Cloning of TaSST genes associated with water soluble carbohydrate content in bread wheat stems and development of a functional marker

Characterization of TaSPP-5A gene associated with sucrose content in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)

BACKGROUND

Sucrose, the major product of photosynthesis and the primary sugar transported as a soluble carbohydrate via the phloem, is a critical determinant for harvest yield in wheat crops. Sucrose-phosphatase (SPP) catalyzes the final step in the sucrose biosynthesis pathway, implying its essential role in the plant.

RESULT

In this study, wheat SPP homologs genes were isolated from chromosomes 5A, 5B, and 5D, designated as TaSPP-5A, TaSPP-5B, and TaSPP-5D, respectively. Sequence alignment showed one 1-bp Insertion-deletion (InDel) and three single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) at TaSPP-5A coding region, forming two haplotypes, TaSPP-5Aa and TaSPP-5Ab, respectively. A derived cleaved amplified polymorphism sequence (dCAPS) marker, TaSPP-5A-dCAPS, was developed to discriminate allelic variation based on the polymorphism at position 1242 (C-T). A total of 158 varieties were used to perform a TaSPP-5A marker-trait association analysis, where two haplotypes were significantly associated with sucrose content in two environments and with thousand-grain weight (TGW) and grain length (GL) in three environments. Quantitative real-time PCR further revealed that TaSPP-5Aa showed relatively higher expression than TaSPP-5Ab in wheat seedling leaves, generally associating with increased sucrose content and TGW. The expression of TaSPP-5A and sucrose content in TaSPP-5Aa haplotypes were also higher than those in TaSPP-5Ab haplotypes under both 20% PEG-6000 and 100 μM ABA treatment. Sequence alignment showed that the two TaSPP-5A haplotypes comprised 11 SNPs from -395 to -1962 bp at TaSPP-5A promoter locus, participating in the formation of several conserved sequences, may account for the high expression of TaSPP-5A in TaSPP-5Aa haplotypes. In addition, the distribution analysis of TaSPP-5A haplotypes revealed that TaSPP-5Aa was preferred in the natural wheat population, being strongly positively selected in breeding programs.

CONCLUSION

According to the SNPs detected in the TaSPP-5A sequence, two haplotypes, TaSPP-5Aa and TaSPP-5Ab, were identified among wheat accessions, which potential value for sucrose content selection was validated by association analysis. Our results indicate that the favorable allelic variation TaSPP-5Aa should be valuable in enhancing grain yield by improving the sucrose content. Furthermore, a functional marker, TaSPP-5A-dCAPS, can be used for marker-assisted selection to improve grain weight in wheat and provides insights into the biological function of TaSPP-5A gene.

Genome-Wide Association of Stem Carbohydrate Accumulation and Remobilization during Grain Growth in Bread Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) in Mediterranean Environments

Water deficit represents an important challenge for wheat production in many regions of the world. Accumulation and remobilization of water-soluble carbohydrates (WSCs) in stems are part of the physiological responses regulated by plants to cope with water stress and, in turn, determine grain yield (GY). The genetic mechanisms underlying the variation in WSC are only partially understood. In this study, we aimed to identify Single Nucleotide Polymorphism (SNP) markers that account for variation in a suite of WSC and GY, evaluated in 225 cultivars and advanced lines of spring wheat. These genotypes were established in two sites in the Mediterranean region of Central Chile, under water-limited and full irrigation conditions, and assessed in two growing seasons, namely anthesis and maturity growth periods. A genome-wide association study (GWAS) was performed by using 3243 SNP markers. Genetic variance accounted for 5 to 52% of phenotypic variation of the assessed traits. A rapid linkage disequilibrium decay was observed across chromosomes (r² ≤ 0.2 at 2.52 kbp). Marker-trait association tests identified 96 SNPs related to stem weight (SW), WSCs, and GY, among other traits, at the different sites, growing seasons, and growth periods. The percentage of SNPs that were part of the gene-coding regions was 34%. Most of these genes are involved in the defensive response to drought and biotic stress. A complimentary analysis detected significant effects of different haplotypes on WSC and SW, in anthesis and maturity. Our results evidence both genetic and environmental influence on WSC dynamics in spring wheat. At the same time, they provide a series of markers suitable for supporting assisted selection approaches and functional characterization of genes.

Agronomic, Physiological and Genetic Changes Associated With Evolution, Migration and Modern Breeding in Durum Wheat

A panel of 172 Mediterranean durum wheat landraces and 200 modern cultivars was phenotyped during three years for 21 agronomic and physiological traits and genotyped with 46,161 DArTseq markers. Modern cultivars showed greater yield, number of grains per spike (NGS) and harvest index (HI), but similar number of spikes per unit area (NS) and grain weight than the landraces. Modern cultivars had earlier heading but longer heading-anthesis and grain-filling periods than the landraces. They had greater RUE (Radiation Use Efficiency) up to anthesis and lower canopy temperature at anthesis than the landraces, but the opposite was true during the grain-filling period. Landraces produced more biomass at both anthesis and maturity. The 120 genotypes with a membership coefficient q > 0.8 to the five genetic subpopulations (SP) that structured the panel were related with the geographic distribution and evolutionary history of durum wheat. SP1 included landraces from eastern countries, the domestication region of the "Fertile Crescent." SP2 and SP3 consisted of landraces from the north and the south Mediterranean shores, where durum wheat spread during its migration westward. Decreases in NS, grain-filling duration and HI, but increases in early soil coverage, days to heading, biomass at anthesis, grain-filling rate, plant height and peduncle length occurred during this migration. SP4 grouped modern cultivars gathering the CIMMYT/ICARDA genetic background, and SP5 contained modern north-American cultivars. SP4 was agronomically distant from the landraces, but SP5 was genetically and agronomically close to SP1. GWAS identified 2,046 marker-trait associations (MTA) and 144 QTL hotspots integrating 1,927 MTAs. Thirty-nine haplotype blocks (HB) with allelic differences among SPs and associated with 16 agronomic traits were identified within 13 QTL hotspots. Alleles in chromosomes 5A and 7A detected in landraces were associated with decreased yield. The late heading and short grain-filling period of SP2 and SP3 were associated with a hotspot on chromosome 7B. The heavy grains of SP3 were associated with hotspots on chromosomes 2A and 7A. The greater NGS and HI of modern cultivars were associated with allelic variants on chromosome 7A. A hotspot on chromosome 3A was associated with the high NGS, earliness and short stature of SP4.

Genome-wide association analysis of stem water-soluble carbohydrate content in bread wheat

GWAS identified 36 potentially new loci for wheat stem water-soluble carbohydrate (WSC) contents and 13 pleiotropic loci affecting WSC and thousand-kernel weight. Five KASP markers were developed and validated. Water-soluble carbohydrates (WSC) reserved in stems contribute significantly to grain yield (GY) in wheat. However, knowledge of the genetic architecture underlying stem WSC content (SWSCC) is limited. In the present study, 166 diverse wheat accessions from the Yellow and Huai Valleys Winter Wheat Zone of China and five other countries were grown in four well-watered environments. SWSCC at 10 days post-anthesis (10DPA), 20DPA and 30DPA, referred as WSC10, WSC20 and WSC30, respectively, and thousand-kernel weight (TKW) were assessed. Correlation analysis showed that TKW was significantly and positively correlated with WSC10 and WSC20. Genome-wide association study was performed on SWSCC and TKW with 373,106 markers from the wheat 660 K and 90 K SNP arrays. Totally, 62 stable loci were detected for SWSCC, with 36, 24 and 19 loci for WSC10, WSC20 and WSC30, respectively; among these, 36 are potentially new, 16 affected SWSCC at two or three time-points, and 13 showed pleiotropic effects on both SWSCC and TKW. Linear regression showed clear cumulative effects of favorable alleles for increasing SWSCC and TKW. Genetic gain analyses indicated that pyramiding favorable alleles of SWSCC had simultaneously improved TKW. Kompetitive allele-specific PCR markers for five pleiotropic loci associated with both SWSCC and TKW were developed and validated. This study provided a genome-wide landscape of the genetic architecture of SWSCC, gave a perspective for understanding the relationship between WSC and GY and explored the theoretical basis for co-improvement of WSC and GY. It also provided valuable loci and markers for future breeding.

Appraisal of wheat genomics for gene discovery and breeding applications: a special emphasis on advances in Asia

We discussed the most recent efforts in wheat functional genomics to discover new genes and their deployment in breeding with special emphasis on advances in Asian countries. Wheat research community is making significant progress to bridge genotype-to-phenotype gap and then applying this knowledge in genetic improvement. The advances in genomics and phenomics have intrigued wheat researchers in Asia to make best use of this knowledge in gene and trait discovery. These advancements include, but not limited to, map-based gene cloning, translational genomics, gene mapping, association genetics, gene editing and genomic selection. We reviewed more than 57 homeologous genes discovered underpinning important traits and multiple strategies used for their discovery. Further, the complementary advancements in wheat phenomics and analytical approaches to understand the genetics of wheat adaptability, resilience to climate extremes and resistance to pest and diseases were discussed. The challenge to build a gold standard reference genome sequence of bread wheat is now achieved and several de novo reference sequences from the cultivars representing different gene pools will be available soon. New pan-genome sequencing resources of wheat will strengthen the foundation required for accelerated gene discovery and provide more opportunities to practice the knowledge-based breeding.

Genetic dissection of stem WSC accumulation and remobilization in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) under terminal drought stress

BACKGROUND

The accumulation and remobilization of stem water soluble carbohydrates (WSC) are determinant physiological traits highly influencing yield potential in wheat against drought stress. However, knowledge gains of the genetic control are still limited. A hexaploid wheat population of 120 recombinant inbred lines were developed to identify quantitative trait loci (QTLs) and to dissect the genetic basis underlying eight traits related to stem WSC under drought stress (DS) and well-watered (WW) conditions across three environments.

RESULTS

Analysis of variance (ANOVA) revealed larger environmental and genotypic effects on stem WSC-related traits, indicating moderate heritabilities of 0.51-0.72. A total of 95 additive and 88 pairs of epistatic QTLs were identified with significant additive and epistatic effects, as well as QTL× water environmental interaction (QEI) effects. Most of additive QTLs and additive QEIs associated with drought-stressed environments functioned genetic effects promoting pre-anthesis WSC levels and stem WSC remobilization to developing grains. Compared to other genetic components, both genetic effects were performed exclusive contributions to phenotypic variations in stem WSC-related traits. Nineteen QTL clusters were identified on chromosomes 1B, 2A, 2B, 2D, 3B, 4B, 5A, 6A, 6B and 7A, suggestive of the genetic linkage or pleiotropy. Thirteen additive QTLs were detectable repeatedly across two of the three water environments, indicating features of stable expressions. Some loci were consistent with those reported early and were further discussed.

CONCLUSION

Stem WSC-related traits were inherited predominantly by additive and QEI effects with a moderate heritability. QTL cluster regions were suggestive of tight linkage or pleiotropy in the inheritance of these traits. Some stable and common loci, as well as closely linked molecular markers, had great potential in marker-assisted selection to improve stem WSC-related traits in wheat, especially under drought-stressed environments.

Overexpression of TaCML20, a calmodulin-like gene, enhances water soluble carbohydrate accumulation and yield in wheat

Calcium (Ca²⁺ ) is a universal messenger that mediates intracellular responses to extracellular stimuli in living organisms. Calmodulin (CaM) and calmodulin-like (CML) proteins are the important Ca²⁺ sensors in plants that decode Ca²⁺ -signatures to execute downstream intracellular level responses. Several studies indicate the interlinking of Ca²⁺ and sugar signaling in plants; however, no genes have been functionally characterized to provide molecular evidence. Our study found that expression of TaCML20 was significantly correlated with water soluble carbohydrate (WSC) concentrations in recombinant inbred lines in wheat. TaCML20 has four EF-hand motifs that may facilitate the binding of Ca²⁺ . To explore the role of CML20, we generated TaCML20 overexpressing transgenic lines in wheat. These lines accumulated higher WSC concentrations in the shoots, and we also found a significantly increased transcript level of sucrose:sucrose-1-fructosyltransferase (1-SST) in the internodes compared with the control plants. In addition, TaCML20 overexpressing plants showed significantly increased tillers per plant and also increased about 19% of grain weight per plant compared with control plants. The results also suggested a role for TaCML20 in drought stress, as its transcripts significantly increased in the shoots of wild-type plants under water deficit. These results uncovered the role of CML20 in determining multiple traits in wheat.

A High-Density Consensus Map of Common Wheat Integrating Four Mapping Populations Scanned by the 90K SNP Array

A high-density consensus map is a powerful tool for gene mapping, cloning and molecular marker-assisted selection in wheat breeding. The objective of this study was to construct a high-density, single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP)-based consensus map of common wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) by integrating genetic maps from four recombinant inbred line populations. The populations were each genotyped using the wheat 90K Infinium iSelect SNP assay. A total of 29,692 SNP markers were mapped on 21 linkage groups corresponding to 21 hexaploid wheat chromosomes, covering 2,906.86 cM, with an overall marker density of 10.21 markers/cM. Compared with the previous maps based on the wheat 90K SNP chip detected 22,736 (76.6%) of the SNPs with consistent chromosomal locations, whereas 1,974 (6.7%) showed different chromosomal locations, and 4,982 (16.8%) were newly mapped. Alignment of the present consensus map and the wheat expressed sequence tags (ESTs) Chromosome Bin Map enabled assignment of 1,221 SNP markers to specific chromosome bins and 819 ESTs were integrated into the consensus map. The marker orders of the consensus map were validated based on physical positions on the wheat genome with Spearman rank correlation coefficients ranging from 0.69 (4D) to 0.97 (1A, 4B, 5B, and 6A), and were also confirmed by comparison with genetic position on the previously 40K SNP consensus map with Spearman rank correlation coefficients ranging from 0.84 (6D) to 0.99 (6A). Chromosomal rearrangements reported previously were confirmed in the present consensus map and new putative rearrangements were identified. In addition, an integrated consensus map was developed through the combination of five published maps with ours, containing 52,607 molecular markers. The consensus map described here provided a high-density SNP marker map and a reliable order of SNPs, representing a step forward in mapping and validation of chromosomal locations of SNPs on the wheat 90K array. Moreover, it can be used as a reference for quantitative trait loci (QTL) mapping to facilitate exploitation of genes and QTL in wheat breeding.

Genome-Wide Association of Stem Water Soluble Carbohydrates in Bread Wheat

Water soluble carbohydrates (WSC) in stems play an important role in buffering grain yield in wheat against biotic and abiotic stresses; however, knowledge of genes controlling WSC is very limited. We conducted a genome-wide association study (GWAS) using a high-density 90K SNP array to better understand the genetic basis underlying WSC, and to explore marker-based breeding approaches. WSC was evaluated in an association panel comprising 166 Chinese bread wheat cultivars planted in four environments. Fifty two marker-trait associations (MTAs) distributed across 23 loci were identified for phenotypic best linear unbiased estimates (BLUEs), and 11 MTAs were identified in two or more environments. Liner regression showed a clear dependence of WSC BLUE scores on numbers of favorable (increasing WSC content) and unfavorable alleles (decreasing WSC), indicating that genotypes with higher numbers of favorable or lower numbers of unfavorable alleles had higher WSC content. In silico analysis of flanking sequences of trait-associated SNPs revealed eight candidate genes related to WSC content grouped into two categories based on the type of encoding proteins, namely, defense response proteins and proteins triggered by environmental stresses. The identified SNPs and candidate genes related to WSC provide opportunities for breeding higher WSC wheat cultivars.