiency of incorporating the targeted locus into barley breeding programs and facilitate the cloning of causal gene(s) responsible for the resistance. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s00122-023-04387-x.