Amylose content in rice: integrating genetics, grain filling physiology, and breeding strategies

Uncovering key genes related to potato tuber starch concentration from the tuber bulking, maturation stage to storage

Nutritional quality traits in pea seed: Current knowledge and opportunities for genetic improvement

Pea is a major pulse crop valued for its high protein, carbohydrate, and mineral content, as well as its agronomic role in sustainable cropping systems. In recent years, pea and other pulses are increasingly recognised as key components of the shift towards climate‐neutral, healthier plant‐based diets. The use of pea‐derived ingredients is expected to expand across a wide range of end uses, including meat alternatives and bioplastics. Consequently, research efforts are ongoing to better understand the genetic and biochemical basis of the nutritional and functional traits of pea seed to develop cultivars that meet existing and new market demands. This review synthesises current knowledge on phenotypic diversity, genetic control and breeding potential of key nutritional and sensory attributes of mature pea seeds, with additional scoping data for two traits, sugars and the iron‐storage protein ferritin. We discuss seed protein concentration and composition, starch content, resistant starch, raffinose family oligosaccharides, dietary fibre, mineral density, phytate, as well as colour and flavour components such as anthocyanins and saponins. This review highlights opportunities, challenges, and knowledge gaps in translating recent advances in pea genomics into the development of pea cultivars with enhanced nutritional value and consumer acceptability, contributing to global food and nutrition security.

Differential condensation of FLO6 influences grain amylose synthesis in rice

Amylose content is widely regarded as one of the decisive parameters determining rice grain quality. However, the regulatory mechanisms underlying amylose synthesis across different rice subspecies remain poorly understood. Here, we report that FLO6 (Floury Endosperm 6) undergoes phase separation to form condensates that adhere to the surface of starch granules, and these condensates are capable of recruiting GBSS1 (Granule-Bound Starch Synthase 1). A single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP3194) within the FLO6 gene endows the FLO6 alleles from japonica and indica subspecies with distinct condensate properties. This divergence results in varying GBSS1 activities within the FLO6 condensates, ultimately contributing to differences in grain amylose content. While the well-known allelic variation of GBSS1 establishes the baseline enzyme abundance, the evolutionary adaptation of the FLO6-GBSS1 module serves as an essential superimposed regulatory layer that fine-tunes amylose synthesis across different rice subspecies. Our findings offer potential biotechnological avenues for directionally altering grain amylose content.

Allelic Diversity of Candidate Genes Underlying Nitrogen Use Efficiency in Potato

Analysis of candidate genes associated with NUE in a diploid potato diversity panel by evaluating morphological, physiological, and biochemical variables under contrasting nitrogen levels suggested distinct adaptive strategies.

Flag leaf chlorophyll content of wheat: genetic dissection, candidate genes prediction and its relationship with other agronomic traits

Chlorophyll is the primary pigment responsible for capturing light energy and driving photosynthetic conversion. As the key photosynthetic organ during grain filling, the flag leaf plays a critical role in carbon assimilation, consequently, its chlorophyll content (FLC) represents a promising target for enhancing wheat yield and ensuring food security. Dissecting the genetic basis underlying FLC and elucidating its relationships with other agronomic traits are essential for accelerating molecular breeding aiming at improving photosynthetic efficiency and yield in wheat varieties. In this study, a major and environmentally stable quantitative trait locus (QTL) for FLC was detected using a population of 197 recombinant inbred lines (RILs). This QTL, designated QFLC.scwl-4B , was consistently mapped to chromosome arm 4BS across multiple environments, explaining 9.36%–31.82% of the phenotypic variance (PVE). The effect of QFLC.scwl-4B was further validated in an additional RIL population under diverse environmental conditions. Correlation and effect analyses revealed that QFLC.scwl-4B exhibits pleiotropic, leading to increased FLC, spikelet number per spike (SNS), and flag leaf thickness (FLT), alongside reduced productive tiller number (PTN). Furthermore, a putative candidate gene for QFLC.scwl-4B , TraesCS4B03G0098300 , was identified as an ortholog of gene in BBX family, which is known to repress chlorophyll degradation and senescence, and likely involved in chlorophyll synthesis. Further, the promoter region of TraesCS4B03G0098300 harbors a single nucleotide polymorphism (G/C) between the two parents. Collectively, these findings provide valuable QTL resources and candidate gene targets for marker-assisted selection in breeding programs aiming at developing wheat varieties with high photosynthetic efficiency and yield.

Integrating GWAS and Transcriptome Analysis Identifies Candidate Genes for Kernel Starch Quality Traits in Maize.

Maize (Zea mays L.) starch quality is a complex trait with significant implications for grain processing and industrial applications. However, the genetic basis underlying starch quality, particularly for gelatinization and thermodynamic properties, remains poorly understood. In this study, we evaluated 12 starch quality traits, including seven gelatinization characteristics, four thermodynamic traits, and kernel starch content (KSC) in a diverse panel of 335 maize inbred lines. Considerable phenotypic variation was observed for all traits. A total of 228 quantitative trait loci (QTLs) were significantly associated with 12 starch quality traits through genome-wide association studies (GWAS). By integrating a dynamic transcriptome analysis of two maize inbred lines with contrasting starch quality, we identified 60 candidate genes. One gene, waxy1, encoding a starch synthase, was found to be associated with enthalpy of gelatinization (ΔHgel) and pasting temperature (Ptemp). Six variants in waxy1 contributed to natural variation in ΔHgel and Ptemp, and a cost-effective InDel and two PARMS-based molecular markers were developed and validated in 144 maize inbred lines, enabling efficient marker-assisted selection. Our findings provide key genes and molecular markers for high-quality maize breeding with improved starch properties.