Approaching chickpea quantitative trait loci conditioning resistance to Ascochyta rabiei via comparative genomics

Abstract

This paper reports on the strategy being used to study chickpea (Cicer arietinum) quantitative trait loci (QTL) conferring resistance to the necrotrophic fungal pathogen Ascochyta rabiei. The three chickpea linkage groups (LG), harbouring six QTL conditioning resistance against A. rabiei, were compared with the most comprehensive chickpea map (W-Ca-LG) and to the orthologous pseudochromosomes of the legume model plant Medicago truncatula. QTL1 was located in the subcentromere region of the chickpea W-Ca-LG3 (chromosome C) and on the short arm of the M. truncatula pseudochromosome 7. QTL2 and QTL3 were located on the long arm of the W-Ca-LG8 (chromosome H) and on the short arm of the M. trunc..