Wheat Genomics: Present Status and Future Prospects

Abstract

Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.), with a large genome (16000 Mb) and high proportion (∼80%) of repetitive sequences, has been a difficult crop for genomics research. However, the availability of extensive cytogenetics stocks has been an asset, which facilitated significant progress in wheat genomic research in recent years. For instance, fairly dense molecular maps (both genetic and physical maps) and a large set of ESTs allowed genome-wide identification of gene-rich and gene-poor regions as well as QTL including eQTL. The availability of markers associated with major economic traits also allowed development of major programs on marker-assisted selection (MAS) in some countries, and facilitated map-based cloning of a number of genes/QTL. Resources for functional genomics including TILLING and RNA interference (RNAi) along with some new approaches like epigenetics and association mapping are also being successfully used for wheat genomics research. BAC/BIBAC libraries for the subgenome D and some individual chromosomes have also been prepared to facilitate sequencing of gene space. In this brief review, we discuss all these advances in some detail, and also describe briefly the available resources, which can be used for future genomics research in this important crop.

Detection of QTLs for important agronomical traits in hexaploid wheat using association analysis

“…son with other types of molecular markers (Gupta et al 2008). PIC values (from 0.318 to 0.886) and a significant number of allelic forms at all loci indicate a wide genetic variation accumulated in the breeding material.…”

Analysis of Agro-Morphological Characters in Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) Genotypes for Yield and Yield Components

“…Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) is one of the major staple food crops grown worldwide on more than 17% of the cultivated land and produced in a wide range of climatic environments systems, where and geographic regions (Gupta et al, 2008). It is the leading cereal grain produced, consumed and traded in the world.…”

The Response of Spring Wheat Cultivars to Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Colonization under Salinity Stresses

“…In 2013, with a global production of over 0.71 billion t, Wheat occupied the third position of most produced crop over the world, after 0.74 billion t of rice and over 1 billion t of maize (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, 2013). Wheat is planted on more than 17% of the global crop acreage and it successfully feeds over two-fifths of the population worldwide (Gupta et al, 2008). Today, however, numerous severe stresses, both biotic and abiotic, negatively impede the global wheat production: one of the most severe concerns is soil salinization (Günal et al, 2015).…”