# Transcriptome and Weighted Gene Co-Expression Network Analysis to Characterize the Expression of Genes Related to Yield Traits in Yunnan Hulled Wheat

## TL;DR

This study uses transcriptome and gene network analysis to identify genes related to yield traits in Yunnan hulled wheat, a wild wheat ancestor.

## Contribution

The study identifies key genes and pathways associated with yield traits in Yunnan hulled wheat using WGCNA and transcriptome data.

## Key findings

- Key metabolic pathways like glycolysis and starch metabolism are linked to yield traits in YHW.
- Ten core genes were identified as highly correlated with yield traits using WGCNA.
- Significant gene expression differences were observed between subgroups related to kernel size.

## Abstract

Yunnan hulled wheat (YHW) is a wild ancestor of cultivated wheat and possesses rich genetic variation; however, there is limited research on teff at the molecular level. Therefore, in this study, two lines with large differences in kernel size were used as materials, and their kernels were sampled at 7, 21, 35, and 49 days after flowering; kernel surface area and thousand kernel weight were measured and analyzed; and transcriptome sequencing analysis was also performed, which showed that a total of 88,801 genes were annotated by Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG); the functional annotation showed that the key pathways they involved in yield traits were mainly enriched in gycolysis/gluconeogenesis, pentose and glucuronate interconversions, amino sugar and nucleotide sugar metabolism, starch, and sucrose metabolism pathways, of which TraesCS5B02G356300, TraesCS7B02G375300, TraesCS7A02G473900, and TraesCS2B02G390700 differed significantly in different subgroups; and a significant difference was observed between the two pathways in different subgroups using weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) associated with yield traits. Ten core genes were mined from the two modules with the highest correlation with the target traits. These results provide a theoretical reference basis for interpreting the expression patterns of yield trait-responsive genes in YHW, for further conservation and utilization of the germplasm resources of this rare wheat, and for the screening of high-yielding superior varieties.