Substitutions of 2S and 7U chromosomes of Aegilops kotschyi in wheat enhance grain iron and zinc concentration

• Published in: Theoretical and applied genetics Vol. 121; no. 2; pp. 259 - 269
• Main Authors: Tiwari, Vijay K, Rawat, Nidhi, Neelam, Kumari, Kumar, Sundip, Randhawa, Gursharn S, Dhaliwal, Harcharan S
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Berlin/Heidelberg Berlin/Heidelberg : Springer-Verlag 01.07.2010; Springer-Verlag; Springer; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Aegilops; Agriculture; Biochemistry; Biological and medical sciences; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Biotechnology; Chromosome Mapping; Chromosomes; Chromosomes, Plant - genetics; Classical genetics, quantitative genetics, hybrids; Crosses, Genetic; Cultivars; Edible Grain - chemistry; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Genetic aspects; Genetically altered foods; Genetics of eukaryotes. Biological and molecular evolution; Genome, Plant; Goat grass; Grasses; Hybridization; In Situ Hybridization, Fluorescence; Iron - metabolism; Iron in the body; Life Sciences; Methods; Nutritional aspects; Original Paper; Phenotype; Plant Biochemistry; Plant Breeding/Biotechnology; Plant genetic engineering; Plant Genetics and Genomics; Pteridophyta, spermatophyta; Seeds; Triticum - genetics; Triticum - growth & development; Triticum - metabolism; Triticum aestivum; Vegetals; Wheat; Zinc - metabolism; Zinc in the body; Uttarakhand India; India; Zinc Content; Harvest Index; Wheat Chromosome; Zinc Concentration; Chinese Spring; Monocotyledones; Grains; Chromosome; Iron; Concentration; Zinc; Aegilops; Substitution; Gramineae; Angiospermae; Genetics; Spermatophyta; Agriculture; Triticum aestivum
• ISSN: 0040-5752; 1432-2242
• DOI: 10.1007/s00122-010-1307-8

Biofortification through genetic manipulation is the best approach for improving micronutrient content of the staple food crops to alleviate hidden hunger, namely, the deficiency of Fe and Zn affecting more than two billion people worldwide. An interspecific hybridization was made between T. aestivum line Chinese Spring (CS) and Aegilops kotschyi accession 3790 selected for high grain iron and zinc concentration. The CS × Ae. kotschyi F₁ hybrid with low chromosome pairing was highly male and female sterile. This was backcrossed with wheat cultivars to get seed set. The selfed BC₁F₁ and BC₂F₁ plants with high grain iron and zinc concentration were selected in subsequent generations. The selected derivatives showed 60-136% enhanced grain iron and zinc concentration and 50-120% increased iron and zinc content per seed as compared to the recipient wheat cultivars. Thirteen cytologically stable, fertile and agronomically superior plants with high grain iron and zinc concentrations were selected for molecular characterization. The application of anchored wheat SSR markers, transferable to Ae. kotschyi, to the high grain iron and zinc containing derivatives indicated introgression of group 2 and group 7 chromosomes of Ae. kotschyi. GISH and FISH analysis of some derivatives confirmed the substitution of chromosomes 2S and 7U for their homoeologues of the A genome, suggesting that some of the genes controlling high grain micronutrient content in the Ae. kotschyi accession are on these chromosomes.