Molecular breeding

About: Molecular breeding is a research topic. Over the lifetime, 2120 publications have been published within this topic receiving 56908 citations.

Molecular marker for identifying genotype of rice chalkiness major effect gene and application of molecular marker

Abstract: The invention belongs to the technical field of plant biology and particularly discloses a molecular marker for identifying a genotype of a rice chalkiness major effect gene and application of the molecular marker The molecular marker consists of a pair of outer primers Chalk5-O-F and Chalk5-O-R and a pair of inner primers Chalk5-C-F and Chalk5-T-R, and a primer sequence is shown in SEQ IDNO:1-4 The marker is moderate in amplified fragments and strong in specificity; when the marker is utilized for identifying the genotype of the rice chalkiness major effect gene Chalk5, gene typing can be performed on the rice chalkiness major effect gene only through simple PCR without sequencing; rice varieties with high and low chalkiness are distinguished, so that molecular marker-assisted selection performed on rice chalkiness characters is realized The molecular marker disclosed by the invention can be used for the molecular marker-assisted selection of a rice improvement and separation population, improves the breeding efficiency and meets the large-scale molecular breeding requirements

Genome-wide identification and analysis of heterotic lociin three maize hybrids

Abstract: Summary Heterosis, or hybrid vigour, is a predominant phenomenon in plant genetics, serving as the basis of crop hybrid breeding, but the causative loci and genes underlying heterosis remain unclear in many crops. Here, we present a large‐scale genetic analysis using 5360 offsprings from three elite maize hybrids, which identifies 628 loci underlying 19 yield‐related traits with relatively high mapping resolutions. Heterotic pattern investigations of the 628 loci show that numerous loci, mostly with complete–incomplete dominance (the major one) or overdominance effects (the secondary one) for heterozygous genotypes and nearly equal proportion of advantageous alleles from both parental lines, are the major causes of strong heterosis in these hybrids. Follow‐up studies for 17 heterotic loci in an independent experiment using 2225 F2 individuals suggest most heterotic effects are roughly stable between environments with a small variation. Candidate gene analysis for one major heterotic locus (ub3) in maize implies that there may exist some common genes contributing to crop heterosis. These results provide a community resource for genetics studies in maize and new implications for heterosis in plants.

Transgenic approach in crop improvement

Abstract: Crop improvement is essential to attain world food security and enhance nutrition for human beings. For a long time, conventional breeding has contributed toward crop improvement, but in the last three decades, the revolution of molecular breeding has arrived in crop improvement, which speeds up the process. Although traditional crop improvement methods are working, they are unable to fulfill the demand of a growing population. So, advanced molecular techniques such as transcription activator-like effector nucleases (TALENs), zinc-finger nucleases (ZFNs), and clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeat (CRISPR) came into the picture to provide more specificity. Genetic engineering (including transgenic) facilitates the transfer of desired characteristics into other plants, which is not possible through conventional plant breeding. Through genetic engineering, scientists have developed several crop plants that are resistant to multiple stresses such as abiotic and biotic stresses as well as herbicide tolerance. The major genetically modified (GM) crops cultivated are tomatoes, wheat, alfalfa, rice, soybeans, maize, canola, squash, brinjal, tobacco, cotton, sugar beets, petunias, sweet peppers, and carnations. Apart from food/resources, GM crops are used to remove heavy metals from the soil, which can rehabiliate waste land for use in agriculture. To accept GM crops, there are legal, social, and political barriers involved. Still, people have shown their interest in opting for GM crops. In this chapter, we comprehensively discuss the role of the transgenic approach in crop improvement to attain sustainable agriculture under changing environmental conditions and also focus on the commercial aspects of transgenic cotton and brinjal.