A genome-wide association study revealed the genetic variation and candidate genes for grain copper content in bread wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)

Biofortification of Triticum species: a stepping stone to combat malnutrition

BACKGROUND

Biofortification represents a promising and sustainable strategy for mitigating global nutrient deficiencies. However, its successful implementation poses significant challenges. Among staple crops, wheat emerges as a prime candidate to address these nutritional gaps. Wheat biofortification offers a robust approach to enhance wheat cultivars by elevating the micronutrient levels in grains, addressing one of the most crucial global concerns in the present era.

MAIN TEXT

Biofortification is a promising, but complex avenue, with numerous limitations and challenges to face. Notably, micronutrients such as iron (Fe), zinc (Zn), selenium (Se), and copper (Cu) can significantly impact human health. Improving Fe, Zn, Se, and Cu contents in wheat could be therefore relevant to combat malnutrition. In this review, particular emphasis has been placed on understanding the extent of genetic variability of micronutrients in diverse Triticum species, along with their associated mechanisms of uptake, translocation, accumulation and different classical to advanced approaches for wheat biofortification.

CONCLUSIONS

By delving into micronutrient variability in Triticum species and their associated mechanisms, this review underscores the potential for targeted wheat biofortification. By integrating various approaches, from conventional breeding to modern biotechnological interventions, the path is paved towards enhancing the nutritional value of this vital crop, promising a brighter and healthier future for global food security and human well-being.

Single- and multi-trait genomic prediction and genome-wide association analysis of grain yield and micronutrient-related traits in ICARDA wheat under drought environment

Globally, over 2 billion people suffer from malnutrition due to inadequate intake of micronutrients. Genomic-assisted breeding is identified as a valuable method to facilitate developing new improved plant varieties targeting grain yield and micronutrient-related traits. In this study, a genome-wide association study (GWAS) and single- and multi-trait-based genomic prediction (GP) analysis was conducted using a set of 252 elite wheat genotypes from the International Center for Agricultural Research in Dry Areas (ICARDA). The objective was to identify linked SNP markers, putative candidate genes and to evaluate the genomic estimated breeding values (GEBVs) of grain yield and micronutrient-related traits.. For this purpose, a field trial was conducted at a drought-prone station, Merchouch, Morocco for 2 consecutive years (2018 and 2019) followed by GWAS and genomic prediction analysis with 10,173 quality SNP markers. The studied genotypes exhibited a significant genotypic variation in grain yield and micronutrient-related traits. The GWAS analysis identified highly significantly associated markers and linked putative genes on chromosomes 1B and 2B for zinc (Zn) and iron (Fe) contents, respectively. The genomic predictive ability of selenium (Se) and Fe traits with the multi-trait-based GP GBLUP model was 0.161 and 0.259 improving by 6.62 and 4.44%, respectively, compared to the corresponding single-trait-based models. The identified significantly linked SNP markers, associated putative genes, and developed GP models could potentially facilitate breeding programs targeting to improve the overall genetic gain of wheat breeding for grain yield and biofortification of micronutrients via marker-assisted (MAS) and genomic selection (GS) methods.

Genome-wide association study reveals the genetic variation and candidate gene for grain calcium content in bread wheat

KEY MESSAGE

This study provides important information on the genetic basis of GCaC in wheat, thus contributing to breeding efforts to improve the nutrient quality of wheat. Calcium (Ca) plays important roles in the human body. Wheat grain provides the main diet for billions of people worldwide but is low in Ca content. Here, grain Ca content (GCaC) of 471 wheat accessions was determined in four field environments. A genome-wide association study (GWAS) was performed to reveal the genetic basis of GCaC using the phenotypic data form four environments and a wheat 660 K single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) array. Twelve quantitative trait locus (QTLs) for GCaC were identified on chromosomes 1A, 1D, 2A, 3B, 6A, 6D, 7A, and 7D, which was significant in at least two environments. Haplotype analysis revealed that the phenotypic difference between the haplotypes of TraesCS6D01G399100 was significant (P ≤ 0.05) across four environments, suggesting it as an important candidate gene for GCaC. This research enhances our understanding of the genetic architecture of GCaC for further improving the nutrient quality of wheat.

Genome-wide association study for grain zinc concentration in bread wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)

Introduction

Zinc (Zn) deficiency causes serious diseases in people who rely on cereals as their main food source. However, the grain zinc concentration (GZnC) in wheat is low. Biofortification is a sustainable strategy for reducing human Zn deficiency.

Methods

In this study, we constructed a population of 382 wheat accessions and determined their GZnC in three field environments. Phenotype data was used for a genome-wide association study (GWAS) using a 660K single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) array, and haplotype analysis identified an important candidate gene for GZnC.

Results

We found that GZnC of the wheat accessions showed an increasing trend with their released years, indicating that the dominant allele of GZnC was not lost during the breeding process. Nine stable quantitative trait loci (QTLs) for GZnC were identified on chromosomes 3A, 4A, 5B, 6D, and 7A. And an important candidate gene for GZnC, namely, TraesCS6D01G234600, and GZnC between the haplotypes of this gene showed, significant difference (P ≤ 0.05) in three environments.

Discussion

A novel QTL was first identified on chromosome 6D, this finding enriches our understanding of the genetic basis of GZnC in wheat. This study provides new insights into valuable markers and candidate genes for wheat biofortification to improve GZnC.

Revealing Genetic Differences in Fiber Elongation between the Offspring of Sea Island Cotton and Upland Cotton Backcross Populations Based on Transcriptome and Weighted Gene Coexpression Networks

Fiber length is an important indicator of cotton fiber quality, and the time and rate of cotton fiber cell elongation are key factors in determining the fiber length of mature cotton. To gain insight into the differences in fiber elongation mechanisms in the offspring of backcross populations of Sea Island cotton Xinhai 16 and land cotton Line 9, we selected two groups with significant differences in fiber length (long-fiber group L and short-fiber group S) at different fiber development stages 0, 5, 10 and 15 days post-anthesis (DPA) for transcriptome comparison. A total of 171.74 Gb of clean data was obtained by RNA-seq, and eight genes were randomly selected for qPCR validation. Data analysis identified 6055 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between two groups of fibers, L and S, in four developmental periods, and gene ontology (GO) term analysis revealed that these DEGs were associated mainly with microtubule driving, reactive oxygen species, plant cell wall biosynthesis, and glycosyl compound hydrolase activity. Kyoto encyclopedia of genes and genomes (KEGG) pathway analysis indicated that plant hormone signaling, mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling, and starch and sucrose metabolism pathways were associated with fiber elongation. Subsequently, a sustained upregulation expression pattern, profile 19, was identified and analyzed using short time-series expression miner (STEM). An analysis of the weighted gene coexpression network module uncovered 21 genes closely related to fiber development, mainly involved in functions such as cell wall relaxation, microtubule formation, and cytoskeletal structure of the cell wall. This study helps to enhance the understanding of the Sea Island–Upland backcross population and identifies key genes for cotton fiber development, and these findings will provide a basis for future research on the molecular mechanisms of fiber length formation in cotton populations.