Detection of QTLs for bread‐making quality in wheat using a recombinant inbred line population

Whereas gluten fraction accounts for 30–60% of the variation in wheat bread‐making quality, there remains substantial variation determined by non‐gluten factors. The objective of this study was to detect new loci for wheat quality. The genetics of sodium dodecyl sulphate‐sedimentation volume (Ssd), grain hardness (GH), grain protein content, wet gluten content (WGC) and water absorption (Abs) in a set of 198 recombinant inbred lines derived from two commercial varieties was studied by quantitative trait loci (QTL) analysis. A genetic map based on 255 marker loci, consisting of 250 simple sequence repeat markers and five glutenin loci, Glu‐A1, Glu‐B1, Glu‐D1, Glu‐B3 and Glu‐D3, was constructed. A total of 73 QTLs were detected for all traits. A major QTL for GH was detected on chromosome 1B and its relative contribution to phenotypic variation was 27.7%. A major QTL for Abs on chromosome 5D explained more than 30% of the phenotypic variation. Variations in Ssd were explained by four kinds of genes. Some QTLs for correlated traits mapped to the same regions forming QTL clusters or indicated pleiotropic effects.     

Seed proteins of the wild and the cultivated Amaranthus species

The 13–21% variation in seed protein content was observed in wild and cultivated forms of amaranth. Seed proteins of amaranth are highly nutritive and composed presumably of easily digestable albumins and globulins (over 50% of total protein); of 20.8% alkali-soluble proteins-glutelins with similar nutritive value and only of 12% alcohol-soluble proteins-prolamins which are lacking in essential amino acids. The results of polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (buffer pH being 3.2) indicate that seed proteins of amaranth are heterogeneous and compose of 38 bands which, by their electrophoretic mobility, can be tentatively assigned to four zones: A, B, C and D. By their protein patterns all Amaranthus species were assigned to 7 biotypes. The cytogenetic and electrophoretic comparison enabled us to determine the degree of diversity among amaranth forms studied. The phylogenetic relationship between A. paniculatus L. and A. hybridus L. was confirmed. A relationship was also supposed between these two species and A. lividus L. and between A. powellis L. and A. deflexus L. which by their electrophoretic patterns belong to the same biotype. A taxonomic classification of 5 samples whose classification has not been done yet was performed, as well as of cultivars Elbrus and Progress which were assigned to specious A. edulis L. It was confirmed that the method of electrophoretic analysis of seed storage proteins is very promising for detecting the phylogenetic relationship between Amaranthus species. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Development of near-isogenic lines of wheat carrying different null Wx alleles and their starch properties

The granule-bound starch synthase (GBSS I) encoded by the Wxgenes, is involved in amylose synthesis. For analyses of mechanisms of amylose synthesis and associated starch properties in hexaploid wheat, eight possible genotypes having different combinations of the three null alleles at the Wx loci with a common genetic background are a prerequisite. A near-isogenic population of doubled haploid (DH) lines was produced from Chinese Spring × waxy Chinese Spring F₁ plants using the wheat × maize method. The Wx protein phenotypes of the DH progeny were examined by sodium dodecyl sulphate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and found that the null alleles at each of the three Wx loci segregated in a Mendelian fashion. A field trial demonstrated no differences between the eight types for ear emergence time, plant height and grain yield traits. Amylose content in the endosperm starch was highest in the wild type while lowest in the waxy type having no Wx proteins. Comparison between single null types and double null types indicated that the amylose synthesis capacity of Wx-A1a allele is the lowest. Pasting properties of starch are the highest in the waxy type, followed by the double null types. Consequently, both peak viscosity and breakdown were negatively correlated with amylose content. The chain-length distribution analysis of amylopectin structure revealed no clear difference among the eight types,suggesting that the reduced GBSS I activity due to introgression of the null Wx alleles does not affect either the chain length or the degree of branching of amylopectin. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

基于SNP标记揭示我国小麦品种(系)的遗传多样性

为了解我国主要小麦品种(系)的遗传多样性,为亲本组配提供参考,利用90KSNP芯片技术对国内为主的240个小麦品种(系)进行全基因组扫描,分析其遗传多样性和遗传基础。结果表明,多态性SNP位点在B基因组最多, D基因组最最少,尤其4D上最少;在全基因组范围内PIC平均值为0.26。参试品种间平均遗传相似系数为0.656,变幅为0.133～0.998,且87.05%品种间遗传相似系数在0.60～0.78之间;国内西南麦区和长江中下游麦区小麦品种(系)间的平均相似系数较高,分别为0.718和0.712,国外品种(系)间的相似系数最低,为0.552。聚类分析将参试品种(系)划分为7个类群,大部分类群含有来自不同区域育成品种(系),主成分分析显示各区域育成的品种(系)相互交集,表明我国各省市间种质资源交流较为频繁,但部分单位育成的品种(系)遗传基础不够丰富,部分品种(系)间遗传相似性较高,在育种中亟待引入新的种质,拓宽遗传基础。     

Inheritance of excised-leaf water loss and relative water content in bread wheat (Triticum aestivum)

Little information is available on the genetics of excised leaf water loss and relative water content in wheat. An experiment conducted on the F₁ generation from a half-diallel set of crosses involving two drought tolerant, two moderately tolerant and two sensitive varieties was initiated to investigate the inheritance of excised-leaf water loss and relative water content. This experiment was conducted under glass-house and field conditions at tillering and anthesis stages of plant development. Additive gene action, in general, played a major role in determining the inheritance of these traits. General combining ability (GCA) was the main source of genetic variation among crosses, while specific combining ability (SCA) was negligible. Strong phenotypic correlations existed between per se performance and GCA effects in the majority of cases. Heterosis was unimportant. Genotype-environmental interactions and/or differential gene expression appeared to account for different results found between environments and growth stages, respectively. Selection for relative water content appeared to be more effective at anthesis, while for excised-leaf water loss at both stages of plant growth. In addition to drought resistance, wide differences for morphological characters and relative positions of parental arrays revealed the possibility of obtaining desirable segregants for drought stress conditions from the cross Kharchia 65 × WH 147. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Proteomic alteration of a thermo‐sensitive male sterility SP2S in rapeseed (Brassica napus) in response to mild temperature stress

We conducted a proteomic comparison between thermo‐sensitive genic male sterility (TGMS) SP2S and its near‐isogenic line SP2F grown at 22°C. The proteomes at microsporocyte meiosis and uninucleate microspore stages were profiled using 2‐dimensional gel electrophoresis. Twenty‐five well‐reproducible spots (10 spots at microsporocyte meiosis stage and 15 spots at uninucleate microspore stage) containing 28 proteins were successfully identified by MALDI‐TOF/TOF mass spectrometry. An elongation factor EF‐2 at microsporocyte stage and 4 proteins (aconitate hydratase, triosephosphate isomerase, serine/arginine‐rich mRNA splicing factor and glutathione S‐transferase) at uninucleate microspore stage accumulated in SP2S, but more proteins were lost or reduced, including those associated with amino acid metabolism, photosynthesis, synthesis and degradation of protein, lipid metabolism, cytoskeleton, RNA modification, oxidoreductase and defence response. The dramatic decrease of tubulin, actin and Translationally controlled tumour protein (TCTP) crucial for microtubule and cell division and three enzymes for amino acid metabolite at early stage indicated a serious defect on the cytokinesis. They were important clues for us to search the TGMS genes and its interacting genes.     

Cross‐genera amplification of informative microsatellite markers from common bean and scarlet runner bean for assessment of genetic diversity in mungbean (Vigna radiata)

Mungbean (V. radiata) is an important Asiatic legume supplying inexpensive protein to a vast majority of vegetarian masses. To increase markers repertoire in mungbean, a study was conducted to analyse 384 microsatellite markers derived from common bean, scarlet runner bean and adzuki bean for their transferability and polymorphism. The results showed that 87 (24.71%) primer pairs could amplify DNA loci of 20 mungbean genotypes including one accession of V. trilobata, while 52 showed reliable banding and polymorphism. These showed different degrees of variability at each locus producing 250 alleles with the number of alleles varying from 2 to 9. The major allele frequency varied from 0.17 to 0.95, while the polymorphic information content of SSRs ranged between 0.09 and 0.86 with an average of 0.60 ± 0.16. UPGMA revealed three major clusters accommodating ~95% of the accessions while one accession of V. trilobata (‘NSB‐007’) did not group with any other genotype describing the discriminating power of informative microsatellites. This study identified a set of useful microsatellite markers to accelerate the genetic studies and breeding programme of mungbean.