Seed Protein Content Research Articles

QTLs and Candidate Genes for Seed Protein Content in Two Recombinant Inbred Line Populations of Soybean.

This study aimed to discover the quantitative trait loci (QTL) associated with a high seed protein content in soybean and unravel the potential candidate genes. We developed two recombinant inbred line populations: YS and SI, by crossing Saedanbaek (high protein) with YS2035-B-91-1-B-1 (low protein) and Saedanbaek with Ilmi (low protein), respectively, and evaluated the protein content for three consecutive years. Using single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP)-marker-based linkage maps, four QTLs were located on chromosomes 15, 18, and 20 with high logarithm of odds values (5.9-55.0), contributing 5.5-66.0% phenotypic variance. In all three experimental years, qPSD20-1 and qPSD20-2 were stable and identified in overlapping positions in the YS and SI populations, respectively. Additionally, novel QTLs were identified on chromosomes 15 and 18. Considering the allelic sequence variation between parental lines, 28 annotated genes related to soybean seed protein-including starch, lipid, and fatty acid biosynthesis-related genes-were identified within the QTL regions. These genes could potentially affect protein accumulation during seed development, as well as sucrose and oil metabolism. Overall, this study offers insights into the genetic mechanisms underlying a high soybean protein content. The identified potential candidate genes can aid marker-assisted selection for developing soybean lines with an increased protein content.

Investigation on the Integration of Low-Cost NIR Spectrometers in Mill Flour Industries for Protein, Moisture and Ash Content Estimation.

The flour milling industry-a vital component of global food production-is undergoing a transformative phase driven by the integration of smart devices and advanced technologies. This transition promises improved efficiency, quality and sustainability in flour production. The accurate estimation of protein, moisture and ash content in wheat grains and flour is of paramount importance due to their direct impact on product quality and compliance with industry standards. This paper explores the application of Near-Infrared (NIR) spectroscopy as a non-destructive, efficient and cost-effective method for measuring the aforementioned essential parameters in wheat and flour by investigating the effectiveness of a low-cost handle NIR spectrometer. Furthermore, a novel approach using Fuzzy Cognitive Maps (FCMs) is proposed to estimate the protein, moisture and ash content in grain seeds and flour, marking the first known application of FCMs in this context. Our study includes an experimental setup that assesses different types of wheat seeds and flour samples and evaluates three NIR pre-processing techniques to enhance the parameter estimation accuracy. The results indicate that low-cost NIR equipment can contribute to the estimation of the studied parameters.

Assessment of genetic variability, correlation and path analysis for yield and its components in groundnut (Arachis hypogaea L.)

Genetic variability, heritability, correlation and path analysis were carried out in 27 groundnut genotypes. Analysis of variance revealed significant differences among the genotypesfor all the characters. The estimated PCV and GCV indicated existence of fairly high degree of variability for dry pod yield/plant, kernel yield/plant, number of branches/plant, number of mature pods /plant and seed protein content. In corollary to high heritability, estimates of genetic advance as per cent of mean was also observed for dry pod yield/plant, kernel yield/plant, number of mature pods/plant and seed protein content indicating predominance of additive gene effects for these traits. The association study among characters revealed that dry pod yield was positively and significantly correlated with number of pegs/plant, number of mature pods/plant and kernel yield/plant. Path coefficient analysis revealed that kernel yield/plant, biological yield/plant and harvest index had maximum positive direct effect on dry pod yield/plant. The study shows that greater emphasis should be given on these characters while selecting for higheryield and related traits in groundnut.

Effect of heat stress on seed protein quality in mungbean [Vigna radiata (L.) Wilczek

AbstractAbiotic and biotic stresses impair the productivity of agricultural crops. Among abiotic stresses, the higher temperature (i.e., heat stress) is unfavourable for plant growth and development. In recent years, the mungbean [Vigna radiata (L.) Wilczek] demand has been increasing, which can satisfy human protein requirements. However, its productivity and quality are negatively impacted by heat stress due to climate change. This requires a broadening scope of mungbean adaptation to warmer climates. Hence, the objective of this study was to assess the effects of heat stress on various mungbean genotypes for their seed protein characteristics (total seed protein content, proportion of four protein fractions, and electrophoretic patterns on SDS‐gels). The 13 mungbean genotypes were grown under normal and heat‐stressed conditions by sowing seeds at two different times, that is, the normal sowing time in the last week of March and late sowing in the last week of April in the experimental plots. In late‐sown plants, the total seed proteins decreased by 4.1% to 9.3%. In addition, the relative proportion of glutelins and prolamins increased significantly while globulins and albumins decreased at high temperatures. Moreover, the intensity of polypeptides decreased under high temperatures. In our studies, some polypeptides appeared, and others disappeared in late‐sown genotypes. The disappearance of bands reveals a higher rate of protein degradation than synthesis under heat stress. The detrimental effects of heat stress on seed protein characteristics studied were more prominent in MH 318, IPM 02‐3 and PM‐5 and less noticeable in MH 125, MH 421 and PDM 139 genotypes.

Response of soybean varieties to weather conditions in Primorsky Krai

Relevance. The soybean breeding process, focused on increasing the level of qualitative and reproductive indicators of the culture under the means of hybridization, further evaluation of the obtained genotypes and selection of promising samples, has an extremely relevant research direction.Results. The research determined how weather and climatic factors influenced the yield, protein content in seeds, and resistance to fungal diseases of promising soybean varieties under the conditions of Primorsky Krai. High-yielding accessions (3.08–3.59 t/ha) from combinations «Arisa × Taifun» and «NIISKH 3 × Taifun» were selected. A high TKW was characteristic of hybrid combination «Primorskaya 13 × Kofu» (207 g). During the growing season of the crop, there were conditions of insufficient (2021) and excessive (2022) moisture, which had a different effect on the yield level of soybean varieties on average according to experience (17.1 c/ha and 34.0 c/ha, respectively). The conditions of 2022 were optimal for the ontogeny of soybean. Varieties Primorskaya 1690, Primorskaya 1693, and Primorskaya 1696 had the highest yield in 2022 exceeding the standard by 38.0–54.7%. The highest yield was achieved under the conditions of short-term heavy precipitation in combination with high temperature during the growing period. Soybean seeds had a higher protein content after heavy precipitation with short periods of moisture excess from July to August. Under more favorable conditions for the development of fungal pathogens (in 2022), the degree of damage to soybean plants significantly increased (by 16.0%). The studied varieties were resistant to downy mildew and Cercospora.leaf spot (the degree of damage was up to 25.0%).

Урожайность и содержание белка в семенах сортов среднерусской однодомной конопли при разных нормах высева в Среднем Предуралье

The article presents the results of scientific research for 2020-2022 on the study of the content and harvesting of protein with the yield of cannabis varieties depending on the seeding rate in the soil and meteorological conditions of the Middle Urals. The soil of the experimental plots in the years of laying the experiments differed in the agrochemical characteristics of the arable layer: low and medium humus content, high and elevated – mobile phosphorus, elevated and very high – mobile potassium. The soil solution had a strongly acidic, medium acidic and close to neutral reaction. On sod-medium-podzolic medium loamy soil, the Vera variety stood out in terms of seed yield, providing seed productivity of 71 g/m2 in 2020, 193 g/m2 in 2021 and 128 g/m2 in 2022 with a crude protein content of 21.6%, 20.2%, 22.4%, respectively, by year. On average, over the years of research, the collection of raw protein with a yield of 291 and 303 kg/ha of the Nadezhda and Vera varieties had 1.2 million units/ha at the seeding rate, Surskaya hemp formed more raw protein in a yield of 273 kg/ha at a seeding rate of 0.8 million units/ha. The seeding rate of 0.4 million units/ha provided the highest 22.0–25.7% crude protein content in hemp seeds. Keywords: HEMP, VARIETY, SEEDING RATE, CRUDE PROTEIN, YIELD, SEEDS

Differential gene expression provides leads to environmentally regulated soybean seed protein content.

Soybean is an important global source of plant-based protein. A persistent trend has been observed over the past two decades that soybeans grown in western Canada have lower seed protein content than soybeans grown in eastern Canada. In this study, 10 soybean genotypes ranging in average seed protein content were grown in an eastern location (control) and three western locations (experimental) in Canada. Seed protein and oil contents were measured for all lines in each location. RNA-sequencing and differential gene expression analysis were used to identify differentially expressed genes that may account for relatively low protein content in western-grown soybeans. Differentially expressed genes were enriched for ontologies and pathways that included amino acid biosynthesis, circadian rhythm, starch metabolism, and lipid biosynthesis. Gene ontology, pathway mapping, and quantitative trait locus (QTL) mapping collectively provide a close inspection of mechanisms influencing nitrogen assimilation and amino acid biosynthesis between soybeans grown in the East and West. It was found that western-grown soybeans had persistent upregulation of asparaginase (an asparagine hydrolase) and persistent downregulation of asparagine synthetase across 30 individual differential expression datasets. This specific difference in asparagine metabolism between growing environments is almost certainly related to the observed differences in seed protein content because of the positive correlation between seed protein content at maturity and free asparagine in the developing seed. These results provided pointed information on seed protein-related genes influenced by environment. This information is valuable for breeding programs and genetic engineering of geographically optimized soybeans.

Assessment of Genetic Diversity and Protein Content of Scandinavian Peas (Pisum sativum)

We produced homogeneous lines of 227 pea accessions from the Nordic Genetic Resource Center via single seed descent. The genetic diversity among these, mostly Scandinavian accessions, was investigated using three microsatellite markers, A9, AC58 and AA5. The microsatellites were highly informative and separated 153 of 194 accessions on a Neighbor Joining topology. The high polymorphism information content (PIC) values between 0.87 and 0.91 indicated that the gene bank material contains a large number of pea accessions with different breeding histories. The peas were grown in the field for two years and seed protein content showed variation between 9.3% and 34.1% over the years and accessions, respectively. The mean thousand seed weight was 152.05 g. More than 10 accessions had a protein content above 28%, showing that the collection has potential as breeding nursery for high-protein pea cultivars.

Genome wide identification and characterization of the amino acid transporter (AAT) genes regulating seed protein content in chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.)

Amino acid transporters (AATs), besides, being a crucial component for nutrient partitioning system are also vital for growth and development of the plants and stress resilience. In order to understand the role of AAT genes in seed quality proteins, a comprehensive analysis of AAT gene family was carried out in chickpea leading to identification of 109 AAT genes, representing 10 subfamilies with random distribution across the chickpea genome. Several important stress responsive cis-regulatory elements like Myb, ABRE, ERE were detected in the promoter region of these CaAAT genes. Most of the genes belonging to the same sub-families shared the intron-exon distribution pattern owing to their conserved nature. Random distribution of these CaAAT genes was observed on plasma membrane, vacuolar membrane, Endoplasmic reticulum and Golgi membranes, which may be associated to distinct biochemical pathways. In total 92 out 109 CaAAT genes arise as result of duplication, among which segmental duplication was more prominent over tandem duplication. As expected, the phylogenetic tree was divided into 2 major clades, and further sub-divided into different sub-families. Among the 109 CaAAT genes, 25 were found to be interacting with 25 miRNAs, many miRNAs like miR156, miR159 and miR164 were interacting only with single AAT genes. Tissues specific expression pattern of many CaAAT genes was observed like CaAAP7 and CaAVT18 in nodules, CaAAP17, CaAVT5 and CaCAT9 in vegetative tissues while CaCAT10 and CaAAP23 in seed related tissues as per the expression analysis. Mature seed transcriptome data revealed that genotypes having high protein content (ICC 8397, ICC 13461) showed low CaAATs expression as compared to the genotypes having low protein content (FG 212, BG 3054). Amino acid profiling of these genotypes revealed a significant difference in amount of essential and non-essential amino acids, probably due to differential expression of CaAATs. Thus, the present study provides insights into the biological role of AAT genes in chickpea, which will facilitate their functional characterization and role in various developmental stages, stress responses and involvement in nutritional quality enhancement.

Exploring seed and meal composition and protein solubility in soybean genotypes from different domestication periods

AbstractTraditionally, commercial soybean breeding has focused on increasing seed yield by crossing elite cultivars and limiting the genetic diversity within commercial germplasm. Wild and ancestral soybean genotypes have higher seed protein concentrations than commercial ones. Different seed protein concentrations and compositions result in diverse functional properties of soybean meal, in particular solubility is important for beverages and protein isolates production. The objectives of our study were (i) to characterize seed protein concentration and composition in genotypes from different soybean domestication periods (types) and (ii) to evaluate the protein concentration and solubility profiles of the defatted meals obtained from these genotypes. Variation within seed and meal protein concentration, composition, and solubility was evident along the domestication process. Wild relative (G. soja) and Elite genotypes had the maximum and minimum seed protein concentrations, respectively (42.9 and 36.3 g 100 g−1). Soybean meal protein concentrations were 55.1, 47.7, 48.4 and 44.1 g 100 g−1 for Wild relative (G. soja), Asian landraces, North American (Nam) ancestors and Elite, respectively. Ample genotypic variation was observed for β‐conglycinin components, such as for β, α, and α′ subunits and for total glycinin and its components. Asian landraces had the highest protein solubility. Wild and ancestral germplasm are a reservoir of useful traits to improve soybean seed quality. This study opens the gates to the introduction of ancestral germplasm to breeding programs focused on protein quality and functionality.

Amaranth yield depending on the sowing rate

The main value of amaranth lies in its ability to accumulate a large amount of protein in its seeds and leaves. With a seed protein content of 15-18%, amaranth surpasses wheat (12-14%), rice (7-10%), maize (9-10%), and other grain crops. The purpose of this study was to establish the optimal seed sowing rates for amaranth under the conditions of the Western Ukrainian Forest-Steppe zone. The study employed general scientific methods such as analysis, synthesis, experimentation, description, observation, and comparison, as well as field methods like phenological observations and record-keeping, along with statistical and correlation-regression analyses for data processing. The sowing rates of the variety Kharkivskyi 1 were investigated under conditions of sufficient moisture on dark-grey forest soil. It was found that the field germination varied with different sowing rates. At a sowing rate of 0.2 million seeds/ha, the field uniformity was 70%, but it decreased to 60% at a sowing rate of 1.2 million seeds/ha, representing a 10% decrease. Higher sowing rates resulted in greater plant density. In the seedling stage, there were 14 plants per 0.2 million seeds/ha sowing rate, while at 1.2 million seeds/ha, the number of plants increased to 72/m². Plant survival during the vegetation period sharply decreased with increased planting density, from 86% at a sowing rate of 0.2 million seeds/ha to 45% at a sowing rate of 1.2 million seeds/ha. Therefore, before harvesting, the plant density was adjusted to 12-32 plants/m². The best combination of the main elements of the structure was found to be 21 plants/m² and 26 plants/m², with a grain weight per plant of 20.4g and 16.1g, respectively. The highest grain yield of amaranth variety Kharkivskyi 1 was obtained at sowing rates of 0.4 million seeds/ha and 0.6 million seeds/ha, resulting in 4.28 t/ha and 4.20 t/ha, respectively. Any increase or decrease in sowing rates led to a decrease in the yield level. The results of this study can be used for further establishment and improvement of the main elements of amaranth cultivation technology by both scientific institutions and agricultural farms

A Genome-Wide Association Study Reveals Region Associated with Seed Protein Content in Cowpea.

Cowpea (Vigna unguiculata L. Walp., 2n = 2x = 22) is a protein-rich crop that complements staple cereals for humans and serves as fodder for livestock. It is widely grown in Africa and other developing countries as the primary source of protein in the diet; therefore, it is necessary to identify the protein-related loci to improve cowpea breeding. In the current study, we conducted a genome-wide association study (GWAS) on 161 cowpea accessions (151 USDA germplasm plus 10 Arkansas breeding lines) with a wide range of seed protein contents (21.8~28.9%) with 110,155 high-quality whole-genome single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) to identify markers associated with protein content, then performed genomic prediction (GP) for future breeding. A total of seven significant SNP markers were identified using five GWAS models (single-marker regression (SMR), the general linear model (GLM), Mixed Linear Model (MLM), Fixed and Random Model Circulating Probability Unification (FarmCPU), and Bayesian-information and Linkage-disequilibrium Iteratively Nested Keyway (BLINK), which are located at the same locus on chromosome 8 for seed protein content. This locus was associated with the gene Vigun08g039200, which was annotated as the protein of the thioredoxin superfamily, playing a critical function for protein content increase and nutritional quality improvement. In this study, a genomic prediction (GP) approach was employed to assess the accuracy of predicting seed protein content in cowpea. The GP was conducted using cross-prediction with five models, namely ridge regression best linear unbiased prediction (rrBLUP), Bayesian ridge regression (BRR), Bayesian A (BA), Bayesian B (BB), and Bayesian least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (BL), applied to seven random whole genome marker sets with different densities (10 k, 5 k, 2 k, 1 k, 500, 200, and 7), as well as significant markers identified through GWAS. The accuracies of the GP varied between 42.9% and 52.1% across the seven SNPs considered, depending on the model used. These findings not only have the potential to expedite the breeding cycle through early prediction of individual performance prior to phenotyping, but also offer practical implications for cowpea breeding programs striving to enhance seed protein content and nutritional quality.

Soybean seed yield and protein response to crop rotation and fertilization strategies in previous seasons

Annual crops dominate Argentinean landscapes with a majority of fields dedicated to soybean production. Consecutive years with full-season soybean crops are frequent and this practice is associated with organic carbon losses affecting soil chemical and physical properties. It is proposed that more intensive and diverse cropping sequences coupled with targeted fertilization may allow keeping near-neutral nutrient and carbon balances while improving successive crops performance. We conducted four on–farm experiments along six seasons in the Argentine Pampas where three crop rotations and two fertilization strategies (high and regular rates of N, P, and S) were evaluated. Crop rotations involved were i) soybean monoculture, ii) a typical wheat-soybean/maize/soybean rotation, and iii) a more intensified rotation consisting of wheat-soybean/field pea-maize/soybean. After five years, soil organic carbon was consistently lower under soybean monoculture compared to that under more intensive and diverse rotations. During the sixth and last season, identically managed soybean crops were grown in all treatments to determine the influence of previous management history on soil, plant nutrients, and on crop performance. Results indicate that crop rotation largely influenced soybean seed yield (range from 120 to 690 kg ha−1 yield increase) mainly through changes in water use affecting solar radiation interception and, by a lesser extent, the conversion efficiency of radiation into biomass and partition to seeds. Comparatively, increased fertilization rates in preceding seasons resulted in a lower seed yield response (range from nil to 180 kg ha−1), which indicates that fertilization strategies alone are ineffective to restore productivity levels after years of soybean monoculture. However, in most cases, the high fertilization strategy in previous seasons resulted in greater soybean protein concentration in seeds and in overall protein yield.

A Pragmatic Study on Seed Shape Classification and its Association among Seed Quality Attributes in Chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.)

Background: Seed shape in chickpea, a less known but not a trivial trait to study, as the possibility to include it in applied breeding aspect is yet to be deciphered. The present study mainly focuses on the study of seed shape classification and its interrelationship with seed quality parameters. Methods: The present study was conducted at the N.E. Borlaug Crop Research Centre, G.B. Pant University of Agriculture and Technology in Pantnagar, Uttarakhand. Seed shapes in chickpea were classified into distinct classes like angular, globular and owl headed types, using set of genotypes that constituted all the three seed shapes and corresponding hybrids obtained by crossing them. Result: The Codominance of radicle length and dominance nature of shape of chalazal end was observed in a definite pattern. Angular types were dominant over owl-head and globular types, whereas the globular type was dominant over owl-head type. Angular and globular types had low and high protein content respectively. Globular types would be a key to merge the bi-directionally acting seed traits like protein content and seed weight. From our observations seed shape can be a potential criteria to select for seed protein content. We made clear cut shape classification based on seed components, which could helps in seed shaped based selection in large populations.

Effects of Wood Distillate (Pyroligneous Acid) on the Yield Parameters and Mineral Composition of Three Leguminous Crops

The excessive use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides in agriculture is increasing the demand for novel products to improve the quality of crops in a more sustainable way. Wood distillate (WD, pyroligneous acid) is a by-product obtained during the pyrolysis of plant biomass that can be successfully applied in agriculture due to its ability to enhance the growth, size, and weight of edible plant parts. However, there is little information concerning its plant yield-promoting effects on leguminous crops. The present work investigated the effects of WD on the yield, protein content and mineral composition of chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.), lentil (Lens culinaris L.) and bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) plants grown in field conditions. The application of WD showed remarkable yield-promoting effects mostly in lentil plants, which significantly increased plant and shoot biomass, the number and weight of both pods and seeds, as well as the total seed protein content. Furthermore, seeds from WD-treated plants differentially increased the concentration of elements with high nutritional value for human health, including Fe, Ca, Mg and K. These results suggest that the effects of WD among the legumes tested are species-specific and that WD could be an optimal candidate to grow high-yielding legumes with improved seed nutritional quality.

ANN and RSM based Modeling of Moringa Stenopetala Seed Oil Extraction: Process Optimization and Oil Characterization

Moringa Stenopetala is a plant species that is endemic to the southern region of Ethiopia. It is primarily cultivated for its nutritional value and is considered an important food source. The present research aimed to analyse the physicochemical properties of Moringa Stenopetala seed oil (MSO) obtained through solvent extraction method utilising hexane as the solvent. The collection of seeds was conducted in Adama, which is situated in the East Shawa zone of Oromia, Ethiopia. Prior to the extraction procedure, the seeds' average moisture content, crude ash, fibre, protein, and oil content were analysed and found to be 6.27%, 7.8%, 2.7%, 26.5%, and 43.2%, respectively. Using the Response Surface Method (RSM) and Artificial Neural Network (ANN), the extraction process was modeled. The study utilised numerical solutions to determine the optimal process parameters for maximising oil yield during extraction. The results indicated that a particle size of 0.85mm, a temperature of 85°C, and an extraction time of 4.75 hours were the most effective parameters. Furthermore, an investigation was conducted on the physical and chemical properties of the oil obtained under optimised conditions.

Growth and quality characteristics of sesame (Sesamum indicum L.) as influenced by vermicompost and chemical fertilizers

An experiment was carried out in pot culture to assess the effect of integrated vermicompost and chemical fertilizers on soil physical and chemical attributes, sesame plant growth, seed yield, and nutrient concentrations in agricultural soil. Eleven treatments were arranged in a completely randomized design (CRD) with three replications together with the control. All the vegetative growth and yield promoting attributes viz. plant height (116.20 cm), leaf number (100 plant-1), leaf area (29.34 cm2), pod no. (100 plant-1), and seed no. (64 pod-1), and 1000 seeds weight (3.82g) was highest in T10 containing 15 t ha-1 vermicompost plus 70% RDF (N21P11K14S5 kg ha-1). The control (T1) displayed minimum yield performance and quality characteristics. The total N, P, K, S, Fe, and Zn concentrations and protein content in seeds were measured highest in T10. This study revealed that combining vermicompost with inorganic fertilizer can improve sesame plant growth and seed nutrient content and is recommended for sesame production. J. Asiat. Soc. Bangladesh, Sci. 49(1): 43-53, June 2023

The study of the correlation between productivity and biochemical parameters of soybean

The purpose of the current study was to identify the correlation between seed productivity and quality indicators of the soybean collection samples. The study was carried out in the fields of the FSBSI “ARC “Donskoy” in 2019–2021. Over the years of study, the weather conditions were unstable and differed from the long-term mean data. The objects of research were 85 soybean samples from the world collection of the N. I. Vavilov Institute. The study has established that the most variable trait was productivity (V = 45.4 %) than protein (V = 6.4 %) and oil percentage in seeds (V = 9.7 %). The correlation between productivity and seed quality was weak and amounted to r = –0.24 with protein and r = 0.29 with oil content. The correlation between protein and oil content was higher and amounted to r = –0.51. Span charting showed that the bulk of soybean collection samples had a mean protein percentage of 40.5–43.0 %, and the most productive samples had 39.0–39.5 % of protein. The predominant part of the collection had an oil content in seeds from 19.0 to 21.5 %, which also included samples with maximum seed productivity and 19.0–19.5 % of oil. Against the background of the established negative correlation between protein and oil content in seeds, there were found the samples with a very high content of protein and oil in seeds at the same time. There were selected three soybean collection samples (‘Zodiak’ (Moldova), ‘Selekta-101’ (Russia) and ‘Antuxiaoneidou’ (China), which had large productivity a high content of protein and oil in seeds. The study results of the correlation between seed productivity and quality indicators of the soybean collection samples will be used in further breeding work.

Genetic divergence studies for yield and quality traits in white and brown finger millet (Eleusine coracana (L).)

The present study assessed the nature and magnitude of genetic variability for yield and quality-related traits in 64 finger millet genotypes for 25 parameters during Kharif, 2020-21 at Agricultural College Farm, Bapatla, Andhra Pradesh. In D2 analysis, the maximum inter-cluster distance was observed between cluster Ⅳ, with white-seeded genotypes and cluster Ⅵ with brown-seeded genotypes indicating these clusters may give a high heterotic response and better segregants. The principal component analysis identified the maximum contributing variables i.e., grain yield per plant, harvest index, fingers per earhead, test weight, peduncle length, seed protein content and seed calcium content in the first principal component. PCA scores of 64 genotypes indicated that genotypes IC0477628, IC0476988, IC0477206, VR1034, IC473950 and IC0477272 are diverse for yield and quality traits and hence hybridization between these genotypes is suggested for generating transgressive segregants.

Screening and Validation of Rice OsAAP6 Interaction Protein

The protein content of rice seeds is an extremely important quality trait, but its genetic basis and molecular regulatory mechanism are still unclear. This study focuses on a positive regulatory gene OsAAP6 of grain protein content in rice. Proteins that interact with OsAAP6 were screened using yeast two hybrid experiments, and validated using in vivo point-to-point experiments and bimolecular fluorescence complementarity tests (BiFC). The main results are as follows: 98 positive colonies that may interact with OsAAP6 were screened from a rice cDNA library using yeast two hybrid technology. After sequencing and analysis, 40 proteins that may interact with OsAAP6 were ultimately obtained. Through comparative analysis, three proteins (Pyruvate phosphate dikinase (PPDR), WRKY, and GreA) were selected from these 40 proteins that may interact with each other. In vivo point-to-point experiments in yeast and bimolecular fluorescence complementarity (BiFC) experiments in rice were used to further verify that PPDK, WRKY, and GreA can interact with OsAAP6 protein, respectively. Therefore, the results of this study will provide important clues for further revealing the molecular mechanism by which the OsAAP6 gene regulates grain protein content.