Genetics of inflorescence architecture in wheat
Lead Research Organisation:
John Innes Centre
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 objective of this project is to identify the genes and biological processes that regulate inflorescence architecture and development in wheat. Specifically, I will investigate an alternate form of floral structures in wheat, known as paired spikelets, which are characterized by the formation of two spikelets at a single node, rather than a typical single primary spikelet. This research will identify genes that coordinate two important yield components of inflorescence development: the differentiation and growth of spikelets and florets, and the rate of growth from the vegetative to reproductive transition until emergence of a mature inflorescence. The experimental approaches will combine use of advanced wheat genetic materials, including hexaploid and tetraploid wheat mutant TILLING populations, multi-parent mapping populations and a diverse panel of cultivated and wild wheat, with detailed phenotype and molecular investigation, including confocal microscopy and gene expression analysis of developing inflorescences. Following identification of genes that regulate inflorescence architecture and development, alleles that alter the function of these genes will be used to investigate the effect of modified inflorescence architecture and development on grain production. This research is timely and socially important as it will contribute to improved yields in wheat, which is vital given our need to develop traits that will increase productivity by 60-70% between 2010 and 2050 to sustainably feed the world’s growing population.
Planned Impact
unavailable
People |
ORCID iD |
| Scott Boden (Principal Investigator) |
Publications
Boden S
(2017)
How hormones regulate floral architecture in barley
in Nature Genetics
Boden SA
(2019)
How can developmental biology help feed a growing population?
in Development (Cambridge, England)
Dixon LE
(2018)
Developmental responses of bread wheat to changes in ambient temperature following deletion of a locus that includes FLOWERING LOCUS T1.
in Plant, cell & environment
Dixon LE
(2020)
TEOSINTE BRANCHED1 regulates height and stem internode length in bread wheat.
in Journal of experimental botany
Dixon LE
(2019)
VERNALIZATION1 controls developmental responses of winter wheat under high ambient temperatures.
in Development (Cambridge, England)
Dixon LE
(2018)
TEOSINTE BRANCHED1 Regulates Inflorescence Architecture and Development in Bread Wheat (Triticum aestivum).
in The Plant cell
Dixon LE
(2018)
A new opening for wheat seed production.
in Journal of experimental botany
Gauley A
(2020)
Stepwise increases in FT1 expression regulate seasonal progression of flowering in wheat ( Triticum aestivum )
in New Phytologist
Gauley A
(2019)
Genetic pathways controlling inflorescence architecture and development in wheat and barley.
in Journal of integrative plant biology
Jacott CN
(2020)
Feeling the heat: developmental and molecular responses of wheat and barley to high ambient temperatures.
in Journal of experimental botany
| Description | This project has investigated the genes and biological processes that determine how many flowers form on a wheat ear (a.k.a. inflorescence), including the arrangement of flowers and the time required to form the flowers. Through this investigation, we have demonstrated that a gene called TEOSINTE BRANCHED1 (TB1), which is an orthologue of a gene that has contributed to domestication of maize, barley and rice, regulates inflorescence and plant development in a dosage dependent manner; an increased dosage of TB1 promotes more elaborate branching of the inflorescence, and restricts growth of axillary branches (tillers). The work has been continued to demonstrate a role for TB1 in controlling stem growth and plant height. We have continued our investigation of genes that control inflorescence architecture in wheat by studying mutants and lines from a mapping population that display altered forms of floral structures (known as 'paired spikelets'). This analysis has identified a key genetic regulator that encodes a HD-ZIPIII transcription factor with a mutation in this gene found to promote formation of additional floral branches. We have also identified a highly significant locus on chromosome 2DS that regulates inflorescence architecture and key yield-related traits including spikelet development and floret fertility. We have narrowed the interval of this locus to a 1.6 Mb region, and we are continuing our analysis to identify the causal gene. Our analysis has included investigation of an amino acid transporter, called CATION AMINO ACID TRANSPORTER1 (CAT1). We have shown that CAT1 is regulated by Ppd-1 and daylength, and that CAT1 is a transporter protein that lcoalises to the cell membrane and transports arginine. Loss of this protein results in plants with shorter roots and less spikelets than wild-type wheat. In addition to analysis of genes controlling inflorescence architecture, we have studied the genetic and environmental control of flowering in wheat. The analysis has shown that the central florigen (FLOWERING LOCUS T1) promotes early maturity through an unidentified role during late inflorescence development. We have characterised the interaction between this gene and the major photoperiod response regulator, Ppd-1. |
| Exploitation Route | Commercial wheat breeding companies will be able to use the knowledge and tools (e.g. molecular markers, germplasm) developed from this research to optimize inflorescence architecture and development traits within modern cultivars. The knowledge gained will also benefit researchers from wheat and cereal research (including maize, rice and barley) who are investigating molecular pathways that control inflorescence development, including pathways related to inflorescence fertility and grain production. |
| Sectors | Agriculture Food and Drink |
| Description | Our investigation of TEOSINTE BRANCHED1 as an inflorescence architecture gene in wheat has included identification of variant alleles that are used within UK wheat breeding programs. The molecular markers and genetic knowledge generated by this project are being used to investigate genotypes with optimized inflorescence architecture and development traits. Also, the method of speed breeding that was published with colleagues is being used extensively by breeding companies of diverse crops, both nationally and internationally. The alleles of the HD-ZIPIII transcription factor that we have identified are in the process of being introduced into international breeding programmes at CIMMYT. |
| First Year Of Impact | 2018 |
| Sector | Agriculture, Food and Drink |
| Impact Types | Societal Economic |
| Description | Regulation of wheat inflorescence architecture by a cation amino acid transporter |
| Amount | £585,092 (GBP) |
| Funding ID | BB/T007133/1 |
| Organisation | Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 03/2020 |
| End | 03/2023 |
| Description | Royal Society Research Fellows Enhancement Award |
| Amount | £53,100 (GBP) |
| Funding ID | RGF\EA\180303 |
| Organisation | John Innes Centre |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 12/2017 |
| End | 11/2020 |
| Description | Transforming Food Production Seeding Award |
| Amount | £22,050 (GBP) |
| Organisation | John Innes Centre |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 09/2018 |
| End | 02/2019 |
| Description | URF and DHF 2016 Appointed Research Grant |
| Amount | £44,388 (GBP) |
| Funding ID | RG160515 |
| Organisation | The Royal Society |
| Sector | Charity/Non Profit |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 03/2017 |
| End | 03/2019 |
| Description | University Research Fellowship |
| Amount | £536,778 (GBP) |
| Organisation | The Royal Society |
| Sector | Charity/Non Profit |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 09/2016 |
| End | 09/2021 |
| Description | Amino acid analysis in grain |
| Organisation | Rothamsted Research |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | I provided the germplasm and material for the experiment. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Jane Ward performed analysis of amino acids in wheat grain, which will contribute to our publication on a new gene that controls wheat inflorescence development. |
| Impact | We know that a mutant line produces grain that contains higher amounts of amino acids |
| Start Year | 2018 |
| Description | Amino acid analysis in plant tissue |
| Organisation | Heidelberg University |
| Country | Germany |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | We provided the tissue samples |
| Collaborator Contribution | The collaborators analysed amino acid levels in different tissue samples of different genotypes of wheat. |
| Impact | All outputs include results that will be used in upcoming publications |
| Start Year | 2017 |
| Description | Amino acid transporter experiments |
| Organisation | University of Adelaide |
| Country | Australia |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | I provided the DNA sequences and plasmids for the experiments. |
| Collaborator Contribution | The collaborators helped me localise the protein to the plasma membrane of wheat cells, and they performed xenopus experiments to show that the protein transports arginine across the cell membrane. |
| Impact | The results from these experiments will be used in upcoming publications |
| Start Year | 2020 |
| Description | Analysis of miRNA |
| Organisation | University of Adelaide |
| Country | Australia |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | I provided the germplasm and the RNA samples. |
| Collaborator Contribution | The collaborators performed Northern blot analysis to analyse the presence of miRNAs in my tissue samples. |
| Impact | Outputs are results that will be used in a publication. |
| Start Year | 2020 |
| Description | Collaboration with KWS |
| Organisation | KWS UK |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Private |
| PI Contribution | I interact with plant breeders and pre-breeding researchers at KWS-UK to investigate inflorescence architecture and development traits in bread wheat |
| Collaborator Contribution | Allow me to phenotype their populations, perform genotype analysis and they share germplasm resources. |
| Impact | Molecular markers for use in breeding programs and genetic knowledge to help optimize inflorescence development traits in bread wheat. |
| Start Year | 2016 |
| Description | Grain protein content |
| Organisation | John Innes Centre |
| Department | Germplasm Resources Unit |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | I provided the grain that was being analysed. |
| Collaborator Contribution | The GRU analysed grain protein content for my samples, and also provided access to results for an entire mutant population that will contribute to a publication |
| Impact | Outputs include GPC results which will be used for publications, and support the use of this material in breeding programmes. |
| Start Year | 2019 |
| Description | NIAB |
| Organisation | National Institute of Agronomy and Botany (NIAB) |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Collaborate with James Cockram, Greg Mellers and Beatrice Corsi to identify genetic regions that regulate inflorescence architecture in bread wheat using the NIAB UK winter wheat MAGIC population |
| Collaborator Contribution | Provide access to their MAGIC population field trials and perform QTL analysis. |
| Impact | None yet |
| Start Year | 2016 |
| Description | Wheat transformation |
| Organisation | National Institute of Agronomy and Botany (NIAB) |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | We provided the DNA samples of the plasmid to be transformed into wheat |
| Collaborator Contribution | The Crop Transformation team transformed wheat (cv. Cadenza) with the transgene of interest. |
| Impact | The work is still ongoing, but will contribute to a publication |
| Start Year | 2020 |
| Description | Breeders Day at John Innes Centre |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an open day or visit at my research institution |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Industry/Business |
| Results and Impact | Deliver presentation in the field about my research and the possible outcomes. Audience included breeders, fellow researchers, policy makers and politicians. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2016 |
| Description | Cafe Science |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | I participated in a Cafe Science event as a member of a panel, where I delivered a presentation about my research and the real-world applications of my research outcomes. The topic of the event was Genetic research in agriculture. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2016 |
| Description | Conference presentation at PAG XXVI |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | I was invited to present a seminar in the Gene Introgression Workshop at PAG XXVI conference in San Diego. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
| Description | Conference talk - FASEB Plant Development |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Talk at conference |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
| Description | Invited seminar - CRAG, Barcelone |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Invited seminar at CRAG research institute in Barcelona, as part of an exchange of scientists between JIC, CRAG and MPIPZ (Germany) |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
| Description | Invited seminar - Early Careers Researcher conference |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Postgraduate students |
| Results and Impact | Presented an invited seminar and participated in discussion group for ECRs from JIC, MPIPZ and CRAG. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
| Description | Invited seminar - MPIPZ Cologne |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | I was invited to deliver a seminar at the Max Planck Insititute for Plant Breeding in Cologne, where I talked about our recent advances in understanding genes that control inflorescence architecture in wheat. The visit sparked interesting discussions about genes controlling reproductive development in cereals and the networking was important for my career development. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
| Description | Invited seminar - Milan |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | I delivered an invited seminar on the genetic regulation of inflorescence architecture at the Department of Biosciences, University of Milan. The talk resulted in me being invited to be an external supervisor/mentor for a PhD student, and I have discussed project opportunities with Fabio Fornara and Lucio Conti. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
| Description | Invited seminar - wheatCAP Symposium |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Postgraduate students |
| Results and Impact | I was invited to be a keynote speaker at the wheatCAP symposium - Bridging the Gap: Using Functional Genomics to Unlock Yield Potential, held in San Diego. My talk influenced the views of multiple post-graduate students at the symposium, and I will be hosting a student at JIC who invited me to talk. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
| URL | https://www.triticeaecap.org/whpss/ |
| Description | Invited seminar at IPK Gatersleben |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | I was invited to deliver a seminar at IPK Gatersleben in Germany, to discuss research outcomes and network to help develop new project ideas. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2017 |
| Description | Monogram UK meeting 2018 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | The funds were used to support the Monogram UK meeting, which is the premier conference for small grains cereal research in the UK. This conference was very successful, hosting the largest number of attendees for the meetings history (>200), which included multiple attendees from international institutes in Europe, USA, Mexico and Australia. It was attended by academics and industry, with all of the small grain cereal companies sending representatives to the event, which lead to a number of new engagements between academics and industry and continued discussions about on going collaborations. The event provided an excellent opportunity for postgraduate students to meet leading members of the community. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
| Description | Participation in Breeder's Day 2017 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an open day or visit at my research institution |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Industry/Business |
| Results and Impact | Breeder's Day event at John Innes Centre, showcasing the potential applied outcomes from our research to industry and public breeders. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2017 |
| Description | Radio Interview - BBC Radio 4 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A broadcast e.g. TV/radio/film/podcast (other than news/press) |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | I discussed the benefits of the Speed Breeding technique that has been developed at JIC in collaboration with researchers in Australia on a radio interview on BBC4 as part of the Gardener's Question Time programme. As the interview was on radio, it is difficult to gauge the impact; however, multiple people from outside the institute heard the interview and said that it has changed their understanding of the capabilities of plant breeding. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
| URL | https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/b0bgmxpv |
| Description | Royal Norfolk Show |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | I participated in the Royal Norfolk Show, but presenting for the John Innes Centre stall, where I discussed our work on improving wheat by optimizing inflorescence architecture and accelerating breeding using speed breeding. We spoke to multiple members of the general public about these specific topics, as well as general areas of plant science. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
| Description | Science Cafe - Norwich Science Week |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | I conducted a Science Cafe event with Prof. Enrico Coen, where we discussed the benefits of plant science and the excitement that comes with identifying genes that regulate key aspects of plant development, both in model and crop species. The event included presentations from myself and Prof. Coen, followed by a Q & A session. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
| Description | Science Showcase Event at John Innes Centre |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Industry/Business |
| Results and Impact | I participated in the John Innes Centre Science Showcase Event to inform industry and business about the research the is taking place at JIC, and to help develop new academic/industry links. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
| Description | Seminar at International Wheat Genetics Symposium |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | I was invited to present a seminar at the International Wheat Genetics Symposium in Tulln, Austria, April 2017. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2017 |
| Description | Seminar at Sainsbury Laboratory Symposium |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | I presented a seminar on the recent advances from our group investigating the genetic control of inflorescence architecture at the Sainsbury Laboratory Symposium on The coordination of development. The seminar increased the awareness of the scientific possibilities of wheat research to an audience that mainly included Arabidopsis researchers, and it was important for my career development because I was exposed to new ideas and knowledge, and I developed important contacts. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
| Description | Talk - Flower Development Workshop |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Invited seminar to present at a scientific conference on floral development in plants. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
| Description | Visit from Sygenta to discuss wheat research outcomes |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Industry/Business |
| Results and Impact | A visit from Syngenta team members including Yann Manes, Laurent Gervais, Duncan Warner, Olga Zhadenova and David Feuerhelm, top discuss some of the germplasm developed from IWYP projects and certainly anything that may be of value in a hybrid program. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |