Jizeng Jia

Development, utilization of introgression lines using a synthetic wheat as donor

A series of introgression lines (ILs) were generated from repeated backcrossing between the exotic hexaploid wheat genotype Am3 and the common wheat genotype Laizhou953. Am3 was synthesized by crossing Triticum carthlicum with Aegilops tauschii and was used as the donor parent in this study, and Laizhou953 was used as the recurrent parent. Two hundred and five SSR markers showing polymorphism between the two parents were used to identify the introgressed Am3 chromosome segments in 97 BC4F3 ILs. The introgressed segments in each line and the length of the introgressed segments were estimated according to the wheat SSR consensus map. The introgressed segments from Am3 in the 97 lines covers 37.7% of the donor genome. The introgressed segments were most found on 2D, 3B, 6B, and 1D with coverage of 59.8, 59.5, 59.1, and 59% of the chromosomes, respectively. None of the 97 lines tested contained chromosome 4D segments introgressed from Am3. Introgressed segments for each of the chromosomes were mapped using the consensus wheat linkage map. Nine agronomic traits from BC4F3 lines were evaluated and the phenotype showed most lines have the tendency to be more similar to the recurrent parent. There were lines showing better agronomic traits than the recurrent parent, which indicated the introgression of favorable alleles from the exotic hexaploid wheat into the elite cultivar Laizhou953. Marker and phenotype data were used to identify quantitative trait loci (QTLs) controlling these nine traits. In total, 38, 33, and 28 putative QTLs were detected for seven of the nine traits in 2003, 2004, and 2005, respectively. Some of these agronomic important QTLs were detected in more than one season.

Development of wheat near-isogenic lines for powdery mildew resistance

Using three Chinese wheat cultivars, ‘Bainong 3217’, ‘Beijing 837’ and ‘Laizhou 953’, as recurrent parents, 33 near-isogenic lines (NILs) carrying 22 powdery mildew resistance genes (Pm1c, Pm2, Pm4b, Pm12, Pm13, Pm16, Pm20, Pm21, Pm23, and 13 undocumented genes) were developed. All NILs had no significant difference to their recurrent parents in the investigated traits of agronomic importance. The results of AFLP analysis indicated Jaccard’s genetic similarity of the NILs with their recurrent parents varied from 0.96 to 0.98, and confirmed that the NILs had high genetic similarity with their recurrent parents. The resistance to powdery mildew was stably expressed by the relevant NILs. Eleven of the NILs were tested using molecular markers linked to the resistance genes Pm1c, Pm4b, Pm13, Pm21, PmP, PmE, PmPS5A, PmPS5B, PmY39, PmY150, and PmH, and they were all found to carry the targeted genes. The potential application of these NILs in gene discovery is discussed.

Molecular tagging of the yellow rust resistance gene Yr10 in common wheat, P.I.178383 (Triticum aestivum L.)

A microsatellite marker, Xpsp3000, located on the end of chromosome 1BS was linked with the yellow rust resistant gene, Yr10, with a distance 1.2 cM. It could be used in marker assisted selection.

Relationships between the chromosomes of Aegilops umbellulata and wheat

Abstract A comparative genetic map of Aegilops umbellulata with wheat was constructed using RFLP probes that detect homoeoloci previously mapped in hexaploid bread wheat. All seven Ae. umbellulata chromosomes display one or more rearrangements relative to wheat. These structural changes are consistent with the sub-terminal morphology of chromosomes 2 U, 3 U, 6 U and 7 U. Comparison of the chromosomal locations assigned by mapping and those obtained by hybridization to wheat/Ae. umbellulata single chromosome addition lines verified the composition of the added Ae. umbellulata chromosomes and indicated that no further cytological rearrangements had taken place during the production of the alien-wheat aneuploid lines. Relationships between Ae. umbellulata and wheat chromosomes were confirmed, based on homoeology of the centromeric regions, for 1 U, 2 U, 3 U, 5 U and 7 U. However, homoeology of the centromeric regions of 4 U with wheat group-6 chromosomes and of 6 U with wheat group-4 chromosomes was also confirmed, suggesting that a re-naming of these chromosomes may be pertinent. The consequences of the rearrangements of the Ae. umbellulata genome relative to wheat for gene introgression are discussed.

Characterization and precise mapping of a QTL increasing spike number with pleiotropic effects in wheat.

Tiller number (TN) and spike number per plant (SN) are key components of grain yield and/or biomass in wheat. In this study, an introgression line 05210, developed by introgression of chromosomal segments from a synthetic exotic wheat Am3 into an elite cultivar Laizhou953, showed a significantly increased TN and SN, but shorter spike length (SL) and fewer grain number per spike (GNS) than Laizhou953. To investigate the quantitative trait locus (QTL) responsible for these variations, the introgressed segments in 05210 were screened by SSR markers and one follow-up segregation population was developed from the cross 05210/Laizhou953. The population showed 3:1 segregation ratios for SN, SL and GNS, indicating that QTLs for these traits have been dissected into single Mendelian factors. Bulked segregation analysis showed that the markers located on the 4B introgressed segment were polymorphic between the two bulks. Therefore, they were further analyzed in the F2 population to construct a linkage map. Three new QTLs, QSn.sdau-4B, QSl.sdau-4B and QGns.sdau-4B, were detected for SN, SL and GNS, respectively, which explained a large portion of the phenotypic variation (30.1–67.6%) for these traits with overlapping peaks. Correlation analysis and multiple-trait, multiple-interval mapping (MMIM) suggested pleiotropic effects of the QTL on SN, SL and GNS. Therefore, the QTL was designated as QSn.sdau-4B. By a progeny test based on F3 families using SN, the QTL was mapped as a Mendelian factor to the proximal region of 4BL. It is a key QTL responsible for variation in spike number and size, which had not been reported previously. Thus, it is an important QTL for wheat to achieve high and stable biomass and grain yield. Dissection and mapping of this QTL as a Mendelian factor laid a solid foundation for map-based cloning of grain yield-related QTLs in wheat.

Comparative genetic analysis of the Aegilops longissima and Ae. sharonensis genomes with common wheat

Abstract Aegilops longissima Schw. et Musch. (2n= 2x=14, SlSl) and Aegilops sharonensis Eig. (2n=2x=14, SlSl) are diploid species belonging to the section Sitopsis in the tribe Triticeae and potential donors of useful genes for wheat breeding. A comparative genetic map was constructed of the Ae. longissima genome, using RFLP probes with known location in wheat. A high degree of conserved colinearity was observed between the wild diploid and basic wheat genome, represented by the D genome of cultivated wheat. Chromosomes 1Sl, 2Sl, 3Sl, 5Sl and 6Sl are colinear with wheat chromosomes 1D, 2D, 3D, 5D and 6D, respectively. The analysis confirmed that chromosomes 4Sl and 7Sl are translocated relative to wheat. The short arms and major part of the long arms are homoeologous to most of wheat chromosomes 4D and 7D respectively, but the region corresponding to the distal segment of 7D was translocated from 7SlL to the distal region of 4SlL. The map and RFLP markers were then used to analyse the genomes and added chromosomes in a set of ’Chinese Spring’ (CS)/Ae. longissima chromosome additions. The study confirmed the availability of disomic CS/Ae. longissima addition lines for chromosomes 1Sl, 2Sl, 3Sl, 4Sl and 5Sl. An as yet unpublished set of Ae. sharonensis chromosome addition lines were also available for analysis. Due to the gametocidal nature of Ae. sharonensis chromosomes 2Sl and 4Sl, additions 1Sl, 3Sl, 5Sl, 6Sl and 7Sl were produced in a (4D)4Sl background, and 2Sl and 4Sl in a euploid wheat background. The analysis also confirmed that the 4/7 translocation found in Ae. longissima was not present in Ae. sharonensis although the two wild relatives of wheat are considered to be closely related. The phenotypes of the Ae. sharonensis addition lines are described in an Appendix.

Molecular mapping of a novel yellow rust resistance gene of wheat using microsatellite markers

Identification and genetic analysis of yellow rust resistance have suggested that wheat line R55 carries single dominant gene conferring yellow rust resistance. The bulked segregant analysis (BSA) for an F2 population using microsatellite marker technique has indicated that the yellow rust resistance gene is located on the short arm of chromosome 1B, tightly linked to the microsatellite markers WMS11-193 bp and WMS18-184 bp, the linkage distance between the markers and the gene is 1.9 cM. This gene has been formally namedYr26. It is inferred from the pedigree, resistance and gene locus analysis that theYr26 has been transferred fromTriticum turgidum L. and is different from the other known yellow rust resistance genes.

CLONING AND CHARACTERIZATION OF A C GENOME-SPECIFIC REPETITIVE SEQUENCE INAEGILOPS CAUDATA L.

AbstractpAeca212 is 204 bp in length, and the G + C content is 51%. It disperses on all seven chromosome pairs ofAegilops caudata except centromeres and secondary constrictions. Compared with the 316893 DNA sequences registered in Genbank/EMBL/DDJB/PDB, pAeca212 is a new C-genome specific repetitive sequence. The results of genomic specificity analysis of pAece212 show that there are no hybridization signals detected in all donor Poaceae plants except in rye. pAeca212 is a very useful molecular marker in the study of the origin of Triticeace and the detection of C chromatin in wheat background.

Characterization of progenies of Triticum aestivum- Psathyrostachys juncea derivatives by using genomic in-situ hybridization *

Using genomicin-situ hybridization (GISH) technique, 7 translocation-addition lines, 6 translocation and translocation-addition lines, 2 ditelosomic addition lines and 1 translocation line were identified fromTriticum aestivum L. -Psathyrostachys juncea (Fisch.) Nevski intergeneric hybrids, of which translocation-addition and translocation and translocation-addition lines were not found in other reports. No substitutions and disornic additions were detected in the, hybrids and breakages occurred in allP. juncea chromosomes studied. Results have shown that the improved GISH technique is a rapid and economical method for use in this field.

Characterization of Triticum aestivum Psathyrostachys juncea derivatives by genomic in situ hybridization

Using the genomic in situ hybridization (GISH) technique, one translocation line, seven translocation-addition lines, five translocation plus translocation addition lines and two ditelosomic addition lines were identified in backcross progenies of Triticum aestivum L. -Psathyrostachys juncea (Fisch.) Nevski intergeneric hybrids. No complete P. juncea chromosomes were detected in the 25 lines studied. The results suggest that intact P. juncea chromosomes may be difficult to isolate in a wheat background.