Stripe rust,caused by Puccinia striiformis f.sp.tritici (Pst),is one of the most important diseases on wheat in China.Zhong 4,a partial amphiploid (2n =56) carrying resistance from Thinopyrum intermedium and resistant to most of Pst pathotypes identified so far.T4 is one of the very rare Pst pathotypes which are virulent to Zhong 4.With the aim of developing race-specific molecular markers for detection of Pst pathotype T4,214 random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) primers were used to test polymorphism among pathotype T4 and six predominant pathotypes CYR29,CYR31,CYR32,CYR33,Su11-4 and V26.An unique 821 bp band was identified in T4 with primer S1363.The band was cloned and sequenced.Based on the sequences,sequence characterized amplified region(SCAR) marker T4sp1/sp2 was developed to differentiate T4.The SCAR marker was then validated with DNA samples prepared from leaves of wheat cultivar Mingxian 169 after inoculated with T4,CYR29,CYR31,CYR32,CYR33,Su11-4,V26 and water (mock-inoculated).The specific band was produced only in samples prepared from plants after inoculated with T4 six days.Therefore,the SCAR marker T4sp1/sp2 can specifically detect T4.