Research progress in BYDV resistance genes derived from wheat and its wild relatives

Genetic insights into superior grain number traits: a QTL analysis of wheat-Agropyron cristatum derivative pubing3228

BACKGROUND

Agropyron cristatum (L.) is a valuable genetic resource for expanding the genetic diversity of common wheat. Pubing3228, a novel wheat-A. cristatum hybrid germplasm, exhibits several desirable agricultural traits, including high grain number per spike (GNS). Understanding the genetic architecture of GNS in Pubing3228 is crucial for enhancing wheat yield. This study aims to analyze the specific genetic regions and alleles associated with high GNS in Pubing3228.

METHODS

The study employed a recombination inbred line (RIL) population derived from a cross between Pubing3228 and Jing4839 to investigate the genetic regions and alleles linked to high GNS. Quantitative Trait Loci (QTL) analysis and candidate gene investigation were utilized to explore these traits.

RESULTS

A total of 40 QTLs associated with GNS were identified across 16 chromosomes, accounting for 4.25-17.17% of the total phenotypic variation. Five QTLs (QGns.wa-1D, QGns.wa-5 A, QGns.wa-7Da.1, QGns.wa-7Da.2 and QGns.wa-7Da.3) accounter for over 10% of the phenotypic variation in at least two environments. Furthermore, 94.67% of the GNS QTL with positive effects originated from Pubing3228. Candidate gene analysis of stable QTLs identified 11 candidate genes for GNS, including a senescence-associated protein gene (TraesCS7D01G148000) linked to the most significant SNP (AX-108,748,734) on chromosome 7D, potentially involved in reallocating nutrients from senescing tissues to developing seeds.

CONCLUSION

This study provides new insights into the genetic mechanisms underlying high GNS in Pubing3228, offering valuable resources for marker-assisted selection in wheat breeding to enhance yield.

Barley yellow dwarf Virus-GAV movement protein activating wheat TaATG6-Mediated antiviral autophagy pathway

Barley yellow dwarf virus-GAV (BYDV-GAV) is a highly destructive virus that is transmitted by aphids and can cause substantial yield losses in crops such as wheat (Triticum aestivum), barley (Hordeum vulgare) and oat (Avena sativa). Autophagy is an evolutionarily conserved degradation process that eliminates damaged or harmful intracellular substances during stress conditions or specific developmental processes. However, the mechanism of autophagy involved in disease resistance in wheat remains unknown. In this study, we demonstrate that BYDV-GAV infection could induces the upregulation of genes related to the autophagy pathway in wheat, accompanied by the production of autophagosomes. Furthermore, we confirmed the direct interaction between the viral movement protein (MP) and wheat autophagy-related gene 6 (TaATG6) both in vivo and in vitro. Through yeast function complementation experiments, we determined that TaATG6 can restore the autophagy function in a yeast mutant, atg6. Additionally, we identified the interaction between TaATG6 and TaATG8, core factors of the autophagic pathway, using the yeast two-hybrid system. TaATG6 and TaATG8-silenced wheat plants exhibited a high viral content. Overall, our findings suggest that wheat can recognize BYDV-GAV infection and activate the MP-TaATG6-TaATG8 regulatory network of defense responses through the induction of the autophagy pathway.

Alternative modes of introgression-mediated selection shaped crop adaptation to novel climates

Recent plant genomic studies provide fine-grained details on the evolutionary consequences of adaptive introgression during crop domestication. Modern genomic approaches and analytical methods now make it possible to better separate the introgression signal from the demographic signal thus providing a more comprehensive and complex picture of the role of introgression in local adaptation. Adaptive introgression has been fundamental for crop expansion and has involved complex patterns of gene flow. In addition to providing new and more favorable alleles of large effect, introgression during the early stages of domestication also increased allelic diversity at adaptive loci. Previous studies have largely underestimated the effect of such increased diversity following introgression. Recent genomic studies in wheat, potato, maize, grapevine, and ryegrass show that introgression of multiple genes, of as yet unknown effect, increased the effectiveness of purifying selection, and promoted disruptive or fluctuating selection in early cultivars and landraces. Historical selection processes associated with introgression from crop wild relatives provide an instructive analog for adaptation to current climate change and offer new avenues for crop breeding research that are expected to be instrumental for strengthening food security in the coming years.

Applied phenomics and genomics for improving barley yellow dwarf resistance in winter wheat

Barley yellow dwarf is one of the major viral diseases of cereals. Phenotyping barley yellow dwarf in wheat is extremely challenging due to similarities to other biotic and abiotic stresses. Breeding for resistance is additionally challenging as the wheat primary germplasm pool lacks genetic resistance, with most of the few resistance genes named to date originating from a wild relative species. The objectives of this study were to (1) evaluate the use of high-throughput phenotyping to improve barley yellow dwarf assessment; (2) identify genomic regions associated with barley yellow dwarf resistance; and (3) evaluate the ability of genomic selection models to predict barley yellow dwarf resistance. Up to 107 wheat lines were phenotyped during each of 5 field seasons under both insecticide treated and untreated plots. Across all seasons, barley yellow dwarf severity was lower within the insecticide treatment along with increased plant height and grain yield compared with untreated entries. Only 9.2% of the lines were positive for the presence of the translocated segment carrying the resistance gene Bdv2. Despite the low frequency, this region was identified through association mapping. Furthermore, we mapped a potentially novel genomic region for barley yellow dwarf resistance on chromosome 5AS. Given the variable heritability of the trait (0.211–0.806), we obtained a predictive ability for barley yellow dwarf severity ranging between 0.06 and 0.26. Including the presence or absence of Bdv2 as a covariate in the genomic selection models had a large effect for predicting barley yellow dwarf but almost no effect for other observed traits. This study was the first attempt to characterize barley yellow dwarf using field-high-throughput phenotyping and apply genomic selection to predict disease severity. These methods have the potential to improve barley yellow dwarf characterization, additionally identifying new sources of resistance will be crucial for delivering barley yellow dwarf resistant germplasm.

Host plant resistance in wheat to barley yellow dwarf viruses and their aphid vectors: a review

Cereal aphids are vectors of at least 11 species of Barley Yellow Dwarf Viruses (BYDV) in wheat that alone and/or in combination can cause between 5%-80% grain yield losses. They establish complex virus-vector interactions, with variations in specificity and transmission efficiency that need to be considered for control purposes. In general, these viruses and vectors have a global distribution, however, BYDV-PAV is the most prevalent and abundant virus species worldwide, likely due to its vectoring efficiency and the wide distribution of its primary vector Rhopalosiphum padi. Host plant resistance (HPR) is an environmentally friendly, efficient and cost-effective tool to reduce crop losses to biotic stressors such as aphids and viruses. Finding resistance sources is paramount to breed for HPR. Currently, most of the resistance identified for aphids and BYDV derives from wheat related and wild relative species. However, breeding for HPR to BYDV and its vectors has additional challenges besides the source identification, for example, the lack of selection tools for certain aphid species, which likely prevents the development of elite wheat germplasm carrying resistance to these constraints. Nonetheless, modern technologies such as high-throughput phenotyping, genomic and advanced statistical tools can contribute to make HPR to aphids and BYDV more efficient. In the present review we describe the main sources of resistance, discuss the challenges and opportunities for incorporating the resistance in wheat breeding programs and present a workflow to breed for BYDV and its vectors in wheat.

Barley yellow dwarf virus-GAV-derived vsiRNAs are involved in the production of wheat leaf yellowing symptoms by targeting chlorophyll synthase

BACKGROUND

Wheat yellow dwarf virus disease is infected by barley yellow dwarf virus (BYDV), which causes leaf yellowing and dwarfing symptoms in wheat, thereby posing a serious threat to China's food production. The infection of plant viruses can produce large numbers of vsiRNAs, which can target host transcripts and cause symptom development. However, few studies have been conducted to explore the role played by vsiRNAs in the interaction between BYDV-GAV and host wheat plants.

METHODS

In this study, small RNA sequencing was conducted to profile vsiRNAs in BYDV-GAV-infected wheat plants. The putative targets of vsiRNAs were predicted by the bioinformatics software psRNATarget. RT-qPCR and VIGS were employed to identify the function of selected target transcripts. To confirm the interaction between vsiRNA and the target, 5' RACE was performed to analyze the specific cleavage sites.

RESULTS

From the sequencing data, we obtained a total of 11,384 detected vsiRNAs. The length distribution of these vsiRNAs was mostly 21 and 22 nt, and an A/U bias was observed at the 5' terminus. We also observed that the production region of vsiRNAs had no strand polarity. The vsiRNAs were predicted to target 23,719 wheat transcripts. GO and KEGG enrichment analysis demonstrated that these targets were mostly involved in cell components, catalytic activity and plant-pathogen interactions. The results of RT-qPCR analysis showed that most chloroplast-related genes were downregulated in BYDV-GAV-infected wheat plants. Silencing of a chlorophyll synthase gene caused leaf yellowing that was similar to the symptoms exhibited by BYDV-GAV-inoculated wheat plants. A vsiRNA from an overlapping region of BYDV-GAV MP and CP was observed to target chlorophyll synthase for gene silencing. Next, 5' RACE validated that vsiRNA8856 could cleave the chlorophyll synthase transcript in a sequence-specific manner.

CONCLUSIONS

This report is the first to demonstrate that BYDV-GAV-derived vsiRNAs can target wheat transcripts for symptom development, and the results of this study help to elucidate the molecular mechanisms underlying leaf yellowing after viral infection.

Exploiting the genome of Thinopyrum elongatum to expand the gene pool of hexaploid wheat

One hundred and thirty four introgressions from Thinopyrum elongatum have been transferred into a wheat background and were characterised using 263 SNP markers. Species within the genus Thinopyrum have been shown to carry genetic variation for a very wide range of traits including biotic and abiotic stresses and quality. Research has shown that one of the species within this genus, Th. elongatum, has a close relationship with the genomes of wheat making it a highly suitable candidate to expand the gene pool of wheat. Homoeologous recombination, in the absence of the Ph1 gene, has been exploited to transfer an estimated 134 introgressions from Th. elongatum into a hexaploid wheat background. The introgressions were detected and characterised using 263 single nucleotide polymorphism markers from a 35 K Axiom^® Wheat-Relative Genotyping Array, spread across seven linkage groups and validated using genomic in situ hybridisation. The genetic map had a total length of 187.8 cM and the average chromosome length was 26.8 cM. Comparative analyses of the genetic map of Th. elongatum and the physical map of hexaploid wheat confirmed previous work that indicated good synteny at the macro-level, although Th. elongatum does not contain the 4A/5A/7B translocation found in wheat.

Genome wide association study reveals novel QTL for barley yellow dwarf virus resistance in wheat

Background

Barley yellow dwarf (BYD) is an important virus disease that causes significant reductions in wheat yield. For effective control of Barley yellow dwarf virus through breeding, the identification of genetic sources of resistance is key to success. In this study, 335 geographically diverse wheat accessions genotyped using an Illumina iSelect 90 K single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) bead chip array were used to identify new sources of resistance to BYD in different environments.

Results

A genome-wide association study (GWAS) performed using all the generalised and mixed linkage models (GLM and MLM, respectively) identified a total of 36 significant marker-trait associations, four of which were consistently detected in the K model. These four novel quantitative trait loci (QTL) were identified on chromosomes 2A, 2B, 6A and 7A and associated with markers IWA3520, IWB24938, WB69770 and IWB57703, respectively. These four QTL showed an additive effect with the average visual symptom score of the lines containing resistance alleles of all four QTL being much lower than those with less favorable alleles. Several Chinese landraces, such as H-205 (Baimazha) and H-014 (Dahongmai) which have all four favorable alleles, showed consistently higher resistance in different field trials. None of them contained the previously described Bdv2, Bdv3 or Bdv4 genes for BYD resistance.

Conclusions

This study identified multiple novel QTL for BYD resistance and some resistant wheat genotypes. These will be useful for breeders to generate combinations with and/or without Bdv2 to achieve higher levels and more stable BYD resistance.

Molecular and Ultrastructural Mechanisms Underlying Yellow Dwarf Symptom Formation in Wheat after Infection of Barley Yellow Dwarf Virus

Wheat (Tritium aestivum L.) production is essential for global food security. Infection of barley yellow dwarf virus-GAV (BYDV-GAV) results in wheat showing leaf yellowing and plant dwarfism symptom. To explore the molecular and ultrastructural mechanisms underlying yellow dwarf symptom formation in BYDV-GAV-infected wheat, we investigated the chloroplast ultrastructure via transmission electron microscopy (TEM), examined the contents of the virus, H₂O₂, and chlorophyll in Zhong8601, and studied the comparative transcriptome through microarray analyses in the susceptible wheat line Zhong8601 after virus infection. TEM images indicated that chloroplasts in BYDV-GAV-infected Zhong8601 leaf cells were fragmentized. Where thylakoids were not well developed, starch granules and plastoglobules were rare. Compared with mock-inoculated Zhong8601, chlorophyll content was markedly reduced, but the virus and H₂O₂ contents were significantly higher in BYDV-GAV-infected Zhong8601. The transcriptomic analyses revealed that chlorophyll biosynthesis and chloroplast related transcripts, encoding chlorophyll a/b binding protein, glucose-6-phosphate/phosphate translocator 2, and glutamyl-tRNA reductase 1, were down-regulated in BYDV-GAV-infected Zhong8601. Some phytohormone signaling-related transcripts, including abscisic acid (ABA) signaling factors (phospholipase D alpha 1 and calcineurin B-like protein 9) and nine ethylene response factors, were up-regulated. Additionally, reactive oxygen species (ROS)-related genes were transcriptionally regulated in BYDV-GAV infected Zhong8601, including three up-regulated transcripts encoding germin-like proteins (promoting ROS accumulation) and four down-regulated transcripts encoding peroxides (scavenging ROS). These results clearly suggest that the yellow dwarf symptom formation is mainly attributed to reduced chlorophyll content and fragmentized chloroplasts caused by down-regulation of the chlorophyll and chloroplast biosynthesis related genes, ROS excessive accumulation, and precisely transcriptional regulation of the above-mentioned ABA and ethylene signaling- and ROS-related genes in susceptible wheat infected by BYDV-GAV.

Elicitation of hypersensitive responses in Nicotiana glutinosa by the suppressor of RNA silencing protein P0 from poleroviruses

Plant disease resistance (R) proteins that confer resistance to viruses recognize viral gene products with diverse functions, including viral suppressors of RNA silencing (VSRs). The P0 protein from poleroviruses is a VSR that targets the ARGONAUTE1 (AGO1) protein for degradation, thereby disrupting RNA silencing and antiviral defences. Here, we report resistance against poleroviruses in Nicotiana glutinosa directed against Turnip yellows virus (TuYV) and Potato leafroll virus (PLRV). The P0 proteins from TuYV (P0(T) (u) ), PLRV (P0(PL) ) and Cucurbit aphid-borne yellows virus (P0(CA) ) were found to elicit a hypersensitive response (HR) in N. glutinosa accession TW59, whereas other accessions recognized P0(PL) only. Genetic analysis showed that recognition of P0(T) (u) by a resistance gene designated RPO1 (Resistance to POleroviruses 1) is inherited as a dominant allele. Expression of P0 from a Potato virus X (PVX) expression vector transferred recognition to the recombinant virus on plants expressing RPO1, supporting P0 as the unique Polerovirus factor eliciting resistance. The induction of HR required a functional P0 protein, as P0(T) (u) mutants with substitutions in the F-box motif that abolished VSR activity were unable to elicit HR. We surmised that the broad P0 recognition seen in TW59 and the requirement for the F-box protein motif could indicate detection of P0-induced AGO1 degradation and disruption of RNA silencing; however, other viral silencing suppressors, including the PVX P25 that also causes AGO1 degradation, failed to elicit HR in N. glutinosa. Investigation of P0 elicitation of RPO1 could provide insight into P0 activities within the cell that trigger resistance.

Dominant resistance against plant viruses

To establish a successful infection plant viruses have to overcome a defense system composed of several layers. This review will overview the various strategies plants employ to combat viral infections with main emphasis on the current status of single dominant resistance (R) genes identified against plant viruses and the corresponding avirulence (Avr) genes identified so far. The most common models to explain the mode of action of dominant R genes will be presented. Finally, in brief the hypersensitive response (HR) and extreme resistance (ER), and the functional and structural similarity of R genes to sensors of innate immunity in mammalian cell systems will be described.

The Pontin series of recombinant alien translocations in bread wheat: single translocations integrating combinations of Bdv2, Lr19 and Sr25 disease-resistance genes from Thinopyrum intermedium and Th. ponticum

Two bread wheat lines each with a translocation on chromosome 7DL from either Thinopyrum intermedium (TC5 and TC14) or Thinopyrum ponticum (T4m), were hybridized in a ph1b mutant background to enhance recombination between the two translocated chromosomal segments. The frequency of recombinants was high in lines derived from the larger and similar-sized translocations (TC5/T4m), but much lower when derived from different-sized translocations (TC14/T4m). Recombinant translocations contained combinations of resistance genes Bdv2, Lr19 and Sr25 conferring resistance to Barley yellow dwarf virus (BYDV), leaf rust and stem rust, respectively. Their genetic composition was identified using bioassays and molecular markers specific for the two progenitor Thinopyrum species. This set of 7DL Th. ponticum/intermedium recombinant translocations was termed the Pontin series. In addition to Thinopyrum markers, the size of the translocation was estimated with the aid of wheat markers mapped on each of the 7DL deletion bins. Bioassays for BYDV, leaf rust and stem rust were performed under greenhouse and field conditions. Once separated from ph1b background, the Pontin recombinant translocations were stable and showed normal inheritance in successive backcrosses. The reported Pontin translocations integrate important resistance genes in a single linkage block which will allow simultaneous selection of disease resistance. Combinations of Bdv2 + Lr19 or Lr19 + Sr25 in both long and short translocations, are available to date. The smaller Pontins, comprising only 20 % of the distal portion of 7DL, will be most attractive to breeders.

Richness and composition of niche-assembled viral pathogen communities

The pathogen and parasite community that inhabits every free-living organism can control host vital rates including lifespan and reproductive output. To date, however, there have been few experiments examining pathogen community assembly replicated at large-enough spatial scales to inform our understanding of pathogen dynamics in natural systems. Pathogen community assembly may be driven by neutral stochastic colonization and extinction events or by niche differentiation that constrains pathogen distributions to particular environmental conditions, hosts, or vectors. Here, we present results from a regionally-replicated experiment investigating the community of barley and cereal yellow dwarf viruses (B/CYDV's) in over 5000 experimentally planted individuals of six grass species along a 700 km latitudinal gradient along the Pacific coast of North America (USA) in response to experimentally manipulated nitrogen and phosphorus supplies. The composition of the virus community varied predictably among hosts and across nutrient-addition treatments, indicating niche differentiation among virus species. There were some concordant responses among the viral species. For example, the prevalence of most viral species increased consistently with perennial grass cover, leading to a 60% increase in the richness of the viral community within individual hosts (i.e., coinfection) in perennial-dominated plots. Furthermore, infection rates of the six host species in the field were highly correlated with vector preferences assessed in laboratory trials. Our results reveal the importance of niche differentiation in structuring virus assemblages. Virus species distributions reflected a combination of local host community composition, host species-specific vector preferences, and virus responses to host nutrition. In addition, our results suggest that heterogeneity among host species in their capacity to attract vectors or support pathogens between growing seasons can lead to positive covariation among virus species.

Diagnosis and control of cereal viruses in the Middle East

Middle Eastern countries are major consumers of small grain cereals. Egypt is the biggest bread wheat producer with 7.4 million tons (MT) in 2007, but at the same time, it had to import 5.9 MT. Jordan and Israel import almost all the grains they consume. Viruses are the major pathogens that impair grain production in the Middle East, infecting in some years more than 80% of the crop. They are transmitted in nonpersistent, semipersistent, and persistent manners by insects (aphids, leafhoppers, and mites), and through soil and seeds. Hence, cereal viruses have to be controlled, not only in the field but also through the collaborative efforts of the plant quarantine services inland and at the borders, involving all the Middle Eastern countries. Diagnosis of cereal viruses may include symptom observation, immunological technologies such as ELISA using polyclonal and monoclonal antibodies raised against virus coat protein expressed in bacteria, and molecular techniques such as PCR, microarrays, and deep sequencing. In this chapter, we explore the different diagnoses, typing, and detection techniques of cereal viruses available to the Middle Eastern countries. We highlight the plant quarantine service and the prevention methods. Finally, we review the breeding efforts for virus resistance, based on conventional selection and genetic engineering.

Development of EST-PCR markers for Thinopyrum intermedium chromosome 2Ai#2 and their application in characterization of novel wheat-grass recombinants

A series of expressed sequence tags-derived polymerase chain reaction (EST-PCR) markers specific to chromosome 2Ai#2 from Thinopyrum intermedium were developed in this study using a new integrative approach. The target alien chromosome confers high resistance to barley yellow dwarf virus (BYDV), which is a severe virus disease in wheat. To generate markers evenly distributed on 2Ai#2, a total of 105 primer pairs were designed based on mapped ESTs from 8 bins of wheat chromosome 2B with intron-prediction by aligning ESTs with genomic sequences of the new model plant Brachypodium distachyon. Eight and seven polymorphic markers on the short arm and the long arm of chromosome 2Ai#2, respectively, were obtained with a polymorphism rate of 14.3%. These chromosome 2Ai#2-specific EST-PCR markers were then used in tracing and exploring the structural variation of the alien chromosome in the population derived from the immature embryo culture of the cross between N452, a 2Ai#2(2D) substitution line, and common wheat CB037. Two centric fusion of translocations involving 2Ai#2 short or long arm with wheat chromosome 2D and some new genetic stocks including telosomes with the alien chromosome short or long arm were identified in the SC(3) generations, which provided basic materials to further study the mechanism of the BYDV resistance. BYDV tests in two field seasons suggest that the BYDV resistance was mainly conferred by the short arm, gene interaction on both arms of the alien chromosome was discussed.

Molecular markers show a complex mosaic pattern of wheat-Thinopyrum intermedium translocations carrying resistance to YDV

Thinopyrum intermedium translocations derived from the wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) substitution line P-29 were previously characterized by RFLP. We have further analyzed these lines and additional related germplasm with publicly available STS and SSRs. Primers which showed a polymorphism between wheat and P-29, were tested in all recombinant and nulli-tetrasomic lines confirming their position on chromosome 7D. The resulting 7D/7E chromosome maps appeared as a mosaic of wheat and Th. intermedium chromatin sections. To verify the composition of the translocation lines suggested by the RFLP-PCR map, F(2) progeny of two crosses (CS/216-1 and CS/260-1) were analyzed with molecular markers. Both populations gave an unexpectedly diverse number of recombinant individuals, suggesting that interstitial translocations occur more frequently than previously thought. This analysis also showed that there is a wide range in the number and position of the interstitial translocations within a given line such as the mosaic chromosome in recombinant line 260-1/CS-26, which has four Th. intermedium chromosome segments. Phenotypic data of the two populations suggested the presence of one gene which we have called Bdv3 to differentiate it from the previously reported orthologous gene Bdv2. Using the PCR-based molecular markers identified in this study, 5 out of 12 elite lines that showed good yields and no YDV symptoms contained Th. intermedium chromatin. Due to the multiple components involved in the YDV disease complex, combining selection for YDV resistance with the molecular markers and maps identified in this study will increase the efficiency of introgressing Th. intermedium chromatin containing YDV resistance or other beneficial traits into elite wheat germplasm.