Efficient and fine mapping of RMES1 conferring resistance to sorghum aphid Melanaphis sacchari

Melanaphis sacchari causes serious damage to sorghum (Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench) growth, development and productivity in many countries. A dominant gene (RMES1) conferring resistance to M. sacchari has been found in the grain sorghum variety Henong 16 (HN16), but fine mapping of the RMES1 locus remains to be reported. In this study, genetic populations segregating for RMES1 were prepared with HN16 and BTx623 as parental lines. The latter had been used for sorghum genome sequencing but was found to be susceptible to M. sacchari in this work. A total of 11 molecular markers were mapped to the short arm of chromosome 6 harboring RMES1. The closest markers flanking the RMES1 locus were Sb6m2650 and Sb6rj2776, which delimited a chromosomal region of about 126 kb containing five predicted genes. The utility of the newly identified DNA markers for tagging RMES1 in molecular breeding of M. sacchari resistance, and further efforts in cloning RMES1, are discussed.     

激光大豆810选育初探

笔者运用激光技术处理大豆萌动种子,从变异后代中育出高产、稳产、优质、多抗、适应怀较强的大豆８１０,缩短了育种年限,是激光技术大豆育种中的重大突破。     

Barley GRIK1‐SnRK1 kinases subvert a viral virulence protein to upregulate antiviral RNAi and inhibit infection

Viruses often usurp host machineries for their amplification, but it remains unclear if hosts may subvert virus proteins to regulate viral proliferation. Here, we show that the 17K protein, an important virulence factor conserved in barley yellow dwarf viruses (BYDVs) and related poleroviruses, is phosphorylated by host GRIK1‐SnRK1 kinases, with the phosphorylated 17K (P17K) capable of enhancing the abundance of virus‐derived small interfering RNAs (vsiRNAs) and thus antiviral RNAi. Furthermore, P17K interacts with barley small RNA‐degrading nuclease 1 (HvSDN1) and impedes HvSDN1‐catalyzed vsiRNA degradation. Additionally, P17K weakens the HvSDN1‐HvAGO1 interaction, thus hindering HvSDN1 from accessing and degrading HvAGO1‐carried vsiRNAs. Importantly, transgenic expression of 17K phosphomimetics (17K^5D), or genome editing of SDN1, generates stable resistance to BYDV through elevating vsiRNA abundance. These data validate a novel mechanism that enhances antiviral RNAi through host subversion of a viral virulence protein to inhibit SDN1‐catalyzed vsiRNA degradation and suggest new ways for engineering BYDV‐resistant crops.     

Wheat genomic study for genetic improvement of traits in China

Science China Life Sciences - Bread wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) is a major crop that feeds 40% of the world’s population. Over the past several decades, advances in genomics have led to...     

Detection of quantitative trait loci for heading date based on the doubled haploid progeny of two elite Chinese wheat cultivars

Quantitative trait loci (QTLs) with epistatic and QTL × environment (QE) interaction for heading date were studied using a doubled haploid (DH) population containing 168 progeny lines derived from a cross between two elite Chinese wheat cultivars Huapei 3 × Yumai 57 (Triticum aestivum L.). A genetic map was constructed based on 305 marker loci, consisting of 283 SSR loci and 22 EST-SSR markers, which covered a total length of 2141.7 cM with an average distance of 7.02 cM between adjacent markers in the genome. QTL analyses were performed using a mixed linear model approach. Two main-effect QTLs and two pairs of digenic epistatic effects were detected for heading date on chromosomes 1B, 2B, 5D, 6D, 7A, and 7D at three different environments in 2005 and 2006 cropping seasons. A highly significant QTL with an F-value 148.96, designated as Qhd5D, was observed within the Xbarc320-Xwmc215 interval on chromosome 5DL, accounting for 53.19% of the phenotypic variance and reducing days-to-heading by 2.77 days. The Qhd5D closely links with a PCR marker Xwmc215 with the genetic distance 2.1 cM, which can be used in molecular marker-assisted selection (MAS) in wheat breeding programs. Moreover, the Qhd5D was located on the similar position of well-characterised vernalization sensitivity gene Vrn-D1. We are also spending more efforts to develop near-isogenic lines to finely map the Qhd5D and clone the gene Vrn-D1 through map-based cloning. The Qhd1B with additive effect on heading date has not been reported in previous linkage mapping studies, which might be a photoperiod-sensitive gene homoeologous to the Ppd-H2 gene on chromosome 1B. No main-effect QTLs for heading date were involved in epistatic effects.     

Efficient isolation of ion beam-induced mutants for homoeologous loci in common wheat and comparison of the contributions of Glu-1 loci to gluten functionality

Key message

Ion beam mutations can be efficiently isolated and deployed for functional comparison of homoeologous loci in polyploid plants, and Glu - 1 loci differ substantially in their contribution to wheat gluten functionality.

Abstract

To efficiently conduct genetic analysis, it is beneficial to have multiple types of mutants for the genes under investigation. Here, we demonstrate that ion beam-induced deletion mutants can be efficiently isolated for comparing the function of homoeologous loci of common wheat (Triticum aestivum). Through fragment analysis of PCR products from M₂ plants, ion beam mutants lacking homoeologous Glu-A1, Glu-B1 or Glu-D1 loci, which encode high molecular weight glutenin subunits (HMW-GSs) and affect gluten functionality and end-use quality of common wheat, could be isolated simultaneously. Three deletion lines missing Glu-A1, Glu-B1 or Glu-D1 were developed from the original mutants, with the Glu-1 genomic regions deleted in these lines estimated using newly developed DNA markers. Apart from lacking the target HMW-GSs, the three lines all showed decreased accumulation of low molecular weight glutenin subunits (LMW-GSs) and increased amounts of gliadins. Based on the test data of five gluten and glutenin macropolymer (GMP) parameters obtained with grain samples harvested from two environments, we conclude that the genetic effects of Glu-1 loci on gluten functionality can be ranked as Glu-D1 > Glu-B1 > Glu-A1. Furthermore, it is suggested that Glu-1 loci contribute to gluten functionality both directly (by promoting the formation of GMP) and indirectly (through keeping the balance among HMW-GSs, LMW-GSs and gliadins). Finally, the efficient isolation of ion beam mutations for functional comparison of homoeologous loci in polyploid plants and the usefulness of Glu-1 deletion lines for further studying the contribution of Glu-1 loci to gluten functionality are discussed.     

Further genetic analysis of a major quantitative trait locus controlling root length and related traits in common wheat

Roots are essential for normal growth, development, and reproduction of higher plants. Consequently, improvement of root system architecture and functionality is of fundamental importance in crop improvement. However, the genetic mechanisms controlling root morphology and function are still not well understood, especially in common wheat, which possesses a complex and unsequenced hexaploid genome. Here we report a more detailed genetic analysis of qTaLRO-B1, a major quantitative trait locus (QTL) previously detected to affect root length and related traits in common wheat. A pair of QTL isolines with different qTaLRO-B1 alleles was developed. Line 178B, carrying the longer root allele, was significantly more efficient in taking up phosphate nutrient and biomass accumulation than line 178A, with the shorter root allele. We mapped qTaLRO-B1 to a 0.9-cM interval on common wheat chromosome 2BS with seven sequence-tagged-site (STS) markers developed from the genes conserved between wheat and Brachypodium distachyon. The seven STS markers were collinearly conserved in tetraploid wheat, but they covered a much larger genetic distance (22.8 cM) in the latter species. In conclusion, we have converted qTaLRO-B1 into a major gene that affects common wheat root length in a qualitative manner, and improved understanding of the genetic location of qTaLRO-B1 and the chromosomal segment carrying this important locus. The implications of our data for further study of qTaLRO-B1 are discussed.     

Natural variation of TaGASR7-A1 affects grain length in common wheat under multiple cultivation conditions

GASR7 is a member of Snakin/GASA gene family in higher plants and has been found associated with grain length (GL) in rice and wheat under normal growth conditions. Here, we report the characterization of three distinct TaGASR7 homoeologs (TaGASR7-A1, TaGASR7-B1 and TaGASR7-D1) in common wheat and their deduced proteins and haplotype variation. TaGASR7 homoeologs were located on wheat group 7 chromosomes. Compared with previously characterized Snakin/GASA members, the central region in deduced TaGASR7 proteins and their orthologs was unique in containing a polyglycine tract. Through analyzing longer genomic sequence, more nucleotide differences were found for the two previously reported major haplotypes (H1c and H1g) of TaGASR7-A1. In contrast, no haplotype variation was detected for TaGASR7-B1 and TaGASR7-D1 in the 94 elite common wheat varieties examined. H1c, but not H1g, tended to associate with larger GL values in nine cultivation environments differing in water and nutrient application. However, the positive association between H1c and other grain traits (grain weight and yield) was affected by cultivation environment. Both H1c- and H1g-type alleles were more highly expressed in the unfertilized caryopses and those collected at 5 days after flowering (DAF). Interestingly, at 5 DAF, the expression level of H1c-type alleles was significantly lower than that of H1g-type alleles. By combining our data with those published previously, we suggest that TaGASR7-A1 is mainly a genetic determinant of GL in wheat with pleiotropic effects on grain weight and yield. Potential mechanism underlying TaGASR7-A1 function and its utility in enhancing genetic and breeding studies of wheat grain morphometric and yield traits are discussed.     

Mapping QTLs with epistatic effects and QTL×environment interactions for plant height using a doubled haploid population in cultivated wheat

Quantitative trait loci (QTLs) for plant height in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) were studied using a set of 168 doubled haploid (DH) lines, which were derived from the cross Huapei 3/Yumai 57. A genetic linkage map was constructed using 283 SSR and 22 EST-SSR markers. The DH population and the parents were evaluated for wheat plant height in 2005 and 2006 in Tai’an and 2006 in Suzhou. QTL analyses were performed using the software of QTLNetwork version 2.0 based on the mixed linear model. Four additive QTLs and five pairs of epistatic effects were detected, which were distributed on chromosomes 3A, 4B, 4D, 5A, 6A, 7B, and 7D. Among them, three additive QTLs and three pairs of epistatic QTLs showed QTL×environment interactions (QEs). Two major QTLs, Qph4B and Qph4D, which accounted for 14.51% and 20.22% of the phenotypic variation, were located similar to the reported locations of the dwarfing genes Rht1 and Rht2, respectively. The Qph3A-2 with additive effect was not reported in previous linkage mapping studies. The total QTL effects detected for the plant height explained 85.04% of the phenotypic variation, with additive effects 46.07%, epistatic effects 19.89%, and QEs 19.09%. The results showed that both additive effects and epistatic effects were important genetic bases of wheat plant height, which were subjected to environmental modifications, and caused dramatic changes in phenotypic effects. The information obtained in this study will be useful for manipulating the QTLs for wheat plant height by molecular marker-assisted selection (MAS).