Designing cereal seeds for nutrition and health
Lead Research Organisation:
Rothamsted Research
Department Name: UNLISTED
Abstract
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Technical Summary
The project will deliver lines of wheat with increased benefits for human health, focusing on two important traits: dietary fibre and mineral micronutrients.
Dietary Fibre:
The major dietary fibre components in wholegrain wheat and white flour are cell wall polysaccharides, arabinoxylan (AX) and ß-glucan. The objectives of the research in this area are to:
1. Determine the extent of genetic variation and genetic control of the content and composition in wheat to identify sources of variation for exploitation in breeding
2. Produce wheat lines with defined differences in endosperm cell wall composition, by identifying key synthetic genes and, using transgenesis or mutagenesis, modify their expression. We will then compare the location of these genes with QTLs for dietary fibre.
3. Characterise these transgenic wheat lines to determine the properties for specific end uses: human health, livestock feed and biofuels/distilling
4. Exploit information gained from manipulation of wheat endosperm cell walls to build a model of genes responsible for synthesis and feruloylation of xylan in grasses.
Mineral micronutrients:
Studies on mineral micronutrients will focus on increasing the contents of bioavailable iron (Fe) and zinc (Zn) in wheat. The objectives are to:
1. Exploit natural genetic variation in Fe and Zn concentrations and determine the chemical speciation in wheat grain.
2. Determine QTLs associated with Fe/Zn concentrations using double haploid populations grown in different seasons/locations with different levels of N.
3. Enhance Fe/Zn concentrations and/or bioavailability in wheat endosperm by transformation with candidate genes involved in their transport to and deposition in the grain.
4. Determine Fe/Zn chemical species and bioavailability in transgenic wheat.
Dietary Fibre:
The major dietary fibre components in wholegrain wheat and white flour are cell wall polysaccharides, arabinoxylan (AX) and ß-glucan. The objectives of the research in this area are to:
1. Determine the extent of genetic variation and genetic control of the content and composition in wheat to identify sources of variation for exploitation in breeding
2. Produce wheat lines with defined differences in endosperm cell wall composition, by identifying key synthetic genes and, using transgenesis or mutagenesis, modify their expression. We will then compare the location of these genes with QTLs for dietary fibre.
3. Characterise these transgenic wheat lines to determine the properties for specific end uses: human health, livestock feed and biofuels/distilling
4. Exploit information gained from manipulation of wheat endosperm cell walls to build a model of genes responsible for synthesis and feruloylation of xylan in grasses.
Mineral micronutrients:
Studies on mineral micronutrients will focus on increasing the contents of bioavailable iron (Fe) and zinc (Zn) in wheat. The objectives are to:
1. Exploit natural genetic variation in Fe and Zn concentrations and determine the chemical speciation in wheat grain.
2. Determine QTLs associated with Fe/Zn concentrations using double haploid populations grown in different seasons/locations with different levels of N.
3. Enhance Fe/Zn concentrations and/or bioavailability in wheat endosperm by transformation with candidate genes involved in their transport to and deposition in the grain.
4. Determine Fe/Zn chemical species and bioavailability in transgenic wheat.
Planned Impact
unavailable
Organisations
People |
ORCID iD |
| Peter Shewry (Principal Investigator) |
Publications
Shewry P
(2013)
Seed Genomics
Becraft, Philip W.
(2013)
Seed Genomics
Poblaciones M
(2013)
Selenium accumulation and speciation in biofortified chickpea ( Cicer arietinum L.) under Mediterranean conditions
in Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture
Rodrigo S
(2014)
Selenium speciation in malt, wort, and beer made from selenium-biofortified two-rowed barley grain.
in Journal of agricultural and food chemistry
Semenov M
(2012)
Shortcomings in wheat yield predictions
in Nature Climate Change
Liu W
(2013)
Silicon has opposite effects on the accumulation of inorganic and methylated arsenic species in rice
in Plant and Soil
He J
(2013)
Spatial patterns of gluten protein and polymer distribution in wheat grain.
in Journal of agricultural and food chemistry
Toole G
(2012)
Spectroscopic analysis of diversity in the spatial distribution of arabinoxylan structures in endosperm cell walls of cereal species in the HEALTHGRAIN diversity collection
in Journal of Cereal Science
Berecz B
(2013)
Stability of sunflower 2S albumins and LTP to physiologically relevant in vitro gastrointestinal digestion.
in Food chemistry
| Description | Identified genetic sources of high dietary fibre wheat for improved human health Identified genes controlling fibre synthesis in wheat and characterised them by RNAi knock out in transgenic plants Determined new information of mechanism of action of fibre in reducing the rate of glucose release during digestion of bread |
| Exploitation Route | With breeders and food processors, supported by TSB and BBSRC |
| Sectors | Agriculture Food and Drink Healthcare |
| Description | VAUGHAN: RRes-BecAILRI workshop strengthening links with the Plant Signalling and Livestock Programmes |
| Amount | £33,400 (GBP) |
| Funding ID | BB/GCRF-IAA/18 |
| Organisation | Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 11/2016 |
| End | 02/2017 |