Crop properties improved by point mutation in microRNA binding domain of Q gene.

Humans have been cultivating wheat for ten thousand years, transforming it from an unruly grass into a useful crop highly adapted to our needs. But even after millennia, there are still new avenues for improving this staple food.

A new type of common bread wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) was recently discovered that has properties that could improve the way it bakes, such as an elevated grain protein content. Researchers at Sichuan Agricultural University found that the new variety has a mutation in the gene Q, which was already identified as an important player in wheat’s domestication.

Q’s expression is normally negatively regulated by an miRNA that binds and cleaves its mRNA, preventing it from being translated into protein. The new type of wheat has a point mutation in Q’s miRNA binding domain, which disrupts normal regulation. A good match between the miRNA sequence and its target sequence in the mRNA is needed for binding and, thus, cleavage, so this single mutation in the binding site can have major consequences. Xu et al. confirmed that the mutant plants do, in fact, overexpress Q for this very reason.

Left: Bread made with the new wheat variety. Right: Bread made with wild-type wheat.

Left: Bread made with the new wheat variety. Right: Bread made with wild-type wheat.

These results are an important step toward a better grasp on how Q can be manipulated to improve one of the world’s most important crops. The mutant wheat has a substantial advantage over wild-type wheat; for example, the loaf volume of bread produced with the mutant wheat was 37% greater. This work is also significant because it adds another example to the growing list of miRNA functions in plants. These regulators are now thought to be critical for a huge variety of biological processes in plants, but for many miRNAs, we lack the type of mechanistic information this study provides.

CITATION:

An Overexpressed Q Allele Leads to Increased Spike Density and Improved Processing Quality in Common Wheat (Triticum aestivum)
Bin-Jie Xu, Qing Chen, Ting Zheng, Yun-Feng Jiang, Yuan-Yuan Qiao, Zhen-Ru Guo, Yong-Li Cao, Yan Wang, Ya-Zhou Zhang, Lu-Juan Zong, Jing Zhu, Cai-Hong Liu, Qian-Tao Jiang, Xiu-Jin Lan, Jian Ma, Ji-Rui Wang, You-Liang Zheng, Yu-Ming Wei, Peng-Fei Qi
G3: Genes|Genomes|Genetics 2018 8: 771-778; https://doi.org/10.1534/g3.117.300562
http://www.g3journal.org/content/8/3/771

, ,

Nicole Haloupek is a freelance science writer and a recent graduate of UC Berkeley's molecular and cell biology PhD program.

View all posts by Nicole Haloupek »

Read more in

  • Early Career Leadership Spotlight: Julio Molina Pineda 

    We’re taking time to get to know the members of the GSA’s Early Career Scientist Committees. Join us to learn more about our early career scientist advocates. Julio Molina Pineda  Policy and Advocacy University of Arkansas Research Interest  My research interests focus on using model organisms to genetically dissect complex traits related to human disease. My…

  • Peiwei Chen

    Early Career Leadership Spotlight: Peiwei Chen

    We’re taking time to get to know the members of the GSA’s Early Career Scientist Committees. Join us to learn more about our early career scientist advocates. Peiwei Chen Accessibility Subcommittee California Institute of Technology Research Interest Far from a harmonious place, the genome is a battleground, where every bit of DNA fights for inheritance and…

  • #Dros23 GSA Poster Award winners

    We are pleased to announce the GSA Poster Award winners from the 64th Annual Drosophila Research Conference! Undergraduate and graduate student members of the GSA were eligible for the awards, and a hard-working team of postdocs volunteered their time as judges. Congratulations to all! Undergraduate Students 1st Place: Sofia Karter Lopez, University of Toronto “Rab11 mediates E-cadherin recycling during…

  • Congratulations to the Fall 2022 DeLill Nasser Awardees!

    GSA is pleased to announce the recipients of the DeLill Nasser Award for Professional Development in Genetics for Fall 2022! Given twice a year to graduate students and postdoctoral researchers, DeLill Nasser Awards support attendance at meetings and laboratory courses. The award is named in honor of DeLill Nasser, a long-time GSA supporter and National Science Foundation…

  • GENETICS & G3 editors

    New editors join GENETICS, G3 editorial boards

    Several new editors are joining the GSA Journals. We’re excited to welcome Ricardo Zayas to the GENETICS editorial board under the Molecular Genetics of Development section, and on the G3: Genes|Genomes|Genetics board, we welcome Polly Campbell, Kevin Vogel, Joe Parker, and Ricardo Mallarino. Ricardo Zayas Associate Editor Ricardo Zayas is a Professor of Biology at…

  • Worms and Flies Provide Key Clues to Medical Mystery

    This article is part of a series of posts outlining the history and impact of research in experimental organisms. The series is developed in collaboration with the GSA Public Communications and Engagement Committee. By the time Bertrand Might was six months old, it was clear something was amiss. His muscles weren’t developing normally; he was…

  • Congratulations to the 2023 Early Career Leadership Program Cohort!

    The Genetics Society of America (GSA) is excited to announce the latest cohort of student, postdoc, and early-career research leaders joining the Early Career Leadership Program.  Participants receive training and mentoring while serving on committees charged with understanding the needs, interests, concerns, and challenges of early career scientist members of the GSA. As part of…

  • 64th Annual Drosophila Research Conference March 1–5, 2023 Chicago, IL and online

    GSA LOCI: Local Outreach Community Initiatives @ GSA Conferences

    Highlights: Local Outreach Community Initiatives (LOCI): The Genetics Society of America is committed to supporting the communities of the host cities of our conferences. This new year, we are excited to reconnect with our GSA community in meaningful ways within and beyond our existing programming. The GSA membership has created a caring and supportive environment…

  • Headshots of the 5 elected members of the GSA Board of Directors on a black background.

    New members of the GSA Board of Directors: 2023–2025

    We are pleased to announce the election of five new leaders to the GSA Board of Directors: 2023 Vice President/2024 President Mariana Wolfner Distinguished Professor of Molecular Biology and Genetics and Stephen H. Weiss Presidential Fellow My research has focused on the genes and pathways that mediate sexual development and reproduction, primarily in Drosophila. From…

  • Lance David Miller

    Lance David Miller: Lighting Your Own Fire by Finding the Right Resources

    By Daniel J. Gironda In the Paths to Science Policy series, we talk to individuals who have a passion for science policy and are active in advocacy through their various roles and careers. The series aims to inform and guide early career scientists interested in science policy. This series is brought to you by the…

  • Graça Almeida-Porada: The Importance of Communication in a Technologically Advancing World

    By Daniel J. Gironda In the Paths to Science Policy series, we talk to individuals who have a passion for science policy and are active in advocacy through their various roles and careers. The series aims to inform and guide early career scientists interested in science policy. This series is brought to you by the…