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Physiological, Genetic, Molecular, and Environmental Factors Influencing Seed Nutrition Ⅱ
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Physiological, Genetic, Molecular, and Environmental Factors Influencing Seed Nutrition Ⅱ

A special issue of Plants (ISSN 2223-7747). This special issue belongs to the section "Plant Systems and Synthetic Biology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 May 2023) | Viewed by 4168

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Nacer Bellaloui

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Crop Genetics Research Unit, United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Stoneville, MI 38776, USA
Interests: physiology; genetics; seed/grain nutrition; seed/grain nutritional qualities; soybean
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Prof. Dr. Renata Gaj

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Agricultural Chemistry and Environmental Biogeochemistry, Poznan University of Life Sciences, Wojska Polskiego 71F, 60-625 Poznań, Poland
Interests: grain nutrition; plant physiology; environmental effects on crops production and quality; fertilizer management and environmental sustainability; irrigation effects on crop production and quality and runoff of nutrients
Dr. Cesare Accinelli

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Agricultural and Food Sciences, Alma Mater Studiorum, University of Bologna, Viale Fanin 44, 40127 Bologna, Italy
Interests: biocontrol of aflatoxins; grains mycotoxins; grains quality; soil health and grain quality
Dr. Hamed Abbas

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Biological Control of Pests Research Unit, USDA, Agricultural Research Service, 59 Lee Road, Stoneville, MS 38776, USA
Interests: biological control of pests in grains; grain quality; grain mycotoxins

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Human health and nutrition is one of the objectives of the World Health Organization. Although crop breeding and genetics have advanced our knowledge and agriculture practices to increase yields and improve the seed quality and nutrition to meet population needs in the 21st century, malnutrition is still a serious concern in many parts of the world. Seed nutrition, including protein, oil, fatty acids, and minerals, is genetically controlled; however, environmental conditions such as heat, drought, diseases, and pests can significantly affect the seed quality and nutrition. Recent research on seed nutrition has focused on increasing seed nutrients, including protein, oil, specific fatty acids, and specific sugars, and decreasing anti-nutritional components. For example, soybean seed is a source of protein (37–42%), oil (18–23%), saturated (palmitic and stearic) and unsaturated (oleic, linoleic, and linolenic) fatty acids, sugars (including sucrose, raffinose, stachyose, glucose, and fructose), minerals (including P, K, Mg, K, Ca, Zn, Fe, and B), and isoflavones (including daidzein, genistein, and glycitein). Recently, breeding programs have succeeded in producing varieties with modified protein and fatty acids to meet protein meal requirements for human consumption and livestock, and industry needs for oil processing. Additionally, transgenic technology led by public sector and private companies is now able to develop soybean cultivars with high-quality seed nutrition, containing modified fatty acids such as a high amount of oleic acid (up to about 80%; conventional cultivars contain about 18–25%) and a low amount linolenic acid (1%; conventional cultivars contain about 5–11%). Both fatty acids are desirable for the oxidative stability of the oil and shelf life. A high amount of oleic acid and a low amount of linolenic acids can eliminate or minimize hydrogenation to minimize the transfatty acid content. Similar research has been conducted to develop desirable seed traits, such as higher sucrose content for taste and flavor; higher protein content for high soymeal quality and human consumption; higher polyunstaturated fatty acid content; higher mineral content, especially Ca, K, P, Zn, and Fe for children’s and pregnant women’s needs; a decrease in anti-nutritional compounds such as phytic acid, which plays a role as a chelating agent for cations such as Ca, Zn, and Fe; a decrease in cottonseed gossypol, a compound that is potentially toxic and has detrimental health effects; a decrease in or elimination of mycotoxins in corn; and the fortification of rice with vitamins and nutrients to address nutrient deficiencies, such as Fe, Zn, and folic acid. Therefore, further research is needed to improve seeds with desirable traits using different tools, including crop breeding, genetic transformation, and best agronomic practices. The objective of this Special Issue is to present studies that use breeding, genetic, molecular, and best agronomic practices to address major abiotic environmental stress factors, including heat, drought, diseases, and pests, to improve seed nutrition and quality. We invite you to submit a research paper on any aspect of improving seed quality and nutrients, including protein, oils, fatty acids, and amino acids, or eliminating or minimizing anti-nutritional compounds.

Dr. Nacer Bellaloui
Prof. Dr. Renata Gaj
Dr. Cesare Accinelli
Dr. Hamed Abbas
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Plants is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  •  seed nutrition
  •  anti-nutritional compounds
  •  seed protein and oil
  •  seed composition
  •  modified protein and oil
  •  seed minerals
  •  seed desirable traits
  •  crop breeding
  •  crop genetics

Related Special Issue

Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

24 pages, 2844 KiB  
Article
Genetic Mapping for QTL Associated with Seed Nickel and Molybdenum Accumulation in the Soybean ‘Forrest’ by ‘Williams 82’ RIL Population
by Nacer Bellaloui, Dounya Knizia, Jiazheng Yuan, Qijian Song, Frances Betts, Teresa Register, Earl Williams, Naoufal Lakhssassi, Hamid Mazouz, Henry T. Nguyen, Khalid Meksem, Alemu Mengistu and My Abdelmajid Kassem
Plants 2023, 12(21), 3709; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants12213709 - 28 Oct 2023
Viewed by 739
Abstract
Understanding the genetic basis of seed Ni and Mo is essential. Since soybean is a major crop in the world and a major source for nutrients, including Ni and Mo, the objective of the current research was to map genetic regions (quantitative trait [...] Read more.
Understanding the genetic basis of seed Ni and Mo is essential. Since soybean is a major crop in the world and a major source for nutrients, including Ni and Mo, the objective of the current research was to map genetic regions (quantitative trait loci, QTL) linked to Ni and Mo concentrations in soybean seed. A recombinant inbred line (RIL) population was derived from a cross between ‘Forrest’ and ‘Williams 82’ (F × W82). A total of 306 lines was used for genotyping using 5405 single nucleotides polymorphism (SNP) markers using Infinium SNP6K BeadChips. A two-year experiment was conducted and included the parents and the RIL population. One experiment was conducted in 2018 in North Carolina (NC), and the second experiment was conducted in Illinois in 2020 (IL). Logarithm of the odds (LOD) of ≥2.5 was set as a threshold to report identified QTL using the composite interval mapping (CIM) method. A wide range of Ni and Mo concentrations among RILs was observed. A total of four QTL (qNi-01, qNi-02, and qNi-03 on Chr 2, 8, and 9, respectively, in 2018, and qNi-01 on Chr 20 in 2020) was identified for seed Ni. All these QTL were significantly (LOD threshold > 2.5) associated with seed Ni, with LOD scores ranging between 2.71–3.44, and with phenotypic variance ranging from 4.48–6.97%. A total of three QTL for Mo (qMo-01, qMo-02, and qMo-03 on Chr 1, 3, 17, respectively) was identified in 2018, and four QTL (qMo-01, qMo-02, qMo-03, and qMo-04, on Chr 5, 11, 14, and 16, respectively) were identified in 2020. Some of the current QTL had high LOD and significantly contributed to the phenotypic variance for the trait. For example, in 2018, Mo QTL qMo-01 on Chr 1 had LOD of 7.8, explaining a phenotypic variance of 41.17%, and qMo-03 on Chr 17 had LOD of 5.33, with phenotypic variance explained of 41.49%. In addition, one Mo QTL (qMo-03 on Chr 14) had LOD of 9.77, explaining 51.57% of phenotypic variance related to the trait, and another Mo QTL (qMo-04 on Chr 16) had LOD of 7.62 and explained 49.95% of phenotypic variance. None of the QTL identified here were identified twice across locations/years. Based on a search of the available literature and of SoyBase, the four QTL for Ni, identified on Chr 2, 8, 9, and 20, and the five QTL associated with Mo, identified on Chr 1, 17, 11, 14, and 16, are novel and not previously reported. This research contributes new insights into the genetic mapping of Ni and Mo, and provides valuable QTL and molecular markers that can potentially assist in selecting Ni and Mo levels in soybean seeds. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Physiological, Genetic, Molecular, and Environmental Factors Influencing Seed Nutrition Ⅱ)
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15 pages, 978 KiB  
Article
Expression Dynamics of lpa1 Gene and Accumulation Pattern of Phytate in Maize Genotypes Possessing opaque2 and crtRB1 Genes at Different Stages of Kernel Development
by Vinay Bhatt, Vignesh Muthusamy, Kusuma Kumari Panda, Ashvinkumar Katral, Rashmi Chhabra, Subhra J. Mishra, Ikkurti Gopinath, Rajkumar U. Zunjare, Chirravuri Naga Neeraja, Sujay Rakshit, Devendra K. Yadava and Firoz Hossain
Plants 2023, 12(9), 1745; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants12091745 - 24 Apr 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1256
Abstract
Phytic acid (PA) acts as a storehouse for the majority of the mineral phosphorous (P) in maize; ~80% of the total P stored as phytate P is not available to monogastric animals and thereby causes eutrophication. In addition, phytic acid chelates positively charged [...] Read more.
Phytic acid (PA) acts as a storehouse for the majority of the mineral phosphorous (P) in maize; ~80% of the total P stored as phytate P is not available to monogastric animals and thereby causes eutrophication. In addition, phytic acid chelates positively charged minerals making them unavailable in the diet. The mutant lpa1-1 allele reduces PA more than the wild-type LPA1 allele. Further, mutant gene opaque2 (o2) enhances lysine and tryptophan and crtRB1 enhances provitamin-A (proA) more than wild-type O2 and CRTRB1 alleles, respectively. So far, the expression pattern of the mutant lpa1-1 allele has not been analysed in maize genotypes rich in lysine, tryptophan and proA. Here, we analysed the expression pattern of wild and mutant alleles of LPA1, O2 and CRTRB1 genes in inbreds with (i) mutant lpa1-1, o2 and crtRB1 alleles, (ii) wild-type LPA1 allele and mutant o2 and crtRB1 alleles and (iii) wild-type LPA1, O2 and CRTRB1 alleles at 15, 30 and 45 days after pollination (DAP). The average reduction of PA/total phosphorous (TP) in lpa1-1 mutant inbreds was 29.30% over wild-type LPA1 allele. The o2 and crtRB1-based inbreds possessed ~two-fold higher amounts of lysine and tryptophan, and four-fold higher amounts of proA compared to wild-type alleles. The transcript levels of lpa1-1, o2 and crtRB1 genes in lpa1-1-based inbreds were significantly lower than their wild-type versions across kernel development. The lpa1-1, o2 and crtRB1 genes reached their highest peak at 15 DAP. The correlation of transcript levels of lpa1-1 was positive for PA/TP (r = 0.980), whereas it was negative with inorganic phosphorous (iP) (r = −0.950). The o2 and crtRB1 transcripts showed negative correlations with lysine (r = −0.887) and tryptophan (r = −0.893), and proA (r = −0.940), respectively. This is the first comprehensive study on lpa1-1 expression in the maize inbreds during different kernel development stages. The information generated here offers great potential for comprehending the dynamics of phytic acid regulation in maize. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Physiological, Genetic, Molecular, and Environmental Factors Influencing Seed Nutrition Ⅱ)
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13 pages, 1218 KiB  
Article
Soybean Seed Sugars: A Role in the Mechanism of Resistance to Charcoal Rot and Potential Use as Biomarkers in Selection
by Nacer Bellaloui, Alemu Mengistu, James R. Smith, Hamed K. Abbas, Cesare Accinelli and W. Thomas Shier
Plants 2023, 12(2), 392; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants12020392 - 14 Jan 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1539
Abstract
Charcoal rot, caused by Macrophomina phaseolina, is a major soybean disease resulting in significant yield loss and poor seed quality. Currently, no resistant soybean cultivar is available in the market and resistance mechanisms to charcoal rot are unknown, although the disease is [...] Read more.
Charcoal rot, caused by Macrophomina phaseolina, is a major soybean disease resulting in significant yield loss and poor seed quality. Currently, no resistant soybean cultivar is available in the market and resistance mechanisms to charcoal rot are unknown, although the disease is believed to infect plants from infected soil through the roots by unknown toxin-mediated mechanisms. The objective of this research was to investigate the association between seed sugars (sucrose, raffinose, stachyose, glucose, and fructose) and their role as biomarkers in the soybean defense mechanism in the moderately resistant (MR) and susceptible (S) genotypes to charcoal rot. Seven MR and six S genotypes were grown under irrigated (IR) and non-irrigated (NIR) conditions. A two-year field experiment was conducted in 2012 and 2013 at Jackson, TN, USA. The main findings in this research were that MR genotypes generally had the ability to maintain higher seed levels of sucrose, glucose, and fructose than did S genotypes. Conversely, susceptible genotypes showed a higher level of stachyose and lower levels of sucrose, glucose, and fructose. This was observed in 6 out of 7 MR genotypes and in 4 out of 6 S genotypes in 2012; and in 5 out of 7 MR genotypes and in 5 out of 6 S genotypes in 2013. The response of S genotypes with higher levels of stachyose and lower sucrose, glucose, and fructose, compared with those of MR genotypes, may indicate the possible role of these sugars in a defense mechanism against charcoal rot. It also indicates that nutrient pathways in MR genotypes allowed for a higher influx of nutritious sugars (sucrose, glucose, and fructose) than did S genotypes, suggesting these sugars as potential biomarkers for selecting MR soybean plants after harvest. This research provides new knowledge on seed sugars and helps in understanding the impact of charcoal rot on seed sugars in moderately resistant and susceptible genotypes. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Physiological, Genetic, Molecular, and Environmental Factors Influencing Seed Nutrition Ⅱ)
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