Global collaboration is unlocking the genetic potential of wheat

MANHATTAN, KANSAS – In an article published on Wednesday 25 November a Nature, Kansas State University researchers, in collaboration with the University of Saskatchewan-led international 10+ Genome project, announced the complete genome sequencing of 15 wheat varieties representing growing programs around the world, an invaluable resource for improve global grain production.

This effort gained momentum in 2018 when the Kansas State University team, in collaboration with the International Wheat Genome Sequencing Consortium, published the genome assembly of Chinese Spring, the first complete reference genome of soft wheat. With rapid advances in DNA sequencing technology and the experience gained in assembling the first wheat genome, the 10+ Genome project brought together the expertise and resources of more than 95 scientists from universities and institutes in Canada, Switzerland, Germany, Japan, the United Kingdom, Saudi Arabia, Mexico, Israel, Australia and the United States

This study marks the beginning of a larger effort to generate thousands of wheat genomic sequences, including genetic material carried by the wheat’s wild relatives.

“It’s like finding the missing pieces for your favorite puzzle you’ve been working on for decades,” said project leader Curtis Pozniak, a wheat farmer and director of the University of Saskatchewan Crop Development Center. “With many complete genetic assemblies available, we can now help solve the huge puzzle that is the huge pan-genome of wheat and usher in a new era of wheat discovery and reproduction.”

“Our team was particularly well suited to represent US wheat in this effort here in the American granary and as a land granting institution with a strong history in wheat research,” said Jesse Poland, associate professor at Kansas State University and director of the Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Applied Wheat Genomics and the Wheat Genetics Resource Center. “We are fortunate to have world leaders in breeding and genetics under one roof and the generous support of the National Science Foundation, Kansas Wheat and many others.”

The Kansas team was responsible for sequencing and analyzing the Jagger red hard winter wheat variety, released in 1994 by the Kansas State University breeding program, now led by Allan Fritz. Jagger was a landmark wheat variety in the Great Plains and covered millions of acres for many years. She was selected for this project for her relevance as a breeding parent, as she is found in the pedigrees of current varieties in the United States

“Thanks to our collaboration on this project, we had access to this phenomenal genomic resource as soon as it was built, which has already led to an amazing discovery,” said Poland. “Emily Delorean, K-State plant genetics graduate, is using data from the 10+ Genomes project to develop a comprehensive analysis of important quality genes and develop better molecular reproduction tools that will have a huge impact on bread making.”

In a complementary publication published in Theoretical and Applied Genetics, Kansas State University scientists Liangliang Gao, Dal-Hoe Koo and the team completed detailed characterization of the 2N introgression, a chromosomal segment that was transferred from the wild wheat relative Aegilops ventricosa, which is found in Jagger, but was not present in the original Chinese spring reference genome. Segment 2N possesses resistance genes to multiple wheat diseases, including stem and leaf rust, nematodes, and the emerging wheat disease. The team found that this chromosomal segment is present in about 80 percent of Kansas wheat lines and also in a large proportion of wheat worldwide, underscoring its importance for addressing global grain improvement.

“Progress of this magnitude is possible only thanks to the strength of the international grain farming network and strong international collaborations in wheat research,” said Justin Gilpin of Kansas Wheat. “It is exciting for Kansas wheat farmers to participate in this excellent work.”

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The work at Kansas State University was supported by the NSF, Kansas Wheat, the United States Agency for International Development, and the National Institute of Food and Agriculture. A full list of international funding partners is available at http: // www.10wheatgenomes.with/lenders /.