Genetic Variations and Haplotype Diversity of the Wheat FRIZZY PANICLE (WFZP) Gene in 98 Aegilops tauschii Accessions

TL;DR

This study explores genetic variations in the wheat FRIZZY PANICLE gene from 98 Aegilops tauschii samples to improve wheat yield through better genetic diversity.

Contribution

The study identifies five haplotypes of the WFZP gene in Aegilops tauschii, revealing new genetic resources for wheat breeding.

Findings

The WFZP gene shows high conservation in the AP2/ERF domain with no functional variants.

Five haplotypes were identified, with Hap-D1 and Hap-D2 being the most common.

Haplotypes Hap-D3, Hap-D4, and Hap-D5 are found primarily in ssp. tauschii accessions.

Abstract

Background: The wheat FRIZZY PANICLE (WFZP) gene is a regulatory hub that controls spikelet formation in bread wheat, WFZP-D, as a favorable gene for wheat yield improvement. The sequences of WFZP-D in bread wheat accessions are known to be highly conserved. Methods: In this study, re-sequencing of WFZP homoeologous genes from 98 widely distributed Aegilops tauschii (the donor of the wheat D genome) germplasms was carried out to identify natural variations at both the nucleotide and polypeptide levels. Conclusions: WFZP homeolog exhibited high conservation with no functional variants in the key AP2/ERF domain. Haplotype characterization identified five haplotypes (Hap-D1 to Hap-D5) based on nine single-nucleotide polymorphisms, five of which induced single amino acid residue substitutions downstream of the AP2/ERF domain. Hap-D1 (identical to Triticum aestivum WFZP-D) and Hap-D2 are two most common. Hap-D1 is concentrated in Iran and Azerbaijan, primarily associated with ssp. strangulata, while Hap-D2 displays broad distribution across the range and primarily belongs to ssp. tauschii. The remaining haplotypes (Hap-D3/4/5) are identified in ssp. tauschii accessions. These findings suggest that strategic integration of ssp. tauschii into wheat-breeding programs could enhance genetic diversity. The identified natural variations provide potential haplotype resources for improving wheat yield potential.

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