<i>ZmWAK02</i> encoding an <scp>RD‐WAK</scp> protein confers maize resistance against gray leaf spot
Zhikang Dai, Qianyu Pi, Yutong Liu, Long Hu, Bingchen Li, Bao Zhang, Yanbo Wang, Min Jiang, Xin Qi, Wenqiang Li, Songtao Gui, Víctor Llaca, Kevin Fengler, Shawn Thatcher, Ziwei Li, Xiangguo Liu, Xingming Fan, Zhibing Lai
Abstract
Summary Gray leaf spot (GLS) caused by Cercospora zeina or C. zeae‐maydis is a major maize disease throughout the world. Although more than 100 QTLs resistant against GLS have been identified, very few of them have been cloned. Here, we identified a major resistance QTL against GLS, qRglsSB , explaining 58.42% phenotypic variation in SB12×SA101 BC 1 F 1 population. By fine‐mapping, it was narrowed down into a 928 kb region. By using transgenic lines, mutants and complementation lines, it was confirmed that the ZmWAK02 gene, encoding an RD wall‐associated kinase, is the responsible gene in qRglsSB resistant against GLS. The introgression of the ZmWAK02 gene into hybrid lines significantly improves their grain yield in the presence of GLS pressure and does not reduce their grain yield in the absence of GLS. In summary, we cloned a gene, ZmWAK02 , conferring large effect of GLS resistance and confirmed its great value in maize breeding.