Elevated CO2 and Nitrogen Supply Boost N Use Efficiency and Wheat (T. aestivum cv. Yunmai) Growth and Differentiate Soil Microbial Communities Related to Ammonia Oxidization.

Elevated CO2 levels (eCO2) pose challenges to wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) growth, potentially leading to a decline in quality and productivity. This study addresses the effects of two ambient CO2 concentrations (aCO2, daytime/nighttime = 410/450 ± 30 ppm and eCO2, 550/600 ± 30 ppm) and two nitrogen (N) supplements (without N supply-N0 and with 100 mg N supply as urea per kg soil-N100) on wheat (T. aestivum cv. Yunmai) growth, N accumulation, and soil microbial communities related to ammonia oxidization. The data showed that the N supply effectively mitigated the negative impacts of eCO2 on wheat growth by reducing intercellular CO2 concentrations while enhancing photosynthesis parameters. Notably, the N supply significantly increased N concentrations in wheat tissues and biomass production, thereby boosting N accumulation in seeds, shoots, and roots. eCO2 increased the agronomic efficiency of applied N (AEN) and the physiological efficiency of applied N (PEN) under N supply. Plant tissue N concentrations and accumulations are positively related to plant biomass production and soil NO3--N. Additionally, the N supply increased the richness and evenness of the soil microbial community, particularly Nitrososphaeraceae, Nitrosospira, and Nitrosomonas, which responded differently to N availability under both aCO2 and eCO2. These results underscore the importance and complexity of optimizing N supply and eCO2 for enhancing crop tissue N accumulation and yield production as well as activating nitrification-related microbial activities for soil inorganic N availability under future global environment change scenarios.

Genetic Diversity of Promising Spring Wheat Accessions from Russia and Kazakhstan for Rust Resistance.

Spring bread wheat (Triticum aestivum) is a major crop in Russia and in Kazakhstan. The rust pathogens, leaf rust caused by the fungus Puccinia triticina, stem rust incited by P. graminis and yellow rust caused by P. striiformis, are the significant biotic factors affecting wheat production. In this study, 40 new promising spring wheat genotypes from the Kazakhstan-Siberia Network for Spring Wheat Improvement (KASIB) were tested for resistance to leaf, stem and yellow rust at the seedling stage, and for identification of rust resistance genes using molecular markers. In addition, the collection was tested for leaf rust resistance and grain yields in the South Urals agroclimatic zone of Russia in 2023. As a result, 16 accessions with seedling resistance to leaf rust, 21 to stem rust and 4 to yellow rust were identified. Three breeding accessions were resistant to all rust species, and nine to P. triticina and P. graminis. Wheat accessions resistant to leaf rust at the seedling stage were also resistant in the field. Molecular analysis showed the presence of cataloged resistance genes, Lr1, Lr3a, Lr9, Lr10, Lr19, Lr20, Lr24, Lr26, Sr15, Sr24, Sr25, Sr31, Sr38, Yr9 and Yr18; uncatalogued genes Lr6Agi1 and Lr6Agi2 from Thinopyrum intermedium and LrAsp from Aegilops speltoides; and 1AL.1RS translocation. The current analysis showed an increase in leaf and stem rust resistance of new KASIB genotypes and their genetic diversity due to the inclusion of alien genetic material in breeding.

A study of the influence of the T2DL.2DS-2SS translocation and the 5S(5D) substitution from Aegilops speltoides on breeding-valuable traits of common wheat.

The use of the gene pool of wild relatives for expanding the genetic diversity of common wheat is an important task of breeding programs. However, the practical application of common wheat lines with alien genetic material is constrained by the lack of information on chromosomal rearrangements and the negative impact of the transferred material on agronomically important traits. This research is aimed at studying 14 introgression lines with the T2DL.2DS-2SS translocation and the 5S(5D) substitution from Aegilops speltoides obtained from crossing common wheat varieties (Aurora, Krasnodarskaya 99, Nika Kubani) with the genome-substituted form Avrodes (BBAASS). Hybrid lines with different combinations of T2DL.2DS-2SS and T1BL.1RS translocations and 5S(5D) substitution were characterized by resistance to leaf and yellow rusts, productivity components and technological qualities of grain. The assessment of the varieties' resistance to rust diseases showed that Krasnodarskaya 99, Nika Kubani and the Aurora variety, which is a carrier of the T1BL.1RS translocation, are highly susceptible to diseases, while the presence of the T2DL.2DS-2SS translocation and the 5S(5D) substitution, both together and separately, provides resistance to fungal pathogens. The analysis of the lines using markers designed for known resistance genes of Ae. speltoides did not reveal the presence of the Lr28, Lr35 and Lr51 genes in the lines. The results suggest that the genetic material of Ae. speltoides transferred to chromosomes 2D and 5D contains new resistance genes. To determine the effect of the T2DL.2DS-2SS translocation and the 5S(5D) substitution on the productivity and technological qualities of grain, the lines were assessed by weight of 1000 grains, grain weight and number of ears per 1 m2, by protein and gluten content, gluten quality and general baking evaluation. A positive effect was determined upon the weight of 1000 grains, protein and gluten content. There were no significant differences in other characteristics. The T2DL.2DS-2SS translocation and the 5S(5D) substitution did not have a negative effect on the productivity and technological quality of grain, and are of interest for breeding practice.

An innovative, sustainable, and environmentally friendly approach for wheat drought tolerance using vermicompost and effective microorganisms: upregulating the antioxidant defense machinery, glyoxalase system, and osmotic regulatory substances.

BACKGROUND: Vermicompost contains humic acids, nutrients, earthworm excretions, beneficial microbes, growth hormones, and enzymes, which help plants to tolerate a variety of abiotic stresses. Effective microorganisms (EM) include a wide range of microorganisms' e.g. photosynthetic bacteria, lactic acid bacteria, yeasts, actinomycetes, and fermenting fungi that can stimulate plant growth and improve soil fertility. To our knowledge, no study has yet investigated the possible role of vermicompost and EM dual application in enhancing plant tolerance to water scarcity. METHODS: Consequently, the current study investigated the effectiveness of vermicompost and EM in mitigating drought-induced changes in wheat. The experiment followed a completely randomized design with twelve treatments. The treatments included control, as well as individual and combined applications of vermicompost and EM at three different irrigation levels (100%, 70%, and 30% of field capacity). RESULTS: The findings demonstrated that the application of vermicompost and/or EM significantly improved wheat growth and productivity, as well as alleviated drought-induced oxidative damage with decreased the generation of superoxide anion radical and hydrogen peroxide. This was achieved by upregulating the activities of several antioxidant enzymes, including superoxide dismutase, catalase, peroxidase, ascorbate peroxidase, glutathione peroxidase, monodehydroascorbate reductase, dehydroascorbate reductase, and glutathione reductase. Vermicompost and/or EM treatments also enhanced the antioxidant defense system by increasing the content of antioxidant molecules such as ascorbate, glutathione, phenolic compounds, and flavonoids. Additionally, the overproduction of methylglyoxal in water-stressed treated plants was controlled by the enhanced activity of the glyoxalase system enzymes; glyoxalase I and glyoxalase II. The treated plants maintained higher water content related to the higher content of osmotic regulatory substances like soluble sugars, free amino acids, glycinebetaine, and proline. CONCLUSIONS: Collectively, we offer the first report that identifies the underlying mechanism by which the dual application of vermicompost and EM confers drought tolerance in wheat by improving osmolyte accumulation and modulating antioxidant defense and glyoxalase systems.

Plant and soil characteristics affected by the allelopathic pathways of Avena fatua and Lolium temulentum weeds.

The potential of the most prevalent weeds should be characterized biologically and chemically in infected soil and crops for sustainable agriculture. Therefore, the allelopathic potential of Avena fatua L. and Lolium temulentum L. weeds were compared via leachates, root exudates, decayed residues in soil, and the decomposition in water pathways. Chemical measurements were taken on wheat (Triticum aestivum L.), and soil decomposed solution. Based on EC50, the allelopathic effect of leachates were higher in aboveground parts than in subterranean parts, influenced by plant parts and concentrations. The root exudates show EC50 by 655.9 µg. ml-1 for A. fatua and 625.66 µg. ml-1 for L. temulentumin the seedling biomass fresh weights of T. aestivum. The systematic inhibition by decayed residues was affected by plant types, concentration, and time and correlated with soil parameters and crop performance. The decomposition rate was higher under aerobic conditions than anaerobic conditions, with the inhibition pattern showing the reverse trend. These finding highlight the importance of environmental conditions in mediating allelopathic effects. The highest quantities of phenolic acids determined by LC-ES/MS in decomposed solutions were citric acid, with concentrations of 7.71 and 13.31 µg/ml in A. fatua under aerobic conditions, and coumaric acid, with concentrations of 9.21 and 16.99 µg/ml in L. temulentum under aerobic conditions. The allelopathic potentials of A. fatua and L. temulentum may play a crucial role in T. aestivum crop growth and soil parameters. In general weed residues can suppress crop growth and negatively affect soil parameters based on their quantity and type, therefore they should be managed carefully for sustainable crop production.

The F-Box Protein TaFBA1 Positively Regulates Drought Resistance and Yield Traits in Wheat.

Environmental stresses, including drought stress, seriously threaten food security. Previous studies reported that wheat F-box protein, TaFBA1, responds to abiotic stresses in tobacco. Here, we generated transgenic wheat with enhanced (overexpression, OE) or suppressed (RNA interference, RNAi) expression of TaFBA1. The TaFBA1-OE seedlings showed enhanced drought tolerance, as measured by survival rate and fresh weight under severe drought stress, whereas the RNAi plants showed the opposite phenotype. Furthermore, the OE plants had stronger antioxidant capacity compared to WT and RNAi plants and maintained stomatal opening, which resulted in higher water loss under drought stress. However, stronger water absorption capacity in OE roots contributed to higher relative water contents in leaves under drought stress. Moreover, the postponed stomatal closure in OE lines helped to maintain photosynthesis machinery to produce more photoassimilate and ultimately larger seed size. Transcriptomic analyses conducted on WT and OE plants showed that genes involved in antioxidant, fatty acid and lipid metabolism and cellulose synthesis were significantly induced by drought stress in the leaves of OE lines. Together, our studies determined that the F-box protein TaFBA1 modulated drought tolerance and affected yield in wheat and the TaFBA1 gene could provide a desirable target for further breeding of wheat.

Comparative Analysis of Phytohormone Biosynthesis Genes Responses to Long-Term High Light in Tolerant and Sensitive Wheat Cultivars.

Phytohormones are vital for developmental processes, from organ initiation to senescence, and are key regulators of growth, development, and photosynthesis. In natural environments, plants often experience high light (HL) intensities coupled with elevated temperatures, which pose significant threats to agricultural production. However, the response of phytohormone-related genes to long-term HL exposure remains unclear. Here, we examined the expression levels of genes involved in the biosynthesis of ten phytohormones, including gibberellins, cytokinins, salicylic acid, jasmonic acid, abscisic acid, brassinosteroids, indole-3-acetic acid, strigolactones, nitric oxide, and ethylene, in two winter wheat cultivars, Xiaoyan 54 (XY54, HL tolerant) and Jing 411 (J411, HL sensitive), when transferred from low light to HL for 2-8 days. Under HL, most genes were markedly inhibited, while a few, such as TaGA2ox, TaAAO3, TaLOG1, and TaPAL2, were induced in both varieties. Interestingly, TaGA2ox2 and TaAAO3 expression positively correlated with sugar content but negatively with chlorophyll content and TaAGP expression. In addition, we observed that both varieties experienced a sharp decline in chlorophyll content and photosynthesis performance after prolonged HL exposure, with J411 showing significantly more sensitivity than XY54. Hierarchical clustering analysis classified the phytohormone genes into the following three groups: Group 1 included six genes highly expressed in J411; Group 2 contained 25 genes drastically suppressed by HL in both varieties; and Group 3 contained three genes highly expressed in XY54. Notably, abscisic acid (ABA), and jasmonic acid (JA) biosynthesis genes and their content were significantly higher, while gibberellins (GA) content was lower in XY54 than J411. Together, these results suggest that the differential expression and content of GA, ABA, and JA play crucial roles in the contrasting responses of tolerant and sensitive wheat cultivars to leaf senescence induced by long-term HL. This study enhances our understanding of the mechanisms underlying HL tolerance in wheat and can guide the development of more resilient wheat varieties.

CRISPR/Cas9-Mediated Resistance to Wheat Dwarf Virus in Hexaploid Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.).

Wheat dwarf virus (WDV, genus Mastrevirus, family Geminiviridae) is one of the causal agents of wheat viral disease, which severely impacts wheat production in most wheat-growing regions in the world. Currently, there is little information about natural resistance against WDV in common wheat germplasms. CRISPR/Cas9 technology is being utilized to manufacture transgenic plants resistant to different diseases. In the present study, we used the CRISPR/Cas9 system targeting overlapping regions of coat protein (CP) and movement protein (MP) (referred to as CP/MP) or large intergenic region (LIR) in the wheat variety 'Fielder' to develop resistance against WDV. WDV-inoculated T1 progenies expressing Cas9 and sgRNA for CP/MP and LIR showed complete resistance against WDV and no accumulation of viral DNA compared with control plants. Mutation analysis revealed that the CP/MP and LIR targeting sites have small indels in the corresponding Cas9-positive plants. Additionally, virus inhibition and indel mutations occurred in T2 homozygous lines. Together, our work gives efficient results of the engineering of CRISPR/Cas9-mediated WDV resistance in common wheat plants, and the specific sgRNAs identified in this study can be extended to utilize the CRISPR/Cas9 system to confer resistance to WDV in other cereal crops such as barley, oats, and rye.

Screening Wheat Genotypes for Specific Genes Linked to Drought Tolerance.

Drought stress, which significantly affects growth and reduces grain yield, is one of the main problems for wheat crops. Producing promising drought-tolerant wheat cultivars with high yields is one of the main targets for wheat breeders. In this study, a total of seven drought-tolerant wheat genotypes were screened for the presence of 19 specific drought tolerance genes. The genotypes were tested under normal and drought conditions for two growing seasons. Four spike traits, namely, spike length (SPL), grain number per spike (GNPS), number of spikelets per spike (NSPS), and grain yield per spike (GYPS), were scored. The results revealed that drought stress decreased the SPL, GNPS, NSPS, and GYPS, with ranges ranging from 2.14 (NSPS) to 13.92% (GNPS) and from 2.40 (NSPS) to 11.09% (GYPS) in the first and second seasons, respectively. ANOVA revealed high genetic variation among the genotypes for each trait under each treatment. According to the drought tolerance indices, Omara 007 presented the highest level of drought tolerance (average of sum ranks = 3), whereas both Giza-36 genotypes presented the lowest level of drought tolerance (average of sum ranks = 4.8) among the genotypes tested. Among the 19 genes tested, 11 were polymorphic among the selected genotypes. Omara 007 and Omara 002 presented the greatest number of specific drought tolerance genes (nine) tested in this study, whereas Sohag-5, Giza-36, and PI469072 presented the lowest number of drought tolerance genes (four). The number of different genes between each pair of genotypes was calculated. Seven different genes were found between Omara 007 and Giza-36, Omara 007 and Sohag-5, and Omara 002 and PI469072. The results of this study may help to identify the best genotypes for crossing candidate genotypes, and not merely to genetically improve drought tolerance in wheat.

Toxicity potential of a pyraclostrobin-based fungicide in plant and green microalgae models.

Pyraclostrobin-based fungicides play an effective role in controlling fungal diseases and are extensively used in agriculture. However, there is concern regarding the potential adverse effects attributed to exposure to these fungicides on non-target organisms and consequent influence exerted on ecosystem functioning. Thus, it is essential to conduct studies with model organisms to determine the impacts of these fungicides on different groups of living organisms. The aim of this study was to examine the ecotoxicity associated with exposure to commercial fungicides containing pyraclostrobin. The focus of the analysis involved germination and initial development of seedlings of 4 plant models (Lactuca sativa, Raphanus sativus, Pennisetum glaucum and Triticum aestivum), in addition to determining the population growth rate and total carbohydrate content in microalga Raphidocelis subcapitata. The fungicide pyraclostrobin adversely influenced growth and development of the tested plants, indicating a toxic effect. The fungicide exerted a significant impact on the initial development of seedlings of all model species examined with T. aestivum plants displaying the greatest susceptibility to pyraclostrobin. Plants of this species exhibited inhibitory effects on both aerial parts and roots when treated with a concentration of 4.75 mg/L pyraclostrobin. In addition, the green microalga R. subcapitata was also significantly affected by the fungicide, especially at relatively high concentrations as evidenced by a reduction in total carbohydrate content. This commercial fungicide demonstrated potential phytotoxicity for the tested plant models and was also considered toxic to the selected microalgae, indicating an ecotoxic effect that might affect other organisms in aquatic environments.

RNA silencing is a key regulatory mechanism in the biocontrol fungus Clonostachys rosea-wheat interactions.

BACKGROUND: Small RNA (sRNAs)- mediated RNA silencing is emerging as a key player in host-microbe interactions. However, its role in fungus-plant interactions relevant to biocontrol of plant diseases is yet to be explored. This study aimed to investigate Dicer (DCL)-mediated endogenous and cross-kingdom gene expression regulation in the biocontrol fungus Clonostachys rosea and wheat roots during interactions. RESULTS: C. rosea Δdcl2 strain exhibited significantly higher root colonization than the WT, whereas no significant differences were observed for Δdcl1 strains. Dual RNA-seq revealed the upregulation of CAZymes, membrane transporters, and effector coding genes in C. rosea, whereas wheat roots responded with the upregulation of stress-related genes and the downregulation of growth-related genes. The expression of many of these genes was downregulated in wheat during the interaction with DCL deletion strains, underscoring the influence of fungal DCL genes on wheat defense response. sRNA sequencing identified 18 wheat miRNAs responsive to C. rosea, and three were predicted to target the C. rosea polyketide synthase gene pks29. Two of these miRNAs (mir_17532_x1 and mir_12061_x13) were observed to enter C. rosea from wheat roots with fluorescence analyses and to downregulate the expression of pks29, showing plausible cross-kingdom RNA silencing of the C. rosea gene by wheat miRNAs. CONCLUSIONS: We provide insights into the mechanisms underlying the interaction between biocontrol fungi and plant roots. Moreover, the study sheds light on the role of sRNA-mediated gene expression regulation in C. rosea-wheat interactions and provides preliminary evidence of cross-kingdom RNA silencing between plants and biocontrol fungi.

A one-way ticket: wheat roots do not functionally refill xylem emboli following rehydration.

Understanding xylem embolism spread in roots is essential for predicting the loss of function across root systems during drought. However, the lasting relevance of root embolism to plant recovery depends on whether roots can refill xylem emboli and resume function after rehydration. Using MicroCT and optical and dye staining methods, we investigated embolism repair in rehydrated intact roots of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.'Krichauff') exposed to a severe water deficit of -3.5 MPa, known to cause approximately 30 % total root network embolism in this species. Air emboli in the xylem vessels of intact roots remained clearly observable using MicroCT after overnight rehydration. This result was verified by xylem staining of the root system and optical quantification of emboli, both of which indicated a lack of functional root xylem recovery 60 hours following soil re-saturation. The absence of root xylem refilling in wheat has substantial implications for how we understand plant recovery after drought. Our findings suggest that xylem embolism causes irreversible damage to the soil-root hydraulic connection in affected parts of the root network.

DArTseq genotyping facilitates the transfer of "exotic" chromatin from a Secale cereale × S. strictum hybrid into wheat.

Cultivated and wild species of the genus rye (Secale) are important but underexploited gene sources for increasing the genetic diversity of bread wheat. Gene transfer is possible via bridge genetic materials derived from intergeneric hybrids. During this process, it is essential to precisely identify the rye chromatin in the wheat genetic background. In the present study, backcross generation BC2F8 from a cross between Triticum aestivum (Mv9kr1) and S. cereanum ('Kriszta,' a cultivar from the artificial hybrid of S. cereale and S. strictum) was screened using in-situ hybridization (GISH and FISH) and analyzed by DArTseq genotyping in order to select potentially agronomically useful genotypes for prebreeding purposes. Of the 329,267 high-quality short sequence reads generated, 27,822 SilicoDArT and 8,842 SNP markers specific to S. cereanum 1R-7R chromosomes were identified. Heatmaps of the marker densities along the 'Lo7' rye reference pseudomolecules revealed subtle differences between the FISH- and DArTseq-based results. This study demonstrates that the "exotic" rye chromatin of S. cereanum introgressed into wheat can be reliably identified by high-throughput DArTseq genotyping. The Mv9kr1-'Kriszta' addition and translocation lines presented here may serve as valuable prebreeding genetic materials for the development of stress-tolerant or disease-resistant wheat varieties.

Comparative metabolomic analysis of mouse plasma in response to different dietary conditions.

Plasma metabolites offer insights into aging processes and aging-related biomarkers. Here, the dietary effects of various functional foods on older adult mice were evaluated using metabolomic techniques. Fifty-week-old mice were divided into four groups (n = 4 each) and fed either a normal diet (AC) or the diets from Triticum aestivum sprout (TA), Schisandra chinensis (SZ), or Pisum sativum sprout (PS) extracts. Additionally, a group of 8-week-old mice fed a normal diet (YC; n = 5) was included for the comparison. The PS group had a significantly lower free fatty acid content and higher ornithine, proline, citric acid, and oxalic acid contents than the AC group. The PS group also showed reduced oxidative stress and muscle damage, suggesting the higher anti-aging efficacy of P. sativum sprouts than the other diets. These findings suggest plasma metabolite profiling is an effective tool to assess the anti-aging effects of functional foods. Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s10068-023-01479-8.

Effector Pt9226 from Puccinia triticina Presents a Virulence Role in Wheat Line TcLr15.

Effectors are considered to be virulence factors secreted by pathogens, which play an important role during host-pathogen interactions. In this study, the candidate effector Pt9226 was cloned from genomic DNA of Puccinia triticina (Pt) pathotype THTT, and there were six exons and five introns in the 877 bp sequence, with the corresponding open reading frame of 447 bp in length, encoding a protein of 148 amino acids. There was only one polymorphic locus of I142V among the six Pt pathotypes analyzed. Bioinformatics analysis showed that Pt9226 had 96.46% homology with the hypothetical putative protein PTTG_26361 (OAV96349.1) in the Pt pathotype BBBD. RT-qPCR analyses showed that the expression of Pt9226 was induced after Pt inoculation, with a peak at 36 hpi, which was 20 times higher than the initial expression at 0 hpi, and another high expression was observed at 96 hpi. No secretory function was detected for the Pt9226-predicted signal peptide. The subcellular localization of Pt9226Δsp-GFP was found to be multiple, localized in the tobacco leaves. Pt9226 could inhibit programmed cell death (PCD) induced by BAX/INF1 in tobacco as well as DC3000-induced PCD in wheat. The transient expression of Pt9226 in 26 wheat near-isogenic lines (NILs) by a bacterial type III secretion system of Pseudomonas fluorescens EtHAn suppressed callose accumulation triggered by Ethan in wheat near-isogenic lines TcLr15, TcLr25, and TcLr30, and it also suppressed the ROS accumulation in TcLr15. RT-qPCR analysis showed that the expression of genes coded for pathogenesis-related protein TaPR1, TaPR2, and thaumatin-like protein TaTLP1, were suppressed, while the expression of PtEF-1α was induced, with 1.6 times at 72 h post inoculation, and TaSOD was induced only at 24 and 48 h compared with the control, when the Pt pathotype THTT was inoculated on a transient expression of Pt9226 in wheat TcLr15. Combining all above, Pt9226 acts as a virulence effector in the interaction between the Pt pathotype THTT and wheat.

Molecular Investigations to Improve Fusarium Head Blight Resistance in Wheat: An Update Focusing on Multi-Omics Approaches.

Fusarium head blight (FHB) is mainly caused by Fusarium graminearum (Fg) and is a very widespread disease throughout the world, leading to severe damage to wheat with losses in both grain yield and quality. FHB also leads to mycotoxin contamination in the infected grains, being toxic to humans and animals. In spite of the continuous advancements to elucidate more and more aspects of FHB host resistance, to date, our knowledge about the molecular mechanisms underlying wheat defense response to this pathogen is not comprehensive, most likely due to the complex wheat-Fg interaction. Recently, due to climate changes, such as high temperature and heavy rainfall, FHB has become more frequent and severe worldwide, making it even more urgent to completely understand wheat defense mechanisms. In this review, after a brief description of the first wheat immune response to Fg, we discuss, for each FHB resistance type, from Type I to Type V resistances, the main molecular mechanisms involved, the major quantitative trait loci (QTLs) and candidate genes found. The focus is on multi-omics research helping discover crucial molecular pathways for each resistance type. Finally, according to the emerging examined studies and results, a wheat response model to Fg attack, showing the major interactions in the different FHB resistance types, is proposed. The aim is to establish a useful reference point for the researchers in the field interested to adopt an interdisciplinary omics approach.

TaRLK2.4, a transgressive expression receptor like kinase, improves powdery mildew resistance in wheat.

Plants form two immune systems, pathogen-associated molecular pattern (PAMP)-triggered immunity (PTI) and effector-triggered immunity (ETI), to combat Blumeria graminis f. sp. tritici (Bgt) infection during the evolutionary process. In PTI, receptor-like kinases (RLKs) play important roles during pathogen infections. Based on our previous reports, there were 280 TaRLKs identified in early response to powdery mildew infection, which were divided into 34 subfamilies in this study. Differences in gene structures, cis-acting elements, and expression levels implied the function diversity of TaRLKs. TaRLK2.4, a member of LRK10L-RLKs subfamily, contained 665 amino acids, and located on the cell membrane. The main objective of this study was to investigate the role of the receptor-like kinase gene TaRLK2.4 in conferring powdery mildew resistance in wheat. Real-time quantitative PCR results indicated that TaRLK2.4 expressed during Bgt infection process, and exhibited a transgressive expression characteristic in disease resistance NILs (BJ-1). To elucidate the function of TaRLK2.4 during Bgt infection, the comprehensive analysis of virus induced gene silence and over-expression demonstrated that TaRLK2.4 promoted powdery mildew resistance positively. In summary, these results contribute to a deeper understanding of the complex and diverse biological functions of RLKs, and provide new genetic resources for wheat molecular breeding.

Wheat Cybrid Plants, OryzaWheat, Regenerated from Wheat-Rice Hybrid Zygotes via in Vitro Fertilization System Possess Wheat-Rice Hybrid Mitochondria.

Hybridization generates biodiversity, and wide hybridization plays a pivotal role in enhancing and broadening the useful attributes of crops. The hybridization barrier between wheat and rice, the two most important cereals, was recently overcome by in vitro production of allopolyploid wheat-rice hybrid zygotes, which can develop and grow into mature plants. In the study, genomic sequences and compositions of the possible hybrid plants were investigated through short- and long-read sequencing analyses and fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH)-based visualization. The possible hybrid possessed whole wheat nuclear and cytoplasmic DNAs and rice mitochondrial (mt) DNA, along with variable retention rates of rice mtDNA ranging from 11% to 47%. The rice mtDNA retained in the wheat cybrid, termed Oryzawheat, can be transmitted across generations. In addition to mitochondrial hybridization, translocation of rice chromosome 1 into wheat chromosome 6A was detected in a F1 hybrid individual. OryzaWheat can provide a new horizon for utilizing inter-subfamily genetic resources among wheat and rice belonging to different subfamilies, Pooideae and Ehrhartoideae, respectively.

A GC-MS Metabolic Study on Lipophilic Compounds in the Leaves of Common Wheat Triticum aestivum L.

Common wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) is one of the most valuable cereal crops worldwide. This study examined leaf extracts of 30 accessions of T. aestivum and its subspecies using 48 h maceration with methanol by GC-MS and GCxGC-MS. The plants were grown from seeds of the wheat genetics collection of the Wheat Genetics Sector of the Institute of Cytology and Genetics, SB RAS. The analysis revealed 263 components of epicuticular waxes, including linear and branched alkanes, aliphatic alcohols, aldehydes, ketones, ß-diketones, carboxylic acids and their derivatives, mono- and diterpenes, phytosterols, and tocopherols. Hierarchical cluster analysis and principal component analysis were used to identify and visualize the differences between the leaf extracts of different wheat cultivars. Three clusters were identified, with the leading components being (1) octacosan-1-ol, (2) esters of saturated and unsaturated alcohols, and (3) fatty acid alkylamides, which were found for the first time in plant extracts. The results highlight the importance of metabolic studies in understanding the adaptive mechanisms and increasing wheat resistance to stress factors. These are crucial for breeding new-generation cultivars with improved traits.

Community Resource: Large-Scale Proteogenomics to Refine Wheat Genome Annotations.

Triticum aestivum is an important crop whose reference genome (International Wheat Genome Sequencing Consortium (IWGSC) RefSeq v2.1) offers a valuable resource for understanding wheat genetic structure, improving agronomic traits, and developing new cultivars. A key aspect of gene model annotation is protein-level evidence of gene expression obtained from proteomics studies, followed up by proteogenomics to physically map proteins to the genome. In this research, we have retrieved the largest recent wheat proteomics datasets publicly available and applied the Basic Local Alignment Search Tool (tBLASTn) algorithm to map the 861,759 identified unique peptides against IWGSC RefSeq v2.1. Of the 92,719 hits, 83,015 unique peptides aligned along 33,612 High Confidence (HC) genes, thus validating 31.4% of all wheat HC gene models. Furthermore, 6685 unique peptides were mapped against 3702 Low Confidence (LC) gene models, and we argue that these gene models should be considered for HC status. The remaining 2934 orphan peptides can be used for novel gene discovery, as exemplified here on chromosome 4D. We demonstrated that tBLASTn could not map peptides exhibiting mid-sequence frame shift. We supply all our proteogenomics results, Galaxy workflow and Python code, as well as Browser Extensible Data (BED) files as a resource for the wheat community via the Apollo Jbrowse, and GitHub repositories. Our workflow could be applied to other proteomics datasets to expand this resource with proteins and peptides from biotically and abiotically stressed samples. This would help tease out wheat gene expression under various environmental conditions, both spatially and temporally.