Open AccessNitrogen use efficiency is regulated by interacting proteins relevant to development in wheat
Author(s) -
Lei Lei,
Li Genqiao,
Zhang Hailin,
Powers Carol,
Fang Tilin,
Chen Yihua,
Wang Shuwen,
Zhu Xinkai,
Carver Brett F.,
Yan Liuling
Publication year - 2018
Publication title -
plant biotechnology journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.525
H-Index - 115
eISSN - 1467-7652
pISSN - 1467-7644
DOI - 10.1111/pbi.12864
Subject(s) - biology , gene , vernalization , arabidopsis , genetics , exon , quantitative trait locus , locus (genetics) , molecular breeding , mutant , intron , allele , transgene
Summary Wheat ( Triticum aestivum ) has low nitrogen use efficiency ( NUE ). The genetic mechanisms controlling NUE are unknown. Positional cloning of a major quantitative trait locus for N‐related agronomic traits showed that the vernalization gene Ta VRN ‐A1 was tightly linked with Ta NUE 1 , the gene shown to influence NUE in wheat. Because of an Ala 180 /Val 180 substitution, Ta VRN ‐A1a and Ta VRN ‐A1b proteins interact differentially with Ta ANR 1, a protein encoded by a wheat orthologue of Arabidopsis nitrate regulated 1 ( ANR 1 ). The transcripts of both Ta VRN ‐ A1 and Ta ANR 1 were down‐regulated by nitrogen. Ta ANR 1 was functionally characterized in Ta ANR 1:: RNA i transgenic wheat, and in a natural mutant with a 23‐bp deletion including 10‐bp at the 5′ end of intron 5 and 13‐bp of exon 6 in gDNA sequence in its gDNA sequence, which produced transcript that lacked the full 84‐bp exon 6. Both Ta ANR 1 and Ta HOX 1 bound to the Ala 180 /Val 180 position of Ta VRN ‐A1. Genetically incorporating favourable alleles from Ta VRN ‐A1 , Ta ANR 1 and Ta HOX 1 increased grain yield from 9.84% to 11.58% in the field. Molecular markers for allelic variation of the genes that regulate nitrogen can be used in breeding programmes aimed at improving NUE and yield in novel wheat cultivars.