Designing cereal seeds for nutrition and health
Lead Research Organisation:
Rothamsted Research
Department Name: UNLISTED
Abstract
Abstracts are not currently available in GtR for all funded research. This is normally because the abstract was not required at the time of proposal submission, but may be because it included sensitive information such as personal details.
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
Wang P
(2012)
Identifying the species of copper that are toxic to plant roots in alkaline nutrient solutions
in Plant and Soil
Ward J
(2015)
Differentially penalized regression to predict agronomic traits from metabolites and markers in wheat.
in BMC genetics
Wilkinson M
(2017)
The Gsp-1 genes encode the wheat arabinogalactan peptide
in Journal of Cereal Science
Wilkinson M
(2013)
Diversity of sequences encoded by the Gsp-1 genes in wheat and other grass species
in Journal of Cereal Science
Xue Y
(2015)
Distribution of the stable isotopes 57Fe and 68Zn in grain tissues of various wheat lines differing in their phytate content
in Plant and Soil
Xue Y
(2012)
Grain and shoot zinc accumulation in winter wheat affected by nitrogen management
in Plant and Soil
Xue YF
(2014)
Effects of nitrogen on the distribution and chemical speciation of iron and zinc in pearling fractions of wheat grain.
in Journal of agricultural and food chemistry
Zhao FJ
(2014)
Imaging element distribution and speciation in plant cells.
in Trends in plant science
Zielke C
(2017)
Characterization of cereal ß-glucan extracts from oat and barley and quantification of proteinaceous matter.
in PloS one
| 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 |