Plant nitrogen assimilation and use efficiency in the seedling’s root system are beneficial for adult plants in field condition for yield enhancement.  Identification of the genetic basis between root traits and N uptake plays a crucial role in wheat breeding.  In the present study, 198 doubled haploid lines from the cross of Yangmai 16/Zhongmai 895 were used to identify quantitative trait loci (QTLs) underpinning four seedling biomass traits and five root system architecture (RSA) related traits.  The plants were grown under hydroponic conditions with control, low and high N treatments (Ca(NO₃)₂·4H₂O at 0, 0.05 and 2.0 mmol L⁻¹, respectively).  Significant variations among the treatments and genotypes, and positive correlations between seedling biomass and RSA traits (r=0.20 to 0.98) were observed.  Inclusive composite interval mapping based on a high-density map from the Wheat 660K single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) array identified 51 QTLs from the three N treatments.  Twelve new QTLs detected on chromosomes 1AL (1) in the control, 1DS (2) in high N treatment, 4BL (5) in low and high N treatments, and 7DS (3) and 7DL (1) in low N treatments, are first reported in influencing the root and biomass related traits for N uptake.  The most stable QTLs (RRS.caas-4DS) on chromosome 4DS, which were related to ratio of root to shoot dry weight trait, was in close proximity of the Rht-D1 gene, and it showed high phenotypic effects, explaining 13.1% of the phenotypic variance.  Twenty-eight QTLs were clustered in 12 genetic regions.  SNP markers tightly linked to two important QTLs clusters C10 and C11 on chromosomes 6BL and 7BL were converted to kompetitive allele-specific PCR (KASP) assays that underpin important traits in root development, including root dry weight, root surface area and shoot dry weight.  These QTLs, clusters and KASP assays can greatly improve the efficiency of selection for root traits in wheat breeding programmes.

 

Stem lignin content (SLC) in common wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) contributes to lodging resistance.  Caffeic acid 3-O-methyltransferase (COMT) is a key enzyme involved in lignin biosynthesis.  Characterization of TaCOMT genes and development of gene-specific markers could enable marker-assisted selection in wheat breeding.  In the present study, the full-length genomic DNA (gDNA) sequences of TaCOMT genes located on chromosomes 3A, 3B, and 3D were cloned by homologous cloning.  Two allelic variants, TaCOMT-3Ba and TaCOMT-3Bb, were identified and differed by a 222-bp insertion/deletion (InDel) in the 3´-untranslated region (3´-UTR).  A co-dominant gene-specific marker based on this InDel was developed and designated as TaCOMT-3BM.  A total of 157 wheat cultivars and advanced lines grown in four environments were used to validate the associations between allelic patterns and SLC.  The SLC of cultivars with TaCOMT-3Ba was significantly (P<0.01) higher than that of those with TaCOMT-3Bb, and the marker TaCOMT-3BM could be effectively used in wheat breeding.