Near-isogenic soybean lines carrying Asian soybean rust resistance genes for practical pathogenicity validation

Asian soybean rust caused by the fungal pathogen Phakopsora pachyrhizi is the most devastating disease of soybean. The host cultivar specificity of the pathogen shows considerable differentiation depending on the area and season of its emergence. Although resistance genes for P. pachyrhizi (Rpp) have been reported in several soybean varieties, the genetic background of these varieties is highly differentiated. Furthermore, some of the varieties harbor unknown genetic factors in addition to Rpp that could influence resistance reactions against the pathogen. In order to gain a comprehensive understanding of Rpp–P. pachyrhizi interactions, homogenous plant material harboring Rpp genes is necessary. In this study, we bred Rpp-near isogenic lines (Rpp-NILs), which retained identical plant characters originating from a single genetic background, and accordingly showed low-variant compatible/incompatible reactions against the pathogen. These Rpp-NILs can be used as genetic resources for studying P. pachyrhizi epidemiology and elucidating resistance mechanisms. Compatible/incompatible relationships between the soybean rust resistance gene Rpp and isolates of the pathogen P. pachyrhizi are clearly distinguishable using the Rpp-NILs bred in this study.