Characterization of a 4.1 Mb inversion harboring the stripe rust resistance gene YR86 on wheat chromosome 2AL

Wheat cultivar Zhongmai 895 was earlier found to carry YR86 in an 11.6 Mb recombination-suppressed region on chromosome 2AL when crossed with Yangmai 16.To fine-map the YR86 locus,we developed two large F2 populations from crosses Emai 580/Zhongmai 895 and Avocet S/Zhongmai 895.Remarkably,both populations exhibited suppressed recombination in the same 2AL region.Collinearity analysis across Chinese Spring,Aikang 58,and 10+wheat genomes revealed a 4.1 Mb chromosomal inversion spanning 708.5-712.6 Mb in the Chinese Spring reference genome.Molecular markers were developed in the breakpoint and were used to assess a wheat cultivar panel,revealing that Chinese Spring,Zhongmai 895,and Jimai 22 shared a common sequence named InvCS,whereas Aikang 58,Yangmai 16,Emai 580,and Avocet S shared the sequence named InvAK58.The inverted configuration explained the suppressed recombination observed in all three bi-parental populations.Normal recombination was observed in a Jimai 22/Zhongmai 895 F2 population,facilitating mapping of YR86 to a genetic interval of 0.15 cM corresponding to 710.27-712.56 Mb falling within the inverted region.Thirty-three high-confidence genes were annotated in the interval using the Chinese Spring reference genome,with six identified as potential candidates for YR86 based on genome and transcriptome analyses.These results will accelerate map-based cloning of YR86 and its deployment in wheat breeding.

Genome-wide association study of 23 f lowering phenology traits and 4 f loral agronomic traits in tree peony (Paeonia section Moutan DC.) reveals five genes known to regulate f lowering time

Tree peony is a unique traditional f lower in China,with large,fragrant,and colorful f lowers.However,a relatively short and concentrated f lowering period limits the applications and production of tree peony.A genome-wide association study(GWAS)was conducted to accelerate molecular breeding for the improvement of f lowering phenology traits and ornamental phenotypes in tree peony.A diverse panel of 451 tree peony accessions was phenotyped for 23 f lowering phenology traits and 4 f loral agronomic traits over 3 years.Genotyping by sequencing(GBS)was used to obtain a large number of genome-wide single-nucleotide polymorphisms(SNPs)(107050)for the panel genotypes,and 1047 candidate genes were identified by association mapping.Eighty-two related genes were observed during at least 2 years for f lowering,and seven SNPs repeatedly identified for multiple f lowering phenology traits over multiple years were highly significantly associated with five genes known to regulate f lowering time.We validated the temporal expression profiles of these candidate genes and highlighted their possible roles in the regulation of f lower bud differentiation and f lowering time in tree peony.This study shows that GWAS based on GBS can be used to identify the genetic determinants of complex traits in tree peony.The results expand our understanding of f lowering time control in perennial woody plants.Identification of markers closely related to these f lowering phenology traits can be used in tree peony breeding programs for important agronomic traits.

Use of genomic selection and breeding simulation in cross prediction for improvement of yield and quality in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)

In wheat breeding, it is a difficult task to select the most suitable parents for making crosses aimed at the improvement of both grain yield and grain quality. By quantitative genetics theory,the best cross should have high progeny mean and large genetic variance, and ideally yield and quality should be less negatively or positively correlated. Usefulness is built on population mean and genetic variance, which can be used to select the best crosses or populations to achieve the breeding objective. In this study, we first compared five models(RR-BLUP, Bayes A, Bayes B, Bayes ridge regression, and Bayes LASSO) for genomic selection(GS) with respect to prediction of usefulness of a biparental cross and two criteria for parental selection, using simulation. The two parental selection criteria were usefulness and midparent genomic estimated breeding value(GEBV). Marginal differences were observed among GS models. Parental selection with usefulness resulted in higher genetic gain than midparent GEBV. In a population of 57 wheat fixed lines genotyped with 7588 selected markers, usefulness of each biparental cross was calculated to evaluate the cross performance, a key target of breeding programs aimed at developing pure lines. It was observed that progeny mean was a major determinant of usefulness, but the usefulness ratings of quality traits were more influenced by their genetic variances in the progeny population. Near-zero or positive correlations between yield and major quality traits were found in some crosses, although they were negatively correlated in the population of parents. A selection index incorporating yield, extensibility, and maximum resistance was formed as a new trait and its usefulness for selecting the crosses with the best potential to improve yield and quality simultaneously was calculated. It was shown that applying the selection index improved both yield and quality while retaining more genetic variance in the selected progenies than the individual trait selection. It was concluded that combining genomic selection with simulation allows the prediction of cross performance in simulated progenies and thereby identifies candidate parents before crosses are made in the field for pure-line breeding programs.