Integrating wheat nucleolus structure and function: Variation in the wheat ribosomal RNA and protein genes

We review the coordinated production and integration of the RNA (ribosomal RNA, rRNA) and protein (ribosomal protein, RP) components of wheat cytoplasmic ribosomes in response to changes in genetic constitution, biotic and abiotic stresses. The components examined are highly conserved and identified with reference to model systems such as human, Arabidopsis, and rice, but have sufficient levels of differences in their DNA and amino acid sequences to form fingerprints or gene haplotypes that provide new markers to associate with phenotype variation. Specifically, it is argued that populations of ribosomes within a cell can comprise distinct complements of rRNA and RPs to form units with unique functionalities. The unique functionalities of ribosome populations within a cell can become central in situations of stress where they may preferentially translate mRNAs coding for proteins better suited to contributing to survival of the cell. In model systems where this concept has been developed, the engagement of initiation factors and elongation factors to account for variation in the translation machinery of the cell in response to stresses provided the precedents. The polyploid nature of wheat adds extra variation at each step of the synthesis and assembly of the rRNAs and RPs which can, as a result, potentially enhance its response to changing environments and disease threats

A new web-based genomics resource for bioinformatics analysis of Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) microplus: CattleTickBase

No abstract availabl

QTLs for malting flavour component associated with pre-harvest sprouting susceptibility in barley (Hordeum vulgare L.)

Lipoxygenase (LOX) is a key factor affecting quality of beer in terms of foam stability and flavour. Low LOX content is a desirable trait for malting quality. A doubled haploid (DH) population was made from a cross of Australian malting barley Stirling and Canadian malting barley Harrington and mapped with 513 molecular markers. The 120 DH lines with their parents were planted in field trials and the harvested grains were micro-malted for analysis of LOX content in two consecutive years. LOX content was controlled by both genetic effects and environment conditions. Three QTLs were consistently detected. One QTL flanked by the markers E6216 and SCssr03907 at the telomere region of chromosome 5HL contributed 39% of genetic variation in LOX content. The second QTL close to the centromere region of chromosome 5H accounted for 17% of genetic variation. A minor QTL on chromosome 2H explained 6% of genetic variation but was significant in both years. The Australian variety Stirling contributed to higher LOX content for the three QTLs. The two QTLs mapped at chromosome 5H for LOX content coincided with the QTLs for seed dormancy/pre-harvest sprouting from the same population. The pre-harvest sprouting susceptible alleles were associated with low LOX content, which indicated that the low LOX QTL from the Canadian malting barleys are only useful in the barley growing areas where the pre-harvest sprouting risk is low. New genetic sources for low LOX should be exploited in different germplasm with different mechanisms

Worldwide phylogeography and history of wheat genetic diversity

Since its domestication in the Fertile Crescent ~8000 to 10,000 years ago, wheat has undergone a complex history of spread, adaptation, and selection. To get better insights into the wheat phylogeography and genetic diversity, we describe allele distribution through time using a set of 4506 landraces and cultivars originating from 105 different countries genotyped with a high-density single-nucleotide polymorphism array. Although the genetic structure of landraces is collinear to ancient human migration roads, we observe a reshuffling through time, related to breeding programs, with the appearance of new alleles enriched with structural variations that may be the signature of introgressions from wild relatives after 1960

Expressed Ay HMW glutenin subunit in Australian wheat cultivars indicates a positive effect on wheat quality

Out of the six HMW-GS genes, 1Ay is usually not expressed in bread wheat cultivars. In the current study, an active 1Ay gene has been integrated into two Australian wheat cultivars, Livingston and Bonnie Rock, through conventional backcross approach. Three sister lines at BC4F4 generation for each cross were obtained and underwent a series of quality testing. Results show that the active 1Ay subunit increased the amount total protein, Glutenin/Gliadin ratio and unextractable polymeric protein. The expressed 1Ay also resulted in up to 10% increase of gluten content, 5% increase of glutenin, and hence increased the HMW- to LMW-GS ratio without affecting the relative amount of other subunits. Milling yield and Flour swelling were decreased in the Livingston lines and remained mostly unchanged for Bonnie Rock. Alveograph result showed that Ay improved dough strength in Livingston and dough extensibility in Bonnie Rock. Zeleny sedimentation value was found to be higher in all three lines of Bonnie Rock but only in one of Livingston derivatives. The dough development time and peak resistance, determined on the micro Z-arm mixer were increased in most cases. Overall, the integration of Ay subunit showed significant positive effects in bread making quality

Major haplotype divergence including multiple germin-like protein genes, at the wheat Sr2 adult plant stem rust resistance locus

Background The adult plant stem rust resistance gene Sr2 was introgressed into hexaploid wheat cultivar (cv) Marquis from tetraploid emmer wheat cv Yaroslav, to generate stem rust resistant cv Hope in the 1920s. Subsequently, Sr2 has been widely deployed and has provided durable partial resistance to all known races of Puccinia graminis f. sp. tritici. This report describes the physical map of the Sr2-carrying region on the short arm of chromosome 3B of cv Hope and compares the Hope haplotype with non-Sr2 wheat cv Chinese Spring. Results Sr2 was located to a region of 867 kb on chromosome 3B in Hope, which corresponded to a region of 567 kb in Chinese Spring. The Hope Sr2 region carried 34 putative genes but only 17 were annotated in the comparable region of Chinese Spring. The two haplotypes differed by extensive DNA sequence polymorphisms between flanking markers as well as by a major insertion/deletion event including ten Germin-Like Protein (GLP) genes in Hope that were absent in Chinese Spring. Haplotype analysis of a limited number of wheat genotypes of interest showed that all wheat genotypes carrying Sr2 possessed the GLP cluster; while, of those lacking Sr2, some, including Marquis, possessed the cluster, while some lacked it. Thus, this region represents a common presence-absence polymorphism in wheat, with presence of the cluster not correlated with presence of Sr2. Comparison of Hope and Marquis GLP genes on 3BS found no polymorphisms in the coding regions of the ten genes but several SNPs in the shared promoter of one divergently transcribed GLP gene pair and a single SNP downstream of the transcribed region of a second GLP. Conclusion Physical mapping and sequence comparison showed major haplotype divergence at the Sr2 locus between Hope and Chinese Spring. Candidate genes within the Sr2 region of Hope are being evaluated for the ability to confer stem rust resistance. Based on the detailed mapping and sequencing of the locus, we predict that Sr2 does not belong to the NB-LRR gene family and is not related to previously cloned, race non-specific rust resistance genes Lr34 and Yr36

Major haplotype divergence including multiple germin-like protein genes, at the wheat Sr2 adult plant stem rust resistance locus

Background The adult plant stem rust resistance gene Sr2 was introgressed into hexaploid wheat cultivar (cv) Marquis from tetraploid emmer wheat cv Yaroslav, to generate stem rust resistant cv Hope in the 1920s. Subsequently, Sr2 has been widely deployed and has provided durable partial resistance to all known races of Puccinia graminis f. sp. tritici. This report describes the physical map of the Sr2-carrying region on the short arm of chromosome 3B of cv Hope and compares the Hope haplotype with non-Sr2 wheat cv Chinese Spring. Results Sr2 was located to a region of 867 kb on chromosome 3B in Hope, which corresponded to a region of 567 kb in Chinese Spring. The Hope Sr2 region carried 34 putative genes but only 17 were annotated in the comparable region of Chinese Spring. The two haplotypes differed by extensive DNA sequence polymorphisms between flanking markers as well as by a major insertion/deletion event including ten Germin-Like Protein (GLP) genes in Hope that were absent in Chinese Spring. Haplotype analysis of a limited number of wheat genotypes of interest showed that all wheat genotypes carrying Sr2 possessed the GLP cluster; while, of those lacking Sr2, some, including Marquis, possessed the cluster, while some lacked it. Thus, this region represents a common presence-absence polymorphism in wheat, with presence of the cluster not correlated with presence of Sr2. Comparison of Hope and Marquis GLP genes on 3BS found no polymorphisms in the coding regions of the ten genes but several SNPs in the shared promoter of one divergently transcribed GLP gene pair and a single SNP downstream of the transcribed region of a second GLP. Conclusion Physical mapping and sequence comparison showed major haplotype divergence at the Sr2 locus between Hope and Chinese Spring. Candidate genes within the Sr2 region of Hope are being evaluated for the ability to confer stem rust resistance. Based on the detailed mapping and sequencing of the locus, we predict that Sr2 does not belong to the NB-LRR gene family and is not related to previously cloned, race non-specific rust resistance genes Lr34 and Yr36

High frequency of abnormal high molecular weight glutenin alleles in Chinese wheat landraces of the Yangtze-River region

A total of 485 common landraces of bread wheat were collected from the Yangtze-River region of China. Their high molecular weight glutenin subunit (HMW-GS) composition was analyzed by Matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight Mass Spectrometry (MALDI-TOF-MS). Among all landraces tested, 453 were homogeneous for HMW-GS, 32 were heterogeneous, and 37 contained abnormal subunits. A total of 22 alleles were detected, including 3 at Glu-A1, 13 at Glu-B1 and 6 at Glu-D1, respectively. Higher variations occurred at the Glu-B1 locus compared with Glu-A1 and Glu-D1. Glu-A1c (74.0%), Glu-B1b (40.4%), Glu-D1a (84.9%) appeared to be the most frequent alleles at Glu-A1, Glu-B1 and Glu-D1, respectively. Two alleles ("null" and 1) at the Glu-A1 locus, three allele compositions (7 + 8, 7OE + 8, 7 + 9) at the Glu-B1 locus, and two (2 + 12 and 5 + 10) at the Glu-D1 locus appeared to be the common types in the 485 landraces. Sixteen new alleles represented by abnormal subunits were identified at the Glu-B1 and the Glu-D1 locus

Catalogue of gene symbols for wheat: 2011 Supplement

The most recent version of the Catalogue, compiled for the 11th International Wheat Genetics Symposium held in Brisbane, Australia, and the 2009 and 2010 Supplements (Annual Wheat Newsletter 55 and 56) are available on the Komugi and GrainGenes websites. It was not included as part of the IWGS proceedings and therefore cannot be cited as part of the