Resistance Gene Pyramiding in Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.): From Marker-Assisted Selection to Functional Validation
- 1Plant Breeding and Acclimatization Institute—National Research Institute in Radzików, Radzików, 05-870 Błonie, Poland
- 2Department of Genetics and Plant Breeding, Faculty of Agriculture, Horticulture and Biotechnology, Poznań University of Life Sciences, Dojazd 11, 60-632 Poznań, Poland
Abstract
Gene pyramiding is widely used in wheat breeding to improve disease resistance; however, combining multiple resistance alleles does not necessarily provide stronger protection or long-term durability. Molecular markers, gene cloning and genome editing have greatly facilitated the tracking and pyramiding of resistance alleles. These approaches define the allelic composition of a line rather than the level of resistance it will express. This review examines why the effectiveness of resistance gene combinations remains difficult to predict despite advances in molecular tools. Evidence from leaf rust, stripe rust, stem rust, powdery mildew, eyespot and Fusarium head blight shows that the observed effects of combined resistance loci depend on the genetic background, gene interactions and environmental conditions, as well as on the methods used to assess disease development. We discuss how genetic characterization, expression analysis, functional assays and multi-environment phenotyping can provide complementary evidence for evaluating resistance gene combinations and how pathogen evolution and deployment strategies affect their durability. As genome editing expands the possibilities for combining resistance alleles, understanding their functional compatibility and their performance across genetic backgrounds remains essential for developing effective and durable resistance in wheat. The central conclusion of this review is that no marker profile, and no edited allele, is by itself evidence that a cultivar will be resistant in the field. Markers and gene editing shorten the route to a combination, but the resistance of that combination still must be validated phenotypically in the target backgrounds and environments.
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BibTeX
@article{kwiatek2026resistance,
title = {{Resistance Gene Pyramiding in Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.): From Marker-Assisted Selection to Functional Validation}},
author = {Michał T. Kwiatek and Roksana Bobrowska and Aleksandra Noweiska and Julia Spychała and Sylwia Mikołajczyk and Agnieszka Tomkowiak},
journal = {International Journal of Molecular Sciences},
year = {2026},
month = nov,
doi = {10.3390/ijms27219918},
url = {https://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/27/21/9918},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Resistance Gene Pyramiding in Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.): From Marker-Assisted Selection to Functional Validation
AU - Michał T. Kwiatek
AU - Roksana Bobrowska
AU - Aleksandra Noweiska
AU - Julia Spychała
AU - Sylwia Mikołajczyk
AU - Agnieszka Tomkowiak
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/11/05
JO - International Journal of Molecular Sciences
DO - 10.3390/ijms27219918
UR - https://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/27/21/9918
AB - Gene pyramiding is widely used in wheat breeding to improve disease resistance; however, combining multiple resistance alleles does not necessarily provide stronger protection or long-term durability. Molecular markers, gene cloning and genome editing have greatly facilitated the tracking and pyramiding of resistance alleles. These approaches define the allelic composition of a line rather than the level of resistance it will express. This review examines why the effectiveness of resistance gene combinations remains difficult to predict despite advances in molecular tools. Evidence from leaf rust, stripe rust, stem rust, powdery mildew, eyespot and Fusarium head blight shows that the observed effects of combined resistance loci depend on the genetic background, gene interactions and environmental conditions, as well as on the methods used to assess disease development. We discuss how genetic characterization, expression analysis, functional assays and multi-environment phenotyping can provide complementary evidence for evaluating resistance gene combinations and how pathogen evolution and deployment strategies affect their durability. As genome editing expands the possibilities for combining resistance alleles, understanding their functional compatibility and their performance across genetic backgrounds remains essential for developing effective and durable resistance in wheat. The central conclusion of this review is that no marker profile, and no edited allele, is by itself evidence that a cultivar will be resistant in the field. Markers and gene editing shorten the route to a combination, but the resistance of that combination still must be validated phenotypically in the target backgrounds and environments.
SN - 1422-0067
ER -