Molecular breeding

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

Resequencing 250 soybean accessions: new insights into genes associated with agronomic traits and genetic networks

Abstract: Limited knowledge on genomic diversity and the functional genes associated with soybean variety traits has resulted in slow breeding progress. We sequenced the genome of 250 soybean landraces and cultivars from China, America and Europe, and investigated their population structure, genetic diversity and architecture and selective sweep regions of accessions. We identified five novel agronomically important genes and studied the effects of functional mutations in respective genes. We found candidate genes GSTT1, GL3 and GSTL3 associated with isoflavone content, CKX3 associated with yield traits, and CYP85A2 associated with both architecture and yield traits. Our phenotype-gene network analysis revealed that hub nodes play a role in complex phenotypic associations. In this work, we describe novel agronomic trait associated genes and a complex genetic network, providing a valuable resource for future soybean molecular breeding.

Genomic and biotechnological interventions in Prosopis cineraria: current status, challenges and opportunities

Abstract: The present review illustrates an inclusive overview on the progress made in the area of genomics, population genetics, phylogenetics, non-GM biotechnology and genomic resource development in Prosopis cineraria and also suggests how genomic and biotechnological research will accelerate gene discovery, molecular breeding and crop improvement program in P. cineraria. In the era of global climate change, plant resources able to tolerate adverse stressful environments particularly drought, heat, cold and salt stresses have immense importance. The adaptation of plants towards different abiotic stresses depend on the coordination and regulation of multiple stress-responsive genes. The tree species vital to arid environments possess a gene pool representing useful characteristics related to abiotic stresses. Utilization and characterization of genetic resources of plants of arid regions can lead to an increase in our knowledge of the genes that are linked to abiotic stress related traits. Prosopis cineraria is an important tree of Indian Thar desert and is able to survive in adverse environmental conditions. Genomics and identification of genomic resources of this important tree species may be useful in determination of its adaptive evolution under adverse environmental conditions. Little progress has been made for this tree species in the area of population genetics, genomic and genetic resources development in the form of transcriptome sequencing, generation of ESTs against the heat and drought stresses, and identification of genomic SSRs. The feasibility of micropropagation as a non-GM biotechnology has also been demonstrated in P. cineraria. In this review, we also compared the genomic resource development in P. cineraria with other Prosopis species and some other model forest tree species like Populus, Eucalyptus, Quercus, Pinus, Picea, Castanea. However, genomic resource developed in P. cineraria is almost negligible comparatively to other model plants and still considered as less studied species. Although, many stress-responsive genes have been identified in a number of model plants, the native plant species grown naturally under harsh environment are rich source of novel abiotic stress-tolerant genes. More efforts are therefore needed to characterise this tree species using most modern genomic, genetic and biotechnological tools. More genomic research would accelerate gene discovery and molecular breeding in P. cineraria and increase its acceptability as classical tree species at global level for abiotic stress tolerance.

Fruit Crop Improvement with Genome Editing, In Vitro and Transgenic Approaches

Abstract: Fruit species contribute to nutritional and health security by providing micronutrients, antioxidants, and bioactive phytoconstituents, and hence fruit-based products are becoming functional foods presently and for the future. Although conventional breeding methods have yielded improved varieties having fruit quality, aroma, antioxidants, yield, and nutritional traits, the threat of climate change and need for improvement in several other traits such as biotic and abiotic stress tolerance and higher nutritional quality has demanded complementary novel strategies. Biotechnological research in fruit crops has offered immense scope for large-scale multiplication of elite clones, in vitro, mutagenesis, and genetic transformation. Advanced molecular methods, such as genome-wide association studies (GWAS), QTLomics, genomic selection for the development of novel germplasm having functional traits for agronomic and nutritional quality, and enrichment of bioactive constituents through metabolic pathway engineering and development of novel products, are now paving the way for trait-based improvement for developing genetically superior varieties in fruit plant species for enhanced nutritional quality and agronomic performance. In this article, we highlight the applications of in vitro and molecular breeding approaches for use in fruit breeding.

Molecular breeding for the development of drought stress tolerance in soybean

Abstract: Drought stress is an environmental condition in which plants do not receive sufficient water intake leading to their low growth and poor productivity. Drought stress is one of the significant problems in crop yields worldwide. This article discusses the breeding design of drought stress tolerance soybean. Until recently, molecular breeding of soybean plants has been extensively carried out and is very developed, and this article seeks to review several techniques for a molecular marker of soybean, namely, RFLP (Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism), RAPD (Random Amplification of Polymorphic DNA), SCARs (Sequence Characterized Amplified Regions), SSR (Simple Sequence Repeat), AFLP (Amplified Fragment Length Polymorphism), SNPs (Single Nucleotide Polymorphism), and Plant Breeding through Mutation Induction. The article also appraises the results of research that mainly aimed at developing soybean tolerance to drought stress.