8.2
CiteScore
6.6
Impact Factor

2023 Vol. 50, No. 11

Review
CRISPR-mediated acceleration of wheat improvement: advances and perspectives
Ximeng Zhou, Yidi Zhao, Pei Ni, Zhongfu Ni, Qixin Sun, Yuan Zong
2023, 50(11): 815-834. doi: 10.1016/j.jgg.2023.09.007
Abstract (91) PDF (13)
Abstract:
Common wheat (Triticum aestivum) is one of the most widely cultivated and consumed crops globally. In the face of limited arable land and climate changes, it is a great challenge to maintain current and increase future wheat production. Enhancing agronomic traits in wheat by introducing mutations across all three homoeologous copies of each gene has proven to be a difficult task due to its large genome with high repetition. However, clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeat (CRISPR)/CRISPR-associated nuclease (Cas) genome editing technologies offer a powerful means of precisely manipulating the genomes of crop species, thereby opening up new possibilities for biotechnology and breeding. In this review, we first focus on the development and optimization of the current CRISPR-based genome editing tools in wheat, emphasizing recent breakthroughs in precise and multiplex genome editing. We then describe the general procedure of wheat genome editing and highlight different methods to deliver the genome editing reagents into wheat cells. Furthermore, we summarize the recent applications and advancements of CRISPR/Cas technologies for wheat improvement. Lastly, we discuss the remaining challenges specific to wheat genome editing and its future prospects.
Deciphering spike architecture formation towards yield improvement in wheat
Xumei Luo, Yiman Yang, Xuelei Lin, Jun Xiao
2023, 50(11): 835-845. doi: 10.1016/j.jgg.2023.02.015
Abstract (399) PDF (41)
Abstract:
Wheat is the most widely grown crop globally, providing 20% of the daily consumed calories and protein content around the world. With the growing global population and frequent occurrence of extreme weather caused by climate change, ensuring adequate wheat production is essential for food security. The architecture of the inflorescence plays a crucial role in determining the grain number and size, which is a key trait for improving yield. Recent advances in wheat genomics and gene cloning techniques have improved our understanding of wheat spike development and its applications in breeding practices. Here, we summarize the genetic regulation network governing wheat spike formation, the strategies used for identifying and studying the key factors affecting spike architecture, and the progress made in breeding applications. Additionally, we highlight future directions that will aid in the regulatory mechanistic study of wheat spike determination and targeted breeding for grain yield improvement.
Deciphering the evolution and complexity of wheat germplasm from a genomic perspective
Zihao Wang, Lingfeng Miao, Yongming Chen, Huiru Peng, Zhongfu Ni, Qixin Sun, Weilong Guo
2023, 50(11): 846-860. doi: 10.1016/j.jgg.2023.08.002
Abstract (289) PDF (45)
Abstract:
Bread wheat provides an essential fraction of the daily calorific intake for humanity. Due to its huge and complex genome, progress in studying on the wheat genome is substantially trailed behind those of the other two major crops, rice and maize, for at least a decade. With rapid advances in genome assembling and reduced cost of high-throughput sequencing, emerging de novo genome assemblies of wheat and whole-genome sequencing data are leading to a paradigm shift in wheat research. Here, we review recent progress in dissecting the complex genome and germplasm evolution of wheat since the release of the first high-quality wheat genome. New insights have been gained in the evolution of wheat germplasm during domestication and modern breeding progress, genomic variations at multiple scales contributing to the diversity of wheat germplasm, and complex transcriptional and epigenetic regulations of functional genes in polyploid wheat. Genomics databases and bioinformatics tools meeting the urgent needs of wheat genomics research are also summarized. The ever-increasing omics data, along with advanced tools and well-structured databases, are expected to accelerate deciphering the germplasm and gene resources in wheat for future breeding advances.
Original research
TaBZR1 enhances wheat salt tolerance via promoting ABA biosynthesis and ROS scavenging
Ruizhen Yang, Ziyi Yang, Meng Xing, Yexing Jing, Yunwei Zhang, Kewei Zhang, Yun Zhou, Huixian Zhao, Weihua Qiao, Jiaqiang Sun
2023, 50(11): 861-871. doi: 10.1016/j.jgg.2023.09.006
Abstract (88) PDF (10)
Abstract:
Brassinosteroids (BRs) are vital plant steroid hormones involved in numerous aspects of plant life including growth, development, and responses to various stresses. However, the underlying mechanisms of how BR regulates abiotic stress responses in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) remain to be elucidated. Here, we find that BR signal core transcription factor BRASSINAZOLE-RESISTANT1 (TaBZR1) is significantly up-regulated by salt treatment. Overexpression of Tabzr1-1D (a gain-of-function TaBZR1 mutant protein) improves wheat salt tolerance. Furthermore, we show that TaBZR1 binds directly to the G-box motif in the promoter of ABA biosynthesis gene TaNCED3 to activate its expression and promotes ABA accumulation. Moreover, TaBZR1 associates with the promoters of ROS-scavenging genes TaGPX2 and TaGPX3 to activate their expression. Taken together, our results elucidate that TaBZR1 improves salt-stress tolerance by activating some genes involved in the biosynthesis of ABA and ROS scavenging in wheat, which gives us a new strategy to improve the salt tolerance of wheat.
Phosphorylation of KAT-2B by WKS1/Yr36 redirects the lipid flux to jasmonates to enhance resistance against wheat stripe rust
Yan Yan, Xiao-Ming Li, Yun Chen, Tian-Tian Wu, Ci-Hang Ding, Mei-Qi Zhang, Yue-Ting Guo, Chu-Yang Wang, Junli Zhang, Xuebin Zhang, Awais Rasheed, Shengchun Xu, Meng-Lu Wang, Zhongfu Ni, Qixin Sun, Jin-Ying Gou
2023, 50(11): 872-882. doi: 10.1016/j.jgg.2023.08.009
Abstract (119) PDF (14)
Abstract:
Wheat (Triticum aestivum) is one of the most essential human energy and protein sources. However, wheat production is threatened by devastating fungal diseases such as stripe rust, caused by Puccinia striiformis Westend. f. sp. tritici (Pst). Here, we reveal that the alternations in chloroplast lipid profiles and the accumulation of jasmonate (JA) in the necrosis region activate JA signaling and trigger the host defense. The collapse of chloroplasts in the necrosis region results in accumulations of polyunsaturated membrane lipids and the lipid-derived phytohormone JA in transgenic lines of Yr36 that encodes Wheat Kinase START 1 (WKS1), a high-temperature-dependent adult plant resistance protein. WKS1.1, a protein encoded by a full-length splicing variant of WKS1, phosphorylates and enhances the activity of keto-acyl thiolase (KAT-2B), a critical enzyme catalyzing the β-oxidation reaction in JA biosynthesis. The premature stop mutant, kat-2b, accumulates less JA and shows defects in the host defense against Pst. Conversely, overexpression of KAT-2B results in a higher level of JA and limits the growth of Pst. Moreover, JA inhibits the growth and reduces pustule densities of Pst. This study illustrates the WKS1.1-KAT-2B-JA pathway for enhancing wheat defense against fungal pathogens to attenuate yield loss.
TabHLH95-TaNF-YB1 module promotes grain starch synthesis in bread wheat
Yunchuan Liu, Wei Xi, Xiaolu Wang, Huifang Li, Hongxia Liu, Tian Li, Jian Hou, Xu Liu, Chenyang Hao, Xueyong Zhang
2023, 50(11): 883-894. doi: 10.1016/j.jgg.2023.04.002
Abstract (264) PDF (34)
Abstract:
Starch is the most abundant substance in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) endosperm and provides the major carbohydrate energy for human daily life. Starch synthesis-related (SSR) genes are believed to be spatiotemporally specific, but their transcriptional regulation remains unclear in wheat. Here, we investigate the role of the basic helix-loop-helix (bHLH) transcription factor TabHLH95 in starch synthesis. TabHLH95 is preferentially expressed in the developing grains in wheat and encodes a nucleus localized protein without autoactivation activity. The Tabhlh95 knockout mutants display smaller grain size and less starch content than wild type, whereas overexpression of TabHLH95 enhances starch accumulation and significantly improves thousand grain weight. Transcriptome analysis reveals that the expression of multiple SSR genes is significantly reduced in the Tabhlh95 mutants. TabHLH95 binds to the promoters of ADP-glucose pyrophosphorylase large subunit 1 (AGPL1-1D/-1B), AGPL2-5D, and isoamylase (ISA1-7D) and enhances their transcription. Intriguingly, TabHLH95 interacts with the nuclear factor Y (NF-Y) family transcription factor TaNF-YB1, thereby synergistically regulating starch synthesis. These results suggest that the TabHLH95-TaNF-YB1 complex positively modulates starch synthesis and grain weight by regulating the expression of a subset of SSR genes, thus providing a good potential approach for genetic improvement of grain productivity in wheat.
TaACTIN7-D regulates plant height and grain shape in bread wheat
Xiongtao Li, Beilu Cao, Dejie Du, Long Song, Lulu Tian, Xiaoming Xie, Zhaoyan Chen, Yanpeng Ding, Xuejiao Cheng, Yingyin Yao, Weilong Guo, Zhenqi Su, Qixin Sun, Zhongfu Ni, Lingling Chai, Jie Liu
2023, 50(11): 895-908. doi: 10.1016/j.jgg.2023.09.001
Abstract (118) PDF (22)
Abstract:
Exploitation of new gene resources and genetic networks contributing to the control of crop yield-related traits, such as plant height, grain size, and shape, may enable us to breed modern high-yielding wheat varieties through molecular methods. In this study, via ethylmethanesulfonate mutagenesis, we identify a wheat mutant plant, mu-597, that shows semi-dwarf plant architecture and round grain shape. Through bulked segregant RNA-seq and map-based cloning, the causal gene for the semi-dwarf phenotype of mu-597 is located. We find that a single-base mutation in the coding region of TaACTIN7-D (TaACT7-D), leading to a Gly-to-Ser (G65S) amino acid mutation at the 65th residue of the deduced TaACT7-D protein, can explain the semi-dwarfism and round grain shape of mu-597. Further evidence shows that the G65S mutation in TaACT7-D hinders the polymerization of actin from monomeric (G-actin) to filamentous (F-actin) status while attenuates wheat responses to multiple phytohormones, including brassinosteroids, auxin, and gibberellin. Together, these findings not only define a new semi-dwarfing gene resource that can be potentially used to design plant height and grain shape of bread wheat but also establish a direct link between actin structure modulation and phytohormone signal transduction.
Research communications
A highly conserved amino acid in high molecular weight glutenin subunit 1Dy12 contributes to gluten functionality and processing quality in wheat
Changfeng Yang, Qian Chen, Mingming Xin, Zhenqi Su, Jinkun Du, Weilong Guo, Zhaorong Hu, Jie Liu, Huiru Peng, Zhongfu Ni, Qixin Sun, Yingyin Yao
2023, 50(11): 909-912. doi: 10.1016/j.jgg.2022.11.002
Abstract (324) PDF (62)
Abstract:
Improvement of wheat drought tolerance through editing of TaATX4 by CRISPR/Cas9
Zhongxue Wang, Yifang Zhang, Zhensheng Kang, Hude Mao
2023, 50(11): 913-916. doi: 10.1016/j.jgg.2023.10.001
Abstract (548) PDF (57)
Abstract:
TaANR1-TaMADS25 module regulates lignin biosynthesis and root development in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)
Weiya Xu, Yongming Chen, Bin Liu, Qiuyuan Li, Yilan Zhou, Xuanshuang Li, Weilong Guo, Zhaorong Hu, Zhenshan Liu, Mingming Xin, Yingyin Yao, Mingshan You, Huiru Peng, Zhongfu Ni, Jiewen Xing
2023, 50(11): 917-920. doi: 10.1016/j.jgg.2023.08.011
Abstract (210) PDF (33)
Abstract:
Triticeae-BGC: a web-based platform for detecting, annotating and evolutionary analysis of biosynthetic gene clusters in Triticeae
Mingxu Li, Haoyu Wang, Shilong Tian, Yan Zhu, Yijing Zhang
2023, 50(11): 921-923. doi: 10.1016/j.jgg.2023.09.014
Abstract (477) PDF (25)
Abstract: