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We used a novel approach that incorporated chromosome sorting, next-generation sequencing, array hybridization, and systematic exploitation of conserved synteny with model grasses to assign ~86% of the estimated ~32,000 barley [Hordeum vulgare) genes to individual chromosome arms. Using a series of bioinformatically constructed genome zippers that integrate gene indices of rice (Oryza sativa), sorghum [Sorghum bicolor), and Brachypodium distachyon in a conserved synteny model, we were able to assemble 21,766 barley genes in a putative linear order. We show that the barley (H) genome displays a mosaic of structural similarity to hexaploid bread wheat (Triticum aestivum) A, B, and D subgenomes and that orthologous genes in different grasses exhibit signatures of positive selection in different lineages. We present an ordered, information-rich scaffold of the barley genome that provides a valuable and robust framework for the development of novel strategies in cereal breeding.

When wheat is subjected to heat stress during grain filling, metabolic adaptation reallocates resources to deposition of reserves and prioritizes a stable filling rate. Abstract Wheat (Triticum aestivum) is particularly vulnerable to heat stress during the grain filling stage, and this can adversely affect the final yield. However, the underlying physiological and molecular mechanisms are largely unknown. In this study, the effects of heat stress on grain filling were investigated using wheat varieties with different levels of thermotolerance. Decreased grain weights and filling durations, increased protein contents, and stable filling rates across diverse varieties under different heat regimes suggested a general mechanism for heat adaptation. Proteomic analysis identified 309 heat-responsive proteins (HRPs), and revealed a general decrease in protein synthesis components and metabolic proteins, but a significant increase in stress-response proteins and storage proteins. Metabolomic analysis identified 98 metabolites specifically changed by heat stress, and suggested a global decrease in the content of carbohydrate metabolites, an increased content of amino acids, and stable levels of starch synthesis precursors. The energy-consuming HRPs suggested that less energy was channelled into metabolism and protein synthesis, whereas more energy was allocated to the stress response under elevated heat conditions. Collectively, the data demonstrated a widely distributed mechanism for heat adaptation of metabolism, in which the assimilation and energy required for metabolism and protein synthesis are reallocated to heat protection and deposition of reserves, resulting in increased storage protein accumulation and a stable filling rate.

Wheat is one of the main crops in China, and crop yield prediction is important for regional trade and national food security. There are increasing concerns with respect to how to integrate multi-source data and employ machine learning techniques to establish a simple, timely, and accurate crop yield prediction model at an administrative unit. Many previous studies were mainly focused on the whole crop growth period through expensive manual surveys, remote sensing, or climate data. However, the effect of selecting different time window on yield prediction was still unknown. Thus, we separated the whole growth period into four time windows and assessed their corresponding predictive ability by taking the major winter wheat production regions of China as an example in the study. Firstly we developed a modeling framework to integrate climate data, remote sensing data and soil data to predict winter wheat yield based on the Google Earth Engine (GEE) platform. The results show that the models can accurately predict yield 1~2 months before the harvesting dates at the county level in China with an R2 > 0.75 and yield error less than 10%. Support vector machine (SVM), Gaussian process regression (GPR), and random forest (RF) represent the top three best methods for predicting yields among the eight typical machine learning models tested in this study. In addition, we also found that different agricultural zones and temporal training settings affect prediction accuracy. The three models perform better as more winter wheat growing season information becomes available. Our findings highlight a potentially powerful tool to predict yield using multiple-source data and machine learning in other regions and for crops.

Grain yield in bread wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) is largely determined by inflorescence architecture. Zang734 is an endemic Tibetan wheat variety that exhibits a rare triple spikelet (TRS) phenotype with significantly increased spikelet/floret number per spike. However, the molecular basis underlying this specific spike morphology is completely unknown. Through map-based cloning, the causal genes for TRS trait in Zang734 were isolated. Furthermore, using CRISPR/Cas9-based gene mutation, transcriptome sequencing and protein–protein interaction, the downstream signalling networks related to spikelet formation and awn elongation were defined. Results showed that the null mutation in WFZP-A together with deletion of WFZP-D led to the TRS trait in Zang734. More interestingly, WFZP plays a dual role in simultaneously repressing spikelet formation gene TaBA1 and activating awn development genes, basically through the recruitments of chromatin remodelling elements and the Mediator complex. Our findings provide insights into the molecular bases by which WFZP suppresses spikelet formation but promotes awn elongation and, more importantly, define WFZP-D as a favourable gene for high-yield crop breeding.

Herein, CuO-NPs were fabricated by harnessing metabolites of Aspergillus niger strain (G3-1) and characterized using UV–vis spectroscopy, XRD, TEM, SEM-EDX, FT-IR, and XPS. Spherical, crystallographic CuO-NPs were synthesized in sizes ranging from 14.0 to 47.4 nm, as indicated by TEM and XRD. EDX and XPS confirmed the presence of Cu and O with weight percentages of 62.96% and 22.93%, respectively, at varied bending energies. FT-IR spectra identified functional groups of metabolites that could act as reducing, capping, and stabilizing agents to the CuO-NPs. The insecticidal activity of CuO-NPs against wheat grain insects Sitophilus granarius and Rhyzopertha dominica was dose- and time-dependent. The mortality percentages due to NP treatment were 55–94.4% (S. granarius) and 70–90% (R. dominica). A botanical experiment was done in a randomized block design. Low CuO-NP concentration (50 ppm) caused significant increases in growth characteristics (shoot and root length, fresh and dry weight of shoot and root, and leaves number), photosynthetic pigments (total chlorophylls and carotenoids), and antioxidant enzymes of wheat plants. There was no significant change in carbohydrate or protein content. The use of CuO-NPs is a promising tool to control grain insects and enhance wheat growth performance.

The chemical composition of 4 spring wheat species was analyzed: einkorn (Triticum monococcum) (local cv.), emmer (Triticum dicoccon) (Lamella cv.), spelt (Triticum spelta) (Wirtas cv.), and common wheat (Triticum aestivum) (Rospuda cv.). Mean emmer and einkorn yield was significantly lower than that of common wheat. The analyses of the wheat grain included the content of total protein, crude ash, crude fat, crude fibre, carbohydrates, phosphorus, potassium, magnesium, calcium, copper, iron, manganese, and zinc. The grains of the tested ancient wheats were richer in protein, lipids, crude fibre, and crude ash than the common wheat grains. The significantly highest levels of crude protein, ether extract, and crude ash were found in einkorn. As the protein concentration in the grain increased, the calcium, magnesium, and potassium levels increased, and the zinc and manganese levels decreased. Genotypic differences between the studied wheats were reflected in the concentrations of the minerals and nutrients, an observation which can be useful in further cross-linkage studies. Dough made from common wheat and spelt flour showed better performance quality classifying it to be used for bread production. In turn, flour from emmer and einkorn wheat may be intended for pastry products, due to short dough development time and constancy as well as high softening.

Summary Foods high in amylose content and resistant starch (RS) offer great potential to improve human health and lower the risk of serious noninfectious diseases. Common wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) is a major staple food crop globally. However, the RS contents in the grains of modern wheat varieties are low. Here, we report the generation of high‐amylose wheat through targeted mutagenesis of TaSBEIIa in a modern winter wheat cv Zhengmai 7698 (ZM) and a spring wheat cv Bobwhite by CRISPR/Cas9, respectively. We generated a series of transgene‐free mutant lines either with partial or triple‐null TasbeIIa alleles in ZM and Bobwhite, respectively. Analyses of starch composition, structure and properties revealed that the effects of partial or triple‐null alleles were dosage dependent with triple‐null lines demonstrated more profound impacts on starch composition, fine structures of amylopectin and physiochemical and nutritional properties. The flours of triple‐null lines possessed significantly increased amylose, RS, protein and soluble pentosan contents which benefit human health. Baking quality analyses indicated that the high‐amylose flours may be used as additives or for making cookies. Collectively, we successfully modified the starch composition, structure and properties through targeted mutagenesis of TaSBEIIa by CRISPR/Cas9 in both winter and spring wheat varieties and generated transgene‐free high‐amylose wheat. Our finding provides deep insights on the role of TaSBEIIa in determining starch composition, structure, properties and end‐use quality in different genetic backgrounds and improving RS content with multiple breeding and end‐use applications in cereal crop species through genome editing for health benefits.

Triticum aestivum plant extracts are often used as a natural healer in traditional medicine but which particles mainly have role in these processes are not scientifically proven. In other words, no attempts have been made to investigate the effects of wheat exosomes in regenerative medicine applications or drug development up to now. The current study was first time performed to demonstrate the activity of wheat exosomes in wound healing process using in vitro approaches. Although its fundamental wound healing process remains a mystery, in the current study, the efficiency of wheat grass juice–derived exosomes on cell viability and migration was examined. Increasing concentrations up to 200 μg/mL of the wheat exosome have yielded astonishing proliferative and migratory effects on endothelial, epithelial, and dermal fibroblast cells. RT-PCR analysis also showed collagen type I; mRNA levels were approximately twofold higher in expression after treating with 200 μg/mL wheat exosome. Additionally, Annexin V staining of apoptotic cells accompanied with the cell cycle analysis resulted with the reduction of the apoptotic cell number with no dispersion to the cell cycle analysis while plant exosomes have also increased tube-like structure formation of the endothelial cells. All in all, this research suggests a brand-new opening for skin wound healing therapy strategy by using wheat-derived exosomes due to its proliferative and migratory characteristics. Plant exosomes require a further research both clinically and in in vivo for wound healing drug development. Moreover, plant exosome therapy strategies would be safer and economical alternative for clinical wound healing.

Summary The spikelet number and heading date are two crucial and correlated traits for yield in wheat. Here, a quantitative trait locus (QTL) analysis was conducted in F8 recombinant inbred lines (RILs) derived from crossing two common wheats with different spikelet numbers. A total of 15 stable QTL influencing total spikelet number (TSN) and heading date (HD) were detected. Notably, FT‐D1, a well‐known flowering time gene in wheat, was located within the finely mapped interval of a major QTL on 7DS (QTsn/Hd.cau‐7D). A causal indel of one G in the third exon of FT‐D1 was significantly associated with total spikelet number and heading date. Consistently, CRISPR/Cas9 mutant lines with homozygous mutations in FT‐D1 displayed an increase in total spikelet number and heading date when compared with wild type. Moreover, one simple and robust marker developed according to the polymorphic site of FT‐D1 revealed that this one G indel had been preferentially selected to adapt to different environments. Collectively, these data provide further insights into the genetic basis of spikelet number and heading date, and the diagnostic marker of FT‐D1 will be useful for marker‐assisted pyramiding in wheat breeding.

• The Triticum aestivum (wheat) genome encodes three isoforms of Rubisco activase (Rca) differing in thermostability, which could be exploited to improve the resilience of this crop to global warming. We hypothesized that elevated temperatures would cause an increase in the relative abundance of heat-stable Rca1β. • Wheat plants were grown at 25° C : 18°C (day : night) and exposed to heat stress (38° C : 22°C) for up to 5 d at pre-anthesis. Carbon (C) assimilation, Rubisco activity, CA1 Pase activity, transcripts of Rca1β, Rca2β, and Rca2α, and the quantities of the corresponding protein products were measured during and after heat stress. • The transcript of Rca1β increased 40-fold in 4 h at elevated temperatures and returned to the original level after 4 h upon return of plants to control temperatures. Rca1β comprised up to 2% of the total Rca protein in unstressed leaves but increased three-fold in leaves exposed to elevated temperatures for 5 d and remained high at 4 h after heat stress. • These results show that elevated temperatures cause rapid changes in Rca gene expression and adaptive changes in Rca isoform abundance. The improved understanding of the regulation of C assimilation under heat stress will inform efforts to improve wheat productivity and climate resilience.