Abstract
Wheat is an essential constituent of cereal-based diets, and one of the most significant sources of calories. However, modern wheat varieties are low in proteins and minerals. Biofortification is a method for increasing the availability of essential elements in the edible portions of crops through agronomic or genetic and genomic interventions. Wheat biofortification, as a research topic, has become increasingly prevalent. Recent accomplishments in genomic biofortification could potentially be helpful for the development of biofortified wheat grains, as a sustainable solution to the issue of “hidden hunger”. Genomic interventions mainly include quantitative trait loci (QTL) mapping, marker-assisted selection (MAS), and genomic selection (GS). Developments in the identification of QTL and in the understanding of the physiological and molecular bases of the QTLs controlling the biofortification traits in wheat have revealed new horizons for the improvement of modern wheat varieties. Markers linked with the QTLs of desirable traits can be identified through QTL mapping, which can be employed for MAS. Besides MAS, a powerful tool, GS, also has great potential for crop improvement. We have compiled information from QTL mapping studies on wheat, carried out for the identification of the QTLs associated with biofortification traits, and have discussed the present status of MAS and different prospects of GS for wheat biofortification. Accelerated mapping studies, as well as MAS and GS schemes, are expected to improve wheat breeding efficiency further.
Highlights
Malnutrition impacts more than two billion individuals, and Asia and Africa are the most affected regions [1]
Grain protein content (GPC) is among the important traits that contribute to the nutritional value, processing preference, quality of the end products and market value of both hexaploidy (Triticum aestivum L.) and durum (T. turgidum L. var. durum Desf.) wheat
The above-mentioned different types of interactions, such as QQ, QTL × environment (QE) and QTL × QTL × environment (QQE), observed for the GPC in wheat, make sense in light of the present knowledge on molecular genetics, where DNA and protein interactions, protein and protein interactions, and epigenetic variations have been revealed to be directed by changes in the environment
Summary
Malnutrition impacts more than two billion individuals, and Asia and Africa are the most affected regions [1]. The comparative genomics of plant species is proving to be an efficient method in the identification of novel genes with respect to the biofortification of modern wheat [36] Various genomic approaches, such as quantitative trait loci (QTL) mapping, marker-assisted selection (MAS) and genomic selection, have been widely employed for the biofortification of wheat. The experimental design, type of plant population analyzed, and the level of polymorphisms between parental genomes affect predictions of QTLs. Statistical methods for determining quantitative trait loci (QTL) require numerous molecular markers, with high-resolution genetic maps [39,40]. Each of the lines was homozygous for a particular recombined or unrecombined chromosome, and near-isogenic to LDN durum for all of the other remaining chromosomes These populations served as the best genetic stocks for the precise mapping of the GPC gene/QTLs [43,44] (Table 2). The closer the marker to the QTL/gene, the better will be the prediction
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
