Theoretical and Applied Genetics

Survey of tocopherol and the associated genetic loci in wheat grain

Endogenous antioxidant systems grains fluctuate dramatically among genotypes, creating breeding blind spots for nutritional enhancement. Phenotype-genotype association screens across wheat populations have uncovered genomic signatures linked to tocerpherol metabolism.

Full article:

The knockout of ClaCSLH1 induced dwarfing in watermelon

Dwarfing is a key trait for improving crop architecture and production efficiency in watermelon. This study identifies ClaCSLH1 as a regulator of internode elongation, showing how its disruption alters cell wall composition and leads to a stable dwarf phenotype.

Full article:

Chromosome-level genome assembly of a high-yield Chinese soybean variety Mengdou1137 unlocks genetic potential of disease and lodging resistance

High-quality genome assemblies are key to unlocking genetic variation in crop varieties. This study presents the chromosome-level assembly of high-yield soybean variety Mengdou1137, revealing resistance genes and trait-associated variants for disease and lodging resistance.

Read:

Development of Brassica rapa-nigra monosomic alien addition lines: cytology, genetics, and morphology

Monosomic alien addition lines offer a powerful tool for exploring genome interactions in Brassica species. This study develops Brassica rapa–nigra MAALs, shedding light on B-genome contributions to trait expression and revealing insights into chromosome transmission.

Full article:

Stripe rust remains a major challenge in wheat production. This study characterises adult-plant resistance in Yunnan hulled wheat, identifying and validating three QTLs with additive effects that provide strong potential for breeding resilient varieties.

Full article: rdcu.be/evKum

Genetic analysis and fine mapping reveal that AhRt3, which encodes an anthocyanin reductase, is responsible for red testa in cultivated peanuts

Seed coat colour in peanut is linked to nutritional value, but its genetic control is not fully understood. This study fine-maps a major locus for red testa and identifies an anthocyanin reductase gene as a strong candidate, offering insights into pigment accumulation.

Article:

QTL mapping and multi-omics identify candidate genes for protein and oil in soybean

Protein and oil content are core traits for soybean breeding, yet their genetic regulation is complex. This study integrates QTL mapping, BSA-seq, RNA-seq, and mutation validation to identify candidate genes, supporting future improvement through marker-assisted selection.

Article:

A rare stop-gain SNP mutation in BrGL2 causes aborted trichome development in Chinese cabbage (Brassica rapa L. ssp. pekinensis)

Trichome traits impact the appearance and quality of Chinese cabbage, yet their genetic control remains unclear. This study identifies a rare stop-gain mutation in BrGL2, shedding light on the molecular regulation of trichome development.

Full article:

Prediction of biomass sorghum hybrids using environmental feature-enriched genomic combining ability models in tropical environments

GxE interactions present a major challenge in hybrid breeding under tropical conditions. This study demonstrates that incorporating environmental features into genomic prediction models can improve the accuracy of hybrid performance predictions in biomass sorghum.

Read:

Genetic structure of Ethiopian finger millet landraces and genome-wide association mapping for agronomic and nutritional traits

Finger millet plays a key nutritional and agronomic role in East Africa, yet its genetic diversity remains underutilised. This study investigates the population structure of Ethiopian landraces and identifies genomic regions and haplotypes linked to key yield.

Full article:

Allele-based modeling to predict phenological stages of grapevine hybrids under future climatic conditions

Climate change is shifting the timing of key developmental stages in grapevine. This study integrates genetic data into phenological models to predict how specific allele combinations may perform under future climate scenarios, supporting the development of resilient hybrids.

Read:

Enhancing the breeding gene pool of wheat using accessions in gene banks as demonstrated by the Watkins collection

Historic germplasm collections hold valuable alleles for wheat improvement. This study uses genomic and phenotypic analysis of the Watkins collection to find loci linked to disease resistance and climate adaptation, offering new opportunities to diversify breeding gene pools.

Read:

Harnessing neo-domestication of wild pigmented rice for enhanced nutrition and sustainable agriculture

Wild pigmented rice holds untapped potential for boosting nutrition and resilience in agriculture. This review explores how precision gene editing and neo-domestication strategies can transform wild rice into a high-value crop.

Full article:

Joint linkage and association analysis identifies genomic regions and candidate genes for yield-related traits in wheat

Improving yield in wheat relies on uncovering the genetic basis of complex traits. This study combines linkage and association analysis to identify key genomic regions and candidate genes, providing valuable targets for future breeding and gene discovery efforts.

Article:

Progress and innovations of gene cloning in wheat and its close relatives

Cloning genes in wheat has long been hindered by its large and complex genome. This review outlines recent advances in genomic tools and strategies that are transforming gene cloning in wheat and its relatives, enabling faster progress in trait discovery and crop improvement.

Read:

Map-based cloning of Zmccr3 and its network construction and validation for regulating maize seed germination

Seed germination and dormancy are critical traits influencing yield stability and grain quality in maize. This study maps Zmccr3, a key gene regulating seed germination and constructs a broader regulatory network involved in dormancy-to-germination transition.

Article:

OsBSK3 and OsBSK2 regulate grain size and leaf angle via MAPK signaling pathway in rice

Grain size and leaf angle are key contributors to yield and planting density in rice. This study uncovers how OsBSK2 and OsBSK3 influence these traits through a MAPK signalling cascade, offering new insight into the hormonal and developmental control of plant architecture.

Read:

EBMGP: a deep learning model for genomic prediction based on Elastic Net feature selection and bidirectional encoder representations from transformer's embedding and multi-head attention pooling

Improving genomic prediction is critical for accelerating selection in breeding programs. This study introduces a deep learning model that combines Elastic Net feature selection with transformer-based embeddings, offering better accuracy and flexibility across datasets.

Article:

Association mapping of haploid male fertility in sweet corn

Spontaneous genome doubling is key to improving doubled haploid efficiency in maize, but remains underexplored in sweet corn. This study maps genetic variation for haploid male fertility, revealing candidate loci and highlighting untapped potential in sweet corn germplasm.

Article:

Chromosomal structural variation loci HSS1 and HSS6 lead to hybrid sterility in rice

Hybrid sterility limits the full use of heterosis in rice breeding. This study uncovers two chromosomal structural variation loci associated with sterility in interspecific hybrids, revealing a new inheritance model and offering insights to improve hybrid compatibility.

Full article:

Temporal transcriptome analysis reveals the two-phase action of florigens in rice flowering

Florigen genes are central to the floral transition in rice, but their full role remains underexplored. This study reveals a two-phase action of Hd3a and RFT1, showing how low and high florigen levels distinctly regulate developmental timing and floral induction.

Full article:

A Golden2-like transcription factor regulates Brassica napus seed vigor after artificial aging

Seed aging can reduce viability, especially in oil-rich crops like Brassica napus. This study identifies a GLK transcription factor linked to seed vigour after aging and explores its role in regulating fatty acid composition and membrane stability.

Full article:

Mapping of identity by descent reveals genes shaping morphology and biological traits in the cultivated lettuce varieties during the long-term crossbreeding

Using identity-by-descent mapping, this research identifies genomic regions and candidate genes under selection pressure during lettuce diversification. The analysis reveals how selective breeding has driven morphological differentiation across cultivated lettuce types.

Full article:

The chromosome-scale genomes of two cultivated safflowers (Carthamus tinctorius) provide insights into the genetic diversity resulting from domestication

Comparative genomic analysis of two safflower cultivars using chromosome-scale assemblies reveals genetic variation underlying key agronomic traits including fatty acid profiles, flowering phenology, and flavonoid metabolism.

Full article:

Stable pleotropic loci controlling the accumulation of multiple nutritional elements in wheat

This research maps stable QTLs with pleiotropic effects on essential element accumulation in wheat grain. The identification of these multi-trait QTL offers molecular markers and breeding targets for developing wheat cultivars with enhanced nutritional profiles.

Article:

Mapping of identity by descent reveals genes shaping morphology and biological traits in the cultivated lettuce varieties during the long-term crossbreeding

Long-term crossbreeding has shaped the distinct morphology and traits of cultivated lettuce types. This study applies identity-by-descent mapping to reveal key genomic regions under selection across major lettuce varieties, offering insights into trait evolution and diversity.

Read:

Fine mapping and identification of CqMYB62 as the subgynoecy gene in chieh-qua (Benincasa hispida Cogn. var. Chieh-qua How)

Researchers have fine-mapped a major genetic locus controlling subgynoecy in chieh-qua.These findings provide valuable molecular tools for developing female-biased breeding lines to optimize hybrid seed production and crop yields.

Article:

The chromosome-scale genomes of two cultivated safflowers (Carthamus tinctorius) provide insights into the genetic diversity resulting from domestication

Domestication shapes crop diversity through adaptations to local environments. This study presents chromosome-scale genomes of two cultivated safflower lines, revealing genetic differences in traits like fatty acid composition, flowering time, and flavonoid biosynthesis.

Read:

Deletion of wheat alpha-gliadins from chromosome 6D improves gluten strength and reduces immunodominant celiac disease epitopes

New research demonstrates that targeted deletion of α-gliadin genes on chromosome 6D can simultaneously improve gluten functionality and reduce immunogenic epitopes associated with celiac disease.

Full article:

Stable pleotropic loci controlling the accumulation of multiple nutritional elements in wheat

Enhancing nutrient content in wheat is vital for improving food quality and security. This study identifies stable, pleiotropic QTL influencing the accumulation of multiple essential elements, providing a foundation for breeding nutritionally enhanced wheat varieties.

Article: