Mutations in the miRNA165/166 binding site of the HB2 gene result in pleiotropic effects on morphological traits in wheat

Leaf,spike,stem,and root morphologies are key factors that determine crop growth,development,and productivity.Multiple genes that control these morphological traits have been identified in Arabidopsis,rice,maize,and other plant species.However,little is known about the genomic regions and genes associated with morphological traits in wheat.Here,we identified the ethyl methanesulfonate-derived mutant wheat line M133 that displays multiple morphological changes that include upward-curled leaves,paired spikelets,dwarfism,and delayed heading.Using bulked segregant RNA sequencing(BSR-seq)and a high-resolution genetic map,we identified TraesCS1D02G155200(HBD2)as a potential candidate gene.HB-D2 encodes a class III homeodomain-leucine zipper(HD-ZIP III)transcription factor,and the mutation was located in the miRNA165/166 complementary site,resulting in a resistant allele designated rHb-D2.The relative expression of rHb2 in the mutant plants was significantly higher(P<0.01)than in plants homozygous for the WT allele.Independent resistant mutations that disrupt the miRNA165/166 complementary sites in the A-(rHb-A2)and B-genome(rHb-B2)homoeologs showed similar phenotypic alterations,but the relative intensity of the effects was different.Transgenic plants expressing rHb-D2 gene driven by the maize UBIQUITIN(UBI)promoter showed similar phenotypes to the rHb-D2 mutant.These results confirmed that HB-D2 is the causal gene responsible for the mutant phenotypes.Finally,a survey of 1397 wheat accessions showed that the complementary sites for miRNA165/166 in all three HB2 homoeologs are highly conserved.Our results suggest that HB2 plays an important role in regulating growth and development in wheat.

High-resolution genetic mapping and identification of candidate genes for the wheat stem rust resistance gene Sr8155B1

Stem rust,caused by Puccinia graminis f.sp.tritici(Pgt),threatens global wheat production.Development of cultivars with increased resistance to stem rust by identification,mapping,and deployment of resistance genes is the best strategy for controlling the disease.In this study,we performed fine mapping and characterization of the all-stage stem rust resistance(Sr)gene Sr8155B1 from the durum wheat line 8155-B1.In seedling tests of biparental populations,Sr8155B1 was effective against six Chinese Pgt races tested.In a segregating population of 5060 gametes,Sr8155B1 was mapped to a 0.06-cM region flanked by markers Pku2772 and Pku43365,corresponding to 1.5-and 2.7-Mb regions in the Svevo and Chinese Spring reference genomes.Both regions include several typical nucleotide-binding leucine-rich repeat(NLR)and protein kinase genes that represent candidate genes.Among them,three NLR genes and three receptor-like protein kinases were highly polymorphic between the parental lines and their transcripts were upregulated in the homozygous resistant line TdR2 relative to its susceptible sister line TdS4.Four markers(Pku2772,Pku43365,Pku2950,and Pku3721)developed in this study,together with seedling resistance responses,correctly predicted Sr8155B1 absence or presence in 78 tetraploid wheat genotypes tested.The presence of Sr8155B1 in tetraploid wheat accessions CItr 14916,PI 197492,and PI 197493 was confirmed by mapping in three F_(2)populations.The genetic map and linked markers developed in this study may accelerate the deployment of Sr8155B1-mediated resistance in wheat breeding programs.

Mutations in wheat TaAPA2 gene result in pleiotropic effects on plant architecture

Dear Editor,Bread wheat(Triticum aestivum L.)is a globally important cereal providing~20% of the calories and proteins for>4.5billion people.Plant architecture,including morphologies of leaves,spikes,stems,and roots,has great impact on plant development and productivity,and thus has been extensively investigated in various plant species(Jiang et al.,2023;Zhang et al.,2017).