Combining high carotenoid, grain protein content and rust resistance in wheat for food and nutritional security

Abstract

Globally, malnutrition has given birth to an alarming predicament, especially in developing countries, and has extensively shifted consumer preferences from conventional high-energy diets to a nutritionally balanced, cost-effective, sustainable, and healthy lifestyle. In keeping with this view and the mandate for developing high-yielding, disease-resistant biofortified staple food (wheat) for catering to the demand-driven market, the current research aimed at stacking together the enhanced grain protein content, carotenoid content, and disease resistance in an elite bread wheat background. The Y gene (PsyE1) and the GpcB1 gene were used as novel sources for enhancing the grain carotenoid and protein content in the commercial elite bread wheat cultivar HD2967. The combination also led to the stacking of resistance against all three foliar rusts owing to linked resistance genes. A stepwise hybridization using Parent 1 (HD2967 + PsyE1/Lr19/Sr25) with Parent 2 (PBW550 + GpcB1/Yr36+ Yr15), coupled with a phenotypic-biochemical selection, narrowed down 2748 F2 individuals to a subset of 649 F2 plants for molecular screening. The gene-specific markers PsyE1, PsyD1, Xucw108, and Xbarc8 for the genes PsyE1, PsyD1, GpcB1, and Yr15, respectively, were employed for forward selection. Four bread wheat lines positive for all the desired genes with high carotenoid (>8ppm) and protein (>13%) content were raised to the F5 generation and will be evaluated for yield potential after bulking. These improved advanced breeding lines developed following multipronged efforts should prove a valuable and unique source for the development of cultivars with improved nutritional quality and rust resistance in wheat breeding programs.

Development of MAS-derived wheat genotypes with high GPC, PHST and rust resistance

“…In more recent study, genes were pyramided for high GPC, high grain carotenoid content and resistance to all the three rusts in elite wheat cv. HD2967 (Padhy et al 2023) and two Fhb loci were pyramided in high-quality soft wheat cultivar Yangmai 15 (Hu et al 2023). A wide array of resistance genes (> 220)…”

“…Another attribute of the gene Gpc-B1 is its association with Yr36, which is, an e cient high-temperature adult-plant (HTAP) stripe-rust resistance gene (Uauy et al 2005). Therefore, the use of Gpc-B1 is particularly useful for improvement of both grain nutritional quality and disease resistance in wheat (Padhy et al 2023).…”

Mining of Minor Disease Resistance Genes in V. vinifera Grapes Based on Transcriptome

“…Boba based their analysis of fusarium susceptibility on transgenic flax that produces excessive carotenoid and found that transgenic flax showed greater resistance to pathogen infection [31]. In order to increase the protein content, carotenoid content and disease resistance of wheat, we overexpressed the y and GPCB1 genes to increase the carotenoid content and protein content of wheat overexpression of these two genes also increased wheat resistance to leaf rust linkage reaction [32]. Alleles of the DN1 and DN2 genes with resistance to wheat aphids by Heng-Moss were affected by carotenoid concentrations [33].…”

Bioactive Compounds of Vegetable Origin

“…Once the properties of the family of compounds and their concentration in essential oils are known, their effects (beneficial or harmful) can be determined. The biological properties of EU are determined by their main components [16]. The widespread application of EU in aromatherapy reveals their effect on the immune system of the human body.…”