ABSTRACT
Microsatellite markers were used for the assessment of genetic diversity and genetic structure in a germplasm collection of yellow mustard, Sinapis alba L. The comprehensive collection of genetic resources represented 187 registered varieties, landraces, and breeding materials. Microsatellites generated 44 polymorphic alleles in 15 loci. Eleven of them were medium to highly polymorphic, and the high levels of observed heterozygosity (0.12-0.83) and Nei's gene diversity index (0.11-0.68) indicated a high level of polymorphism. Based on PCoA and neighbor joining analyses, the genetic resources were divided into two groups. The range of genetic dissimilarity in the analysed collection was in the range of 0.00-1.00. The high level of dissimilarity between the accessions was documented by the high WAM value (33.82%). Bayesian clustering algorithms were performed in the STRUCTURE 2.3.4 software. The number of clusters was estimated at K = 2. The accessions were classified according to Q1/Q2 values. The low average values of the parameters Fst_1 (0.3482), Fst_2 (0.1916), and parameter alpha (0.0602) indicated substantial mating barriers between varieties and reproductive isolation due to the limited exchange of genetic resources between breeders. These results demonstrated the importance of extensive collections of genetic resources for the maintenance of genetic diversity and indicated considerable genetic differentiation among accessions.
ABSTRACT
Micronutrient deficiency conditions, such as anemia, are the most prevalent global health problem due to inadequate iron and folate in dietary sources. Biofortification advancements can propel the rapid amelioration of nutritionally beneficial components in crops that are required to combat the adverse effects of micronutrient deficiencies on human health. To date, several strategies have been proposed to increase micronutrients in plants to improve food quality, but very few approaches have intrigued `clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats' (CRISPR) modules for the enhancement of iron and folate concentration in the edible parts of plants. In this review, we discuss two important approaches to simultaneously enhance the bioavailability of iron and folate concentrations in rice endosperms by utilizing advanced CRISPR-Cas9-based technology. This includes the 'tuning of cis-elements' and 'enhancer re-shuffling' in the regulatory components of genes that play a vital role in iron and folate biosynthesis/transportation pathways. In particular, base-editing and enhancer re-installation in native promoters of selected genes can lead to enhanced accumulation of iron and folate levels in the rice endosperm. The re-distribution of micronutrients in specific plant organs can be made possible using the above-mentioned contemporary approaches. Overall, the present review discusses the possible approaches for synchronized iron and folate biofortification through modification in regulatory gene circuits employing CRISPR-Cas9 technology.
