Gene conferring resistance to fungal pathogen

A method for detecting the presence or absence of a nucleic acid molecule in a Zea mays plant comprising the following steps:

• (a) isolating DNA from at least one cell of the Zea mays plant, and
• (b) using a molecular marker to detect the presence or absence of the nucleic acid molecule, wherein the molecular marker is able to detect at least one single nucleotide polymorphism, deletion or insertion diagnostic for the nucleic acid molecule and/or comprises at least one oligonucleotide suitable to anneal as a forward primer or a reverse primer to a region in a genome of the Zea mays plant which shows a cosegregation with the nucleic acid molecule,
• wherein the nucleic acid molecule comprises a nucleotide sequence selected from the group consisting of:
• (a) the nucleotide sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO:
• 1 or SEQ ID NO:
• 2;
• and
• (b) a nucleotide sequence encoding the amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO:
• 3 or an amino acid sequence with one conservative substitution relative to the amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO:
• 3,
• wherein genomic flanking regions closely linked to the nucleic acid molecule do not contain an A619HT2- or A619HT3-derived interval located between alleles of marker SYN14136 and marker MA0021, or an A619HT2- or A619HT3-derived interval located between alleles of marker MA0022 and marker SYN4196,
• wherein the marker SYN14136 is at position 131681497 in reference genome AGPv02 and is detectable using primers comprising the nucleic acid sequences of SEQ ID NOs:
• 25-27, the marker SYN4196 is at position 161766769 in reference genome AGPv02 and is detectable using primers comprising the nucleic acid sequences of SEQ ID NOs:
• 40-42, the marker MA0021 is at position 151907173 in reference genome AGPv02 and is detectable using primers comprising the nucleic acid sequences of SEQ ID NOs:
• 34-36, the marker MA0022 is at position 152046529 in reference genome AGPv02 and is detectable using primers comprising the nucleic acid sequences of SEQ ID NOs:
• 37-39, and the A619HT2- or A619HT3-derived interval comprises the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:
• 3, and
• wherein the nucleic acid molecule encodes a polypeptide capable of conferring or increasing resistance to Northern Corn Leaf Blight caused by Helminthosporium turcicum races 0, 1 and N and conferring a susceptible response to Northern Corn Leaf Blight caused by Helminthosporium turcicum races 2 and/or 3 in a Zea mays plant in which the polypeptide is expressed.

A method for increasing resistance to a Northern Com Leaf Blight caused by Helminthosporium turcicum races 0, 1 and N and having a susceptible response to Northern Com Leaf Blight caused by Helminthosporium turcicum races 2 and/or 3 in a Zea mays plant, comprising the step of reducing a level of expression of a nucleic acid molecule,

• wherein the nucleic acid molecule comprises a nucleotide sequence selected from the group consisting of:
• (a) the nucleotide sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO:
• 1 or SEQ ID NO:
• 2;
• and
• (b) a nucleotide sequence encoding the amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO:
• 3 or an amino acid sequence with one conservative substitution relative to the amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO:
• 3,
• wherein the level of expression of the nucleic acid molecule is compared to the expression level of the endogenous gene in a resistant wild type plant.