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20 pages, 3706 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Identification of Disease Resistance Parents and Genome-Wide Association Mapping of Resistance in Spring Wheat

by Muhammad Iqbal, Kassa Semagn, Diego Jarquin, Harpinder Randhawa, Brent D. McCallum, Reka Howard, Reem Aboukhaddour, Izabela Ciechanowska, Klaus Strenzke, José Crossa, J. Jesus Céron-Rojas, Amidou N’Diaye, Curtis Pozniak and Dean Spaner

Plants 2022, 11(21), 2905; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants11212905 - 28 Oct 2022

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1755

Abstract

The likelihood of success in developing modern cultivars depend on multiple factors, including the identification of suitable parents to initiate new crosses, and characterizations of genomic regions associated with target traits. The objectives of the present study were to (a) determine the best [...] Read more.

The likelihood of success in developing modern cultivars depend on multiple factors, including the identification of suitable parents to initiate new crosses, and characterizations of genomic regions associated with target traits. The objectives of the present study were to (a) determine the best economic weights of four major wheat diseases (leaf spot, common bunt, leaf rust, and stripe rust) and grain yield for multi-trait restrictive linear phenotypic selection index (RLPSI), (b) select the top 10% cultivars and lines (hereafter referred as genotypes) with better resistance to combinations of the four diseases and acceptable grain yield as potential parents, and (c) map genomic regions associated with resistance to each disease using genome-wide association study (GWAS). A diversity panel of 196 spring wheat genotypes was evaluated for their reaction to stripe rust at eight environments, leaf rust at four environments, leaf spot at three environments, common bunt at two environments, and grain yield at five environments. The panel was genotyped with the Wheat 90K SNP array and a few KASP SNPs of which we used 23,342 markers for statistical analyses. The RLPSI analysis performed by restricting the expected genetic gain for yield displayed significant (p < 0.05) differences among the 3125 economic weights. Using the best four economic weights, a subset of 22 of the 196 genotypes were selected as potential parents with resistance to the four diseases and acceptable grain yield. GWAS identified 37 genomic regions, which included 12 for common bunt, 13 for leaf rust, 5 for stripe rust, and 7 for leaf spot. Each genomic region explained from 6.6 to 16.9% and together accounted for 39.4% of the stripe rust, 49.1% of the leaf spot, 94.0% of the leaf rust, and 97.9% of the common bunt phenotypic variance combined across all environments. Results from this study provide valuable information for wheat breeders selecting parental combinations for new crosses to develop improved germplasm with enhanced resistance to the four diseases as well as the physical positions of genomic regions that confer resistance, which facilitates direct comparisons for independent mapping studies in the future. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Wheat Crop Improvement (by Transgenic and Conventional Breeding Methods))

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21 pages, 9653 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Characterisation of Grains and Flour Fractions from Field Grown Transgenic Oil-Accumulating Wheat Expressing Oat WRI1

by Per Snell, Mark Wilkinson, Gavin J. Taylor, Stephen Hall, Shrikant Sharma, Nick Sirijovski, Mats Hansson, Peter R. Shewry, Per Hofvander and Åsa Grimberg

Plants 2022, 11(7), 889; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants11070889 - 26 Mar 2022

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2591

Abstract

Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) is one of the major staple crops in the world and is used to prepare a range of foods. The development of new varieties with wider variation in grain composition could broaden their use. We characterized grains and [...] Read more.

Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) is one of the major staple crops in the world and is used to prepare a range of foods. The development of new varieties with wider variation in grain composition could broaden their use. We characterized grains and flours from oil-accumulating transgenic wheat expressing the oat (Avena sativa L.) endosperm WRINKLED1 (AsWRI1) grown under field conditions. Lipid and starch accumulation was determined in developing caryopses of AsWRI1-wheat and X-ray microtomography was used to study grain morphology. The developing caryopses of AsWRI1-wheat grains had increased triacylglycerol content and decreased starch content compared to the control. Mature AsWRI1-wheat grains also had reduced weight, were wrinkled and had a shrunken endosperm and X-ray tomography revealed that the proportion of endosperm was decreased while that of the aleurone was increased. Grains were milled to produce two white flours and one bran fraction. Mineral and lipid analyses showed that the flour fractions from the AsWRI1-wheat were contaminated with bran, due to the effects of the changed morphology on milling. This study gives a detailed analysis of grains from field grown transgenic wheat that expresses a gene that plays a central regulatory role in carbon allocation and significantly affects grain composition. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Wheat Crop Improvement (by Transgenic and Conventional Breeding Methods))

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13 pages, 6291 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Mutational Analysis of a Wheat O-methyltransferase Involved in Flavonoid Metabolism

by Alexander B. Cain, Shu Yu and Li Tian

Plants 2022, 11(2), 164; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants11020164 - 08 Jan 2022

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2210

Abstract

Methylated flavones, and tricin in particular, have been implicated in protecting wheat plants against a variety of biotic and abiotic stresses. Methylated flavones are produced via O-methylation of the hydroxyl groups in flavones, which is catalyzed by O-methyltransferases (OMTs). To examine [...] Read more.

Methylated flavones, and tricin in particular, have been implicated in protecting wheat plants against a variety of biotic and abiotic stresses. Methylated flavones are produced via O-methylation of the hydroxyl groups in flavones, which is catalyzed by O-methyltransferases (OMTs). To examine the role of wheat OMT2 in methylated flavone biosynthesis and facilitate interrogation of tricin functions in wheat-environment interactions, loss-of-function mutants of OMT2 homoeologs, omt-A2 and omt-B2, were identified from a tetraploid wheat Targeting Induced Local Lesions in Genomes (TILLING) mutant population and crossed to generate the omt-A2omt-B2 double mutant. Although tricin and most other soluble phenolics did not differ in leaves and glumes of TILLING control and the omt-A2, omt-B2, and omt-A2 omt-B2 mutants, chlorogenic acid was increased in glumes of omt-A2 omt-B2 relative to TILLING control, suggesting that it might serve as a substrate for OMT2. The omt2 mutant lines showed similar growth phenotypes as well as comparable lignin deposition in cell walls of stems compared to TILLING control. These results collectively suggest that OMT2 and its close homolog OMT1 may possess overlapping activities in tricin production, with OMT1 compensating for the missing OMT2 activities in the omt2 mutant lines. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Wheat Crop Improvement (by Transgenic and Conventional Breeding Methods))

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11 pages, 3169 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Efficient CRISPR/Cas-Mediated Targeted Mutagenesis in Spring and Winter Wheat Varieties

by Florian Hahn, Laura Sanjurjo Loures, Caroline A. Sparks, Kostya Kanyuka and Vladimir Nekrasov

Plants 2021, 10(7), 1481; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants10071481 - 19 Jul 2021

Cited by 10 | Viewed by 3383

Abstract

CRISPR/Cas technology has recently become the molecular tool of choice for gene function studies in plants as well as crop improvement. Wheat is a globally important staple crop with a well annotated genome and there is plenty of scope for improving its agriculturally [...] Read more.

CRISPR/Cas technology has recently become the molecular tool of choice for gene function studies in plants as well as crop improvement. Wheat is a globally important staple crop with a well annotated genome and there is plenty of scope for improving its agriculturally important traits using genome editing technologies, such as CRISPR/Cas. As part of this study we targeted three different genes in hexaploid wheat Triticum aestivum: TaBAK1-2 in the spring cultivar Cadenza as well as Ta-eIF4E and Ta-eIF(iso)4E in winter cultivars Cezanne, Goncourt and Prevert. Primary transgenic lines carrying CRISPR/Cas-induced indels were successfully generated for all targeted genes. While BAK1 is an important regulator of plant immunity and development, Ta-eIF4E and Ta-eIF(iso)4E act as susceptibility (S) factors required for plant viruses from the Potyviridae family to complete their life cycle. We anticipate the resultant homozygous tabak1-2 mutant lines will facilitate studies on the involvement of BAK1 in immune responses in wheat, while ta-eif4e and ta-eif(iso)4e mutant lines have the potential to become a source of resistance to wheat spindle streak mosaic virus (WSSMV) and wheat yellow mosaic virus (WYMV), both of which are important pathogens of wheat. As winter wheat varieties are generally less amenable to genetic transformation, the successful experimental methodology for transformation and genome editing in winter wheat presented in this study will be of interest to the research community working with this crop. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Wheat Crop Improvement (by Transgenic and Conventional Breeding Methods))

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14 pages, 2890 KiB

Open AccessEditor’s ChoiceArticle

Genotype × Environment Interaction for Wheat Yield Traits Suitable for Selection in Different Seed Priming Conditions

by Vera Popović, Nataša Ljubičić, Marko Kostić, Mirjana Radulović, Dragana Blagojević, Vladan Ugrenović, Dragana Popović and Bojana Ivošević

Plants 2020, 9(12), 1804; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants9121804 - 19 Dec 2020

Cited by 48 | Viewed by 3483

Abstract

Different seed priming treatments are widely used in order to improve the nutritional status of wheat, as well as to improve its grain yield and yield- related traits. The present study aimed to evaluate the impact of seed priming with zinc oxide nanoparticles [...] Read more.

Different seed priming treatments are widely used in order to improve the nutritional status of wheat, as well as to improve its grain yield and yield- related traits. The present study aimed to evaluate the impact of seed priming with zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) on the yield related traits, such as, field emergence, plant height, spike length and grain yield per plant of four winter wheat genotypes (Triticum aestivum L.) during two vegetation seasons of 2018/2019 and 2019/2020. The seeds of each wheat genotypes were primed with different concentrations of ZnO NPs (0 mg L⁻¹, 10 mg L⁻¹, 100 mg L⁻¹ and 1000 mg L⁻¹) for 48 h in a dark box by continuous aeration and were sown in soil pots with 60–70% moisture content until full maturity. The additive main effects and multiplicative interaction (AMMI) models were used to study the genotype environment effects. The results indicated that the plants response to ZnO nanoparticles significantly increased all of the observed traits of the wheat, while its maximum rates reduced the traits of the wheat. The AMMI analysis revealed the very complex nature of the variation observed in the trial and showed the significant effect of the G×E interaction, in which the first main component was significant for all components. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Wheat Crop Improvement (by Transgenic and Conventional Breeding Methods))

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17 pages, 1594 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Identification of Quantitative Trait Loci Relating to Flowering Time, Flag Leaf and Awn Characteristics in a Novel Triticum dicoccum Mapping Population

by Tally I.C. Wright, Angela C. Burnett, Howard Griffiths, Maxime Kadner, James S. Powell, Hugo R. Oliveira and Fiona J. Leigh

Plants 2020, 9(7), 829; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants9070829 - 02 Jul 2020

Cited by 8 | Viewed by 3283

Abstract

Tetraploid landraces of wheat harbour genetic diversity that could be introgressed into modern bread wheat with the aid of marker-assisted selection to address the genetic diversity bottleneck in the breeding genepool. A novel bi-parental Triticum turgidum ssp. dicoccum Schrank mapping population was created [...] Read more.

Tetraploid landraces of wheat harbour genetic diversity that could be introgressed into modern bread wheat with the aid of marker-assisted selection to address the genetic diversity bottleneck in the breeding genepool. A novel bi-parental Triticum turgidum ssp. dicoccum Schrank mapping population was created from a cross between two landrace accessions differing for multiple physiological traits. The population was phenotyped for traits hypothesised to be proxies for characteristics associated with improved photosynthesis or drought tolerance, including flowering time, awn length, flag leaf length and width, and stomatal and trichome density. The mapping individuals and parents were genotyped with the 35K Wheat Breeders’ single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) array. A genetic linkage map was constructed from 104 F4 individuals, consisting of 2066 SNPs with a total length of 3295 cM and an average spacing of 1.6 cM. Using the population, 10 quantitative trait loci (QTLs) for five traits were identified in two years of trials. Three consistent QTLs were identified over both trials for awn length, flowering time and flag leaf width, on chromosomes 4A, 7B and 5B, respectively. The awn length and flowering time QTLs correspond with the major loci Hd and Vrn-B3, respectively. The identified marker-trait associations could be developed for marker-assisted selection, to aid the introgression of diversity from a tetraploid source into modern wheat for potential physiological trait improvement. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Wheat Crop Improvement (by Transgenic and Conventional Breeding Methods))

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Review

Jump to: Research

27 pages, 2518 KiB

Open AccessReview

Genetic Approaches to Increase Arabinoxylan and β-Glucan Content in Wheat

by Anneke Prins and Ondrej Kosik

Plants 2023, 12(18), 3216; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants12183216 - 08 Sep 2023

Viewed by 1527

Abstract

Wheat is one of the three staple crops feeding the world. The demand for wheat is ever increasing as a relatively good source of protein, energy, nutrients, and dietary fiber (DF) when consumed as wholemeal. Arabinoxylan and β-glucan are the major hemicelluloses in [...] Read more.

Wheat is one of the three staple crops feeding the world. The demand for wheat is ever increasing as a relatively good source of protein, energy, nutrients, and dietary fiber (DF) when consumed as wholemeal. Arabinoxylan and β-glucan are the major hemicelluloses in the cell walls and dietary fiber in wheat grains. The amount and structure of DF varies between grain tissues. Reducing post-prandial glycemic response as well as intestinal transit time and contribution to increased fecal bulk are only a few benefits of DF consumption. Dietary fiber is fermented in the colon and stimulates growth of beneficial bacteria producing SCFA, considered responsible for a wide range of health benefits, including reducing the risk of heart disease and colon cancer. The recommended daily intake of 25–30 g is met by only few individuals. Cereals cover nearly 40% of fiber in the Western diet. Therefore, wheat is a good target for improving dietary fiber content, as it would increase the fiber intake and simultaneously impact the health of many people. This review reflects the current status of the research on genetics of the two major dietary fiber components, as well as breeding approaches used to improve their quantity and quality in wheat grain. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Wheat Crop Improvement (by Transgenic and Conventional Breeding Methods))

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14 pages, 1767 KiB

Open AccessReview

Understanding the Relationships between Free Asparagine in Grain and Other Traits to Breed Low-Asparagine Wheat

by Joseph Oddy, Sarah Raffan, Mark D. Wilkinson, J. Stephen Elmore and Nigel G. Halford

Plants 2022, 11(5), 669; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants11050669 - 28 Feb 2022

Cited by 12 | Viewed by 2851

Abstract

Since the discovery of acrylamide in food, and the identification of free asparagine as the key determinant of acrylamide concentration in wheat products, our understanding of how grain asparagine content is regulated has improved greatly. However, the targeted reduction in grain asparagine content [...] Read more.

Since the discovery of acrylamide in food, and the identification of free asparagine as the key determinant of acrylamide concentration in wheat products, our understanding of how grain asparagine content is regulated has improved greatly. However, the targeted reduction in grain asparagine content has not been widely implemented in breeding programmes so far. Here we summarise how free asparagine concentration relates to other quality and agronomic traits and show that these relationships are unlikely to pose major issues for the breeding of low-asparagine wheat. We also outline the strategies that are possible for the breeding of low-asparagine wheat, using both natural and induced variation. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Wheat Crop Improvement (by Transgenic and Conventional Breeding Methods))

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14 pages, 475 KiB

Open AccessEditor’s ChoiceReview

Genetic Control of Efficient Nitrogen Use for High Yield and Grain Protein Concentration in Wheat: A Review

by Wan Teng, Xue He and Yiping Tong

Plants 2022, 11(4), 492; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants11040492 - 11 Feb 2022

Cited by 11 | Viewed by 2706

Abstract

The increasing global population and the negative effects of nitrogen (N) fertilizers on the environment challenge wheat breeding to maximize yield potential and grain protein concentration (GPC) in an economically and environmentally friendly manner. Understanding the molecular mechanisms for the response of yield [...] Read more.

The increasing global population and the negative effects of nitrogen (N) fertilizers on the environment challenge wheat breeding to maximize yield potential and grain protein concentration (GPC) in an economically and environmentally friendly manner. Understanding the molecular mechanisms for the response of yield components to N availability and assimilates allocation to grains provides the opportunity to increase wheat yield and GPC simultaneously. This review summarized quantitative trait loci/genes which can increase spikes and grain number by enhancing N uptake and assimilation at relative early growth stage, and 1000-grain weight and GPC by increasing post-anthesis N uptake and N allocation to grains. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Wheat Crop Improvement (by Transgenic and Conventional Breeding Methods))

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