Physiological and Transcriptomic Characterization of Sea-Wheatgrass-Derived Waterlogging Tolerance in Wheat

Waterlogging, causing hypoxia stress and nitrogen depletion in the rhizosphere, has been an increasing threat to wheat production. We developed a wheat–sea wheatgrass (SWG) amphiploid showing superior tolerance to waterlogging and low nitrogen. Validated in deoxygenated agar medium for three weeks, hypoxia stress reduced the dry matter of the wheat parent by 40% but had little effect on the growth of the amphiploid. To understand the underlying mechanisms, we comparatively analyzed the wheat–SWG amphiploid and its wheat parent grown in aerated and hypoxic solutions for physiological traits and root transcriptomes. Compared with its wheat parent, the amphiploid showed less magnitude in forming root porosity and barrier to radial oxygen loss, two important mechanisms for internal O2 movement to the apex, and downregulation of genes for ethylene, lignin, and reactive oxygen species. In another aspect, however, hypoxia stress upregulated the nitrate assimilation/reduction pathway in amphiploid and induced accumulation of nitric oxide, a byproduct of nitrate reduction, in its root tips, and the amphiploid maintained much higher metabolic activity in its root system compared with its wheat parent. Taken together, our research suggested that enhanced nitrate assimilation and reduction and accumulation of nitric oxide play important roles in the SWG-derived waterlogging tolerance.

Addition of Aegilops biuncialis chromosomes 2M or 3M improves the salt tolerance of wheat in different way

Aegilops biuncialis is a promising gene source to improve salt tolerance of wheat via interspecific hybridization. In the present work, the salt stress responses of wheat-Ae. biuncialis addition lines were investigated during germination and in young plants to identify which Aegilops chromosomes can improve the salt tolerance of wheat. After salt treatments, the Aegilops parent and the addition lines 2M, 3M and 3M.4BS showed higher germination potential, shoot and root growth, better CO2 assimilation capacity and less chlorophyll degradation than the wheat parent. The Aegilops parent accumulated less Na in the roots due to an up-regulation of SOS1, SOS2 and HVP1 genes, while it contained higher amount of proline, fructose, glucose, galactose, maltose and raffinose. In the leaves, lower Na level was accompanied by high amount of proline and increased expression of NHX2 gene. The enhanced accumulation of sugars and proline was also observed in the roots of 3M and 3M.4BS addition lines. Typical mechanism of 2M addition line was the sequestration of Na into the vacuole due to the increased expression of HVP1 in the roots and NHX2 in the leaves. These results suggest the Aegilops chromosomes 2M and 3M can improve salt tolerance of wheat in different way.

New Quantitative Trait Loci in Wheat for Flag Leaf Resistance to Stagonospora nodorum Blotch

Stagonospora nodorum blotch (SNB) is a significant disease in some wheat-growing regions of the world. Resistance in wheat to Stagonospora nodorum is complex, whereby genes for seedling, flag leaf, and glume resistance are independent. The aims of this study were to identify alternative genes for flag leaf resistance, to compare and contrast with known quantitative trait loci (QTL) for SNB resistance, and to determine the potential role of host-specific toxins for SNB QTL. Novel QTL for flag leaf resistance were identified on chromosome 2AS inherited from winter wheat parent ‘P92201D5’ and chromosome 1BS from spring wheat parent ‘EGA Blanco’. The chromosomal map position of markers associated with QTL on 1BS and 2AS indicated that they were unlikely to be associated with known host–toxin insensitivity loci. A QTL on chromosome 5BL inherited from EGA Blanco had highly significant association with markers fcp001 and fcp620 based on disease evaluation in 2007 and, therefore, is likely to be associated with Tsn1-ToxA insensitivity for flag leaf resistance. However, fcp001 and fcp620 were not associated with a QTL detected based on disease evaluation in 2008, indicating two linked QTL for flag leaf resistance with multiple genes residing on 5BL. This study identified novel QTL and their effects in controlling flag leaf SNB resistance.

Effect of wheat genotype on the phenotype of wheat × jointed goatgrass (Aegilops cylindrica) hybrids

Jointed goatgrass is a troublesome weed in winter wheat in the Pacific Northwest of the United States. Wheat and jointed goatgrass (JGG) can cross and produce hybrids in the field that can serve as a potential bridge for gene migration between the two species. To determine the potential for gene movement it is important to be able to identify hybrids in the field. To study the effect of wheat genotype on hybrid phenotype, reciprocal crosses were made between JGG and two common wheat cultivars: ‘Brundage 96’, ‘Hubbard’, a common-type advanced breeding line: ‘87–52814A’, and a club wheat cultivar: ‘Rhode’. Hybrids and parents were measured for plant height, spike length, flag leaf length, flag leaf width, and number of spikelets. Reciprocal effects were nonsignificant for all characteristics measured, indicating that hybrid morphology was not affected by the direction of the cross. Hybrids were different from their wheat parents for spike length, plant height, and flag leaf width. Hybrids produced from each of the wheat parents were uniform in phenotypic characters. Spikes were intermediate in circumference (size) from crosses between JGG and common wheat lines; however, club wheat × JGG crosses resulted in spikes that were more similar to common wheat. Spike size and flag leaf width for all hybrids also were intermediate between their parents. Hybrids differed in spike size and awn characteristics because of unique characteristics of the wheat parent. Based on these results, it should be possible to identify hybrids in the field accurately, regardless of the wheat parent or direction of the cross unless the parent is a club wheat.

Mitochondrial DNA Heteroplasmy in Wheat, Aegilops and Their Nucleus-Cytoplasm Hybrids

A mitochondrial (mt) transcriptional unit, nad3-orf156, was studied in the nucleus-cytoplasm hybrids of wheat with D/D2 plasmons from Aegilops species and their parental lines. A comparative RFLP analysis and sequencing of the random PCR clones revealed the presence of seven sequence types and their polymorphic sites were mapped. All the hybrids possessed the paternal copies besides the maternal copies. More paternal copies were present in the D2 plasmon hybrids, whereas more maternal copies were present in the D plasmon hybrids. Two major copies were present with different stoichiometries in the maternal Aegilops parents. However, only a major D plasmon copy was detected in the hybrids, irrespective of their plasmon types. The hexaploid wheat parent (AABBDD genome) possessed the major D plasmon copy in ~5% stoichiometry, while no D plasmon-homologous copies were detected in the tetraploid wheat parent (AABB genome). The results suggest that the observed mtDNA heteroplasmy is due to paternal contribution of mtDNA. The different copy stoichiometry suggests differential amplification of the heteroplasmic copies among the hybrids and the parental lines. All editing sites and their editing frequencies were conserved among the lines, and only the maternal pattern of editing occurred in the hybrids.

Expression of the cold-induced wheat gene Wcs120 and its homologs in related species and interspecific combinations

Low-temperature response was measured at the whole plant and at the molecular level in wheat–rye amphiploids and in other interspecific combinations. Cold tolerance of interspecifics whose parents diverged widely in hardiness levels resembled the less hardy higher ploidy level wheat parent. Expression of the low-temperature induced Wcs120 gene of wheat (Triticum aestivum L. em. Thell.) has been associated with freezing tolerance and was used here to study mRNA and protein accumulation in interspecific and parental lines during cold acclimation. Northern and Western analyses showed that homologous mRNAs and proteins were present in all the related species used in the experiments. Cold-tolerant rye (Secale cereale L.) produced a strong mRNA signal that was sustained throughout the entire 49-day cold-acclimation period. The wheats produced a mRNA signal that had diminished after 49 days of low-temperature exposure. The wheat–rye triticales did not exhibit the independent accumulation kinetics of the cold-tolerant rye parent but, rather, more closely resembled the wheat parent in that the mRNA signal was greatly diminished after 49 days of low-temperature exposure. The influence of the rye genome was manifest in slightly greater mRNA and protein accumulation in earlier stages of acclimation. Protein accumulations in the triticales were also maintained to a somewhat greater extent than found in the wheats at the end of the 49-day acclimation period. Protein accumulations in the wheat-crested wheatgrass (Agropyron cristatum L. Gaertner) interspecific resembled that of the wheat parent. The influence of the higher ploidy level wheats of the expression of homologous gene families from wheat-related hardy diploids in interspecific combinations may in part explain the poor cold tolerance observed.Key words: cold tolerance, transcription, protein accumulation, alien gene expression, Triticeae.

Meiotic pairing control in wheat–rye hybrids. II. Effect of rye genome and rye B-chromosomes and interaction with the wheat genetic system

Several hybrid combinations between rye and wheat ditelosomic for homoeologous group 3 or 5 chromosomes or mutant ph2b were used to analyze the effects of the rye genome and rye B-chromosomes on meiotic pairing. The results indicated that the rye Bs have an effect on bound-arm frequency, which varies with the wheat genotype. If wheat suppressors are absent, pairing decreases when Bs are added; whereas if wheat promoters are lacking, a pairing increase is observed in some hybrids with two rye Bs. There was thus an interaction between the genetic systems of the two parents, with the wheat parent being the main determinant of the pairing level in the hybrids. The rye genome tends to decrease pairing in the absence of wheat suppressors and increase it when wheat promoters are lacking, and the rye Bs tend to reinforce this primary rye action.Key words: Triticum aestivum, Secale cereale, homoeologous pairing, B-chromosomes, promoter–suppressor interaction.

Alien chromosome addition in durum wheat. II. Advanced progeny

Alien chromosome addition in durum wheat was accomplished by backcrossing and selling an amphiploid derivative F10 strain of Triticum turgidum L. var. durum × Agropyron intermedium (Host) Beauv. The number of chromosome pairs increased from an average of 10.4 bivalents in the B1F1 to 18.5 bivalents in the B1F7 generation. Stabilization of chromosome pairing was improved as expressed in the range of bivalents (0–21 in the B1F1 and 16–21 in the B1F7 generation). Backcrossing to the durum wheat parent resulted in the elimination of some Agropyron chromosomes and in others becoming pairs. A hexaploid Agrotriticum with the constitution AABBII resulted. The I genome consists of a group of seven chromosome pairs from A. intermedium.Key words: Agrotriticum, Agropyron intermedium, chromosome pairing.

The effect of cytoplasm on cold hardiness in alloplasmic rye (Secale cereale L.) and triticale

Many changes occur within the cytoplasm of plant cells during cold acclimation. However, the cause and effect relationship between cytoplasmic response to low temperature and the development of cold hardiness in cells has been difficult to determine. This study considered the importance of rye (Secale cereale L.) and wheat (Triticum aestivum L. and Triticum tauschii (Coss.) Schmal.) cytoplasmic effects in conditioning plant cold hardiness. The cold hardiness of octoploid triticale (× Triticosecale Wittmack) produced from hardy rye and nonhardy wheat was similar to that of the wheat parent, demonstrating a complete suppression of the rye cold hardiness genes. Similar observations were made for wheat – rye amphiploids from reciprocal crosses, indicating that this suppression was not due to cytoplasmic effects. It is more probable that, because the cold hardiness of octoploid triticale approximates that of the wheat parent, the cold hardiness potential of the rye genome is suppressed by a gene or genes in the wheat complement. The cold hardiness of alloplasmic rye with T. tauschii cytoplasm was similar to that of the rye parent indicating that the cold hardiness genes of rye have normal expression in the T. tauschii cytoplasm. Based on observations made in these two studies, it was concluded that the cytoplasm has little direct effect on cold hardiness, or on the nuclear expression of cold hardiness.Key words: cold hardiness, cytoplasm, Triticum aestivum L., triticale, alloplasmic rye.