Different wheat loci are associated to heritable free asparagine content in grain grown under different water and nitrogen availability

International audienceThe amount of free asparagine in grain of a wheat genotype determines its potential to form harmful acrylamide in derivative food products. Here, we explored the variation in the free asparagine, aspartate, glutamine and glutamate contents of 485 accessions refecting wheat worldwide diversity to defne the genetic architecture governing the accumulation of these amino acids in grain. Accessions were grown under high and low nitrogen availability and in water-defcient and well-watered conditions, and plant and grain phenotypes were measured. Free amino acid contents of grain varied from 0.01 to 1.02 mg g−1 among genotypes in a highly heritable way that did not correlate strongly with grain yield, protein content, specifc weight, thousand-kernel weight or heading date. Mean free asparagine content was 4% higher under high nitrogen and 3% higher in water-defcient conditions. After genotyping the accessions, single-locus and multi-locus genome-wide association study models were used to identify several QTLs for free asparagine content located on nine chromosomes. Each QTL was associated with a single amino acid and growing environment, and none of the QTLs colocalised with genes known to be involved in the corresponding amino acid metabolism. This suggests that free asparagine content is controlled by several loci with minor efects interacting with the environment. We conclude that breeding for reduced asparagine content is feasible, but should be frmly based on multi-environment feld trials. Key message: Diferent wheat QTLs were associated to the free asparagine content of grain grown in four diferent conditions. Environmental efects are a key factor when selecting for low acrylamide-forming potentia

Deep sequencing reveals abundant non-canonical retroviral microRNAs in B-cell leukemia/lymphoma

Viral tumor models have significantly contributed to our understanding of oncogenic mechanisms. How transforming delta-retroviruses induce malignancy however remains poorly understood, especially as viral mRNA/protein are tightly silenced in tumors. Here, using deep sequencing of broad windows of small RNA sizes in the Bovine Leukemia Virus ovine model of leukemia/lymphoma, we provide in vivo evidence of the production of non-canonical Pol IIItranscribed viral microRNAs in leukemic B-cells in the complete absence of Pol II 5’ LTR-driven transcriptional activity. Processed from a cluster of five independent self-sufficient transcriptional units located in a proviral region dispensable for in vivo infectivity, BLV microRNAs represent ~ 40 % of all microRNAs in both experimental and natural malignancy. They are subject to strong purifying selection and associate with Argonautes, consistent with a critical function in silencing of important cellular and/or viral targets. BLV microRNAs are strongly expressed in preleukemic and malignant cells in which structural and regulatory gene expression is repressed, suggesting a key role in tumor onset and progression. Understanding how Pol III-dependent microRNAs subvert cellular and viral pathways will contribute in deciphering the intricate perturbations that underlie malignant transformation