The narrow genetic base of cultivated wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) remains a major constraint to genetic improvement, particularly in addressing current and emerging production challenges. Expanding this genetic base is essential to overcome yield plateaus and meet the food demands of a growing global population. Wild relatives and ancestral progenitors of wheat harbour extensive, underutilized genetic diversity that can be harnessed for crop improvement. Among these, Triticum urartu, the A-genome donor of bread and durum wheat, presents a potentially valuable reservoir of traits related to biotic and abiotic stress tolerance, and grain quality. In this review, we summarise current knowledge on the potential of T. urartu as a source of resistance to major wheat diseases including powdery mildew, stem rust (notably the highly virulent race Ug99), leaf rust, and stripe rust. In addition, we discuss the potential of T. urartu as a source of drought and heat tolerance, enhanced photosynthetic traits and quality associated traits. We further highlight the successful introgression of T. urartu chromosomes into diploid, tetraploid, and hexaploid wheat backgrounds, demonstrating its compatibility across multiple ploidy levels. Advances in doubled haploid (DH) technology have recently accelerated the generation of homozygous wheat–T. urartu introgression lines, thereby facilitating rapid trait fixation and efficient germplasm development. The application of molecular marker technologies, including SNP-based kompetitive allele-specific PCR (KASP) assays, has further improved the characterization of T. urartu genetic diversity and the precise tracking of introgression lines. The increasing availability of validated SNP datasets in public repositories and the development of scalable high- and -medium throughput genotyping platforms are further accelerating wheat–T. urartu introgression programs.
Background Sesame (Sesamum indicum L.) is one of the oldest oilseed crops. Its seeds accumulate lignans and antioxidants that determine their nutritional value. Global demand for sesame is rising rapidly, but climate change increasingly threatens sesame yields and seed quality. Here, we analyzed a worldwide panel of 300 sesame accessions to explore the genetic basis of key adaptive and quality traits, specifically flowering time, seed lignan content, and seed antioxidant capacity. Results Whole-genome resequencing revealed previously unreported genetic diversity, expanding the resources available for sesame breeding. By integrating k-mer-based genome-wide association analysis with a graph-based sesame genome, we identified structural variants associated with differences in flowering time and lignan accumulation. A 9.4-kb deletion on chromosome 6 that disrupted SIN_1018434 (an ortholog of Arabidopsis PHOTOPERIOD-INDEPENDENT EARLY FLOWERING 1) and a 6.2-kb Copia-type retrotransposon insertion upstream of SIN_1004470 on chromosome 11 were associated with early flowering. The intact alleles at both loci were associated with delayed flowering and were predominant in low-latitude accessions. High seed lignan content was associated with non-synonymous mutations and copy number variants in glycosyl hydrolase genes on chromosome 6 and an 8.2-kb deletion spanning SIN_1019378 on chromosome 13. Association signals for seed antioxidant traits coincided with loci involved in abiotic stress responses and seed-coat pigmentation. Conclusions These findings highlight the importance of exploring diverse germplasm to uncover previously unrecognized adaptive and quality-associated genomic variation. The loci identified here provide molecular targets for developing climate-adapted cultivars with improved seed quality.
Sookyeong Lee, S. Lee, J. Ahn et al.· bioRxiv· 0 citations
Malnutrition and climate-induced stress remain major constraints to global food and nutritional security despite the yield gains of the Green Revolution. Solanaceae crops such as tomato, potato, brinjal, and pepper are key sources of vitamins, minerals, and bioactive compounds. Yet, their genetic improvement has been limited by narrow diversity and complex polygenic traits. The advent of CRISPR/Cas-mediated genome editing provides a transformative platform for precision crop improvement by enabling targeted modification of genes controlling stress tolerance, yield, and nutritional quality. In Solanaceae, CRISPR/Cas applications have successfully enhanced resistance against major pathogens (SlMlo1, SlPelo, SlDCL2), improved abiotic stress tolerance through editing of SlMAPK3, SlCBF1, and SlBZR1, and optimized fruit quality traits via modulation of Psy1, CrtR-b2, and fiAD2/3. Emerging innovations, such as base and prime editing, and RNP-mediated transgene-free delivery, are expanding the precision and scope of editing. However, challenges persist, including genotype-dependent transformation, low HDR efficiency, and incomplete understanding of off-target and epigenetic effects. Integrating CRISPR with omics-guided gene discovery, efficient transformation systems, and regulatory harmonization can accelerate the development of nutritionally enriched, stress-resilient, and sustainable Solanaceae varieties. This review synthesizes recent advances, identifies critical limitations, and outlines future opportunities for deploying CRISPR/Cas technology to achieve next-generation breeding and food system resilience.
Vandana Thakur, A. Vats, Rahul Kumar et al.· Plants· 0 citations
Overall, transcription factors from the DREB, NAC, MYB, and WRKY families are still considered the primary regulatory targets, but CRISPR/Cas-based gene editing is now able to provide precise, multiplex gene modifications in polyploid wheat.
Amit Kumar, Shivani, R. Chaudhary et al.· Progressive Agriculture· 0 citations
