Search Results (6)

Protein deficiency is recognized among the major global health issues with an underestimation of its importance. Genetic biofortification is a cost-effective and sustainable strategy to overcome global protein malnutrition. This study was designed to focus on protein-dense grains of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) and identify the genes governing grain protein content (GPC) that improve end-use quality and in turn human health. Genome-wide association was applied using the 90k iSELECT Infinium and 35k Affymetrix arrays with GPC quantified by using a proteomic-based technique in 369 wheat genotypes over three field-year trials. The results showed significant natural variation among bread wheat genotypes that led to detecting 54 significant quantitative trait nucleotides (QTNs) surpassing the false discovery rate (FDR) threshold. These QTNs showed contrasting effects on GPC ranging from −0.50 to +0.54% that can be used for protein content improvement. Further bioinformatics analyses reported that these QTNs are genomically linked with 35 candidate genes showing high expression during grain development. The putative candidate genes have functions in the binding, remobilization, or transport of protein. For instance, the promising QTN AX-94727470 on chromosome 6B increases GPC by +0.47% and is physically located inside the gene TraesCS6B02G384500 annotated as Trehalose 6-phosphate phosphatase (T6P), which can be employed to improve grain protein quality. Our findings are valuable for the enhancement of protein content and end-use quality in one of the major daily food resources that ultimately improve human nutrition. Full article

The non-invasive analysis of seeds is of great interest to experimental biologists and breeders. To reach a high varietal identity and purity of seed material, it is often necessary to access features of individual seeds via the screening of mutant populations. While near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) and time-domain nuclear-magnetic-resonance spectroscopy (TD-NMR) are well-known in seed research and industry for bulk seed measurements, their application for individual seeds is challenging. Here we demonstrate how to overcome this limitation using a practical approach to cereal grains using oat (Avena sp.) as a model. For this, we generated a representative collection of oat seeds from the ex situ German federal gene bank, which includes wide variation in grain size, shape, and coloration. Next, we established a short experimental pipeline to exemplify how to improve the procedure for individual seed measurements. In its current state, the method is ready to use for the high-accuracy estimation of nitrogen (protein) content (R² = 0.877), water content (R² = 0.715), and seed weight (R² = 0.897) of individual oat grains. This work introduces the combination of NIRS and TD-NMR as an efficient, precise, and, most importantly, non-destructive analytic platform for a high throughput analysis of individual intact seeds. Full article

Fingerprint analysis is a common technique in forensic and criminal investigations. Similar techniques exist in the field of infrared spectroscopy to identify biomolecules according to their characteristic spectral fingerprint features. These unique markers are located in a wavenumber range from 1800 to 600 cm⁻¹ in the mid infrared region. Here, a novel bioanalytical concept of correlating these spectral features with corresponding mass spectrometry datasets to unravel metabolic clusters within complex plant tissues was applied. As proof of concept, vascular bundles of oilseed rape (Brassica napus) were investigated, one of the most important and widely cultivated temperate zone oilseed crops. The link between mass spectrometry data and spectral data identified features that co-aligned within both datasets. Regions of origin were then detected by searching for these features in hyperspectral images of plant tissues. This approach, based on co-alignment and co-localization, finally enabled the detection of eight distinct metabolic clusters, reflecting functional and structural arrangements within the vascular bundle. The proposed analytical concept may assist future synergistic research approaches and may lead to biotechnological innovations with regard to crop yield and sustainability. Full article

The adaptation strategies of halophytic seaside barley Hordeum marinum to high salinity and osmotic stress were investigated by nuclear magnetic resonance imaging, as well as ionomic, metabolomic, and transcriptomic approaches. When compared with cultivated barley, seaside barley exhibited a better plant growth rate, higher relative plant water content, lower osmotic pressure, and sustained photosynthetic activity under high salinity, but not under osmotic stress. As seaside barley is capable of controlling Na⁺ and Cl⁻ concentrations in leaves at high salinity, the roots appear to play the central role in salinity adaptation, ensured by the development of thinner and likely lignified roots, as well as fine-tuning of membrane transport for effective management of restriction of ion entry and sequestration, accumulation of osmolytes, and minimization of energy costs. By contrast, more resources and energy are required to overcome the consequences of osmotic stress, particularly the severity of reactive oxygen species production and nutritional disbalance which affect plant growth. Our results have identified specific mechanisms for adaptation to salinity in seaside barley which differ from those activated in response to osmotic stress. Increased knowledge around salt tolerance in halophytic wild relatives will provide a basis for improved breeding of salt-tolerant crops. Full article

Low field NMR has been successfully used for the evaluation of seed composition and quality, but largely only in crop species. We show here that 1.5T NMR provides a reliable means for analysing the seed lipid fraction present in a wide range of species, where both the seed size and lipid concentration differed by >10 fold. Little use of high field NMR has been made in seed research to date, even though it potentially offers many opportunities for studying seed development, metabolism and storage. Here we demonstrate how 17.5T and 20T NMR can be applied to image seed structure, and analyse lipid and metabolite distribution. We suggest that further technical developments in NMR/MRI will facilitate significant advances in our understanding of seed biology. Full article

Oxygen deficiency is commonplace in seeds, and limits both their development and their germination. It is, therefore, of considerable relevance to crop production. While the underlying physiological basis of seed hypoxia has been known for some time, the lack of any experimental means of measuring the global or localized oxygen concentration within the seed has hampered further progress in this research area. The development of oxygen-sensitive microsensors now offers the capability to determine the localized oxygen status within a seed, and to study its dynamic adjustment both to changes in the ambient environment, and to the seed's developmental stage. This review illustrates the use of oxygen microsensors in seed research, and presents an overview of existing data with an emphasis on crop species. Oxygen maps, both static and dynamic, should serve to increase our basic understanding of seed physiology, as well as to facilitate upcoming breeding and biotechnology-based approaches for crop improvement. Full article