Deletion of a disease resistance nucleotide-binding-site leucine-rich- repeat-like sequence is associated with the loss of the Phytophthora resistance gene Rps4 in soybean.

Resistance of soybean against the oomycete pathogen Phytophthora sojae is conferred by a series of Rps genes. We have characterized a disease resistance gene-like sequence NBSRps4/6 that was introgressed into soybean lines along with Rps4 or Rps6. High-resolution genetic mapping established that NBSRps4/6 cosegregates with Rps4. Two mutants, M1 and M2, showing rearrangements in the NBSRps4/6 region were identified from analyses of 82 F(1)'s and 201 selfed HARO4272 plants containing Rps4. Fingerprints of these mutants are identical to those of HARO4272 for 176 SSR markers representing the whole genome except the NBSRps4/6 region. Both mutants showed a gain of race specificities, distinct from the one encoded by Rps4. To investigate the possible mechanism of gain of Phytophthora resistance in M1, the novel race specificity was mapped. Surprisingly, the gene encoding this resistance mapped to the Rps3 region, indicating that this gene could be either allelic or linked to Rps3. Recombinant analyses have shown that deletion of NBSRps4/6 in M1 is associated with the loss of Rps4 function. The NBSRps4/6 sequence is highly transcribed in etiolated hypocotyls expressing the Phytophthora resistance. It is most likely that a copy of the NBSRps4/6 sequence is the Rps4 gene. Possible mechanisms of the deletion in the NBSRps4/6 region and introgression of two unlinked Rps genes into Harosoy are discussed.