SAFERGUARDING SONORA'S WHEAT FROM CLIMATE CHANGE

索诺拉的小麦产量占墨西哥小麦总产量的45%，然而，由于气候变化，高温和干旱在索诺拉和全球日益成为问题，这一点越来越受到影响。因此，“保护”索诺拉的小麦免受高温和干旱的影响越来越紧迫。在该项目中，将组建一个独特的小麦小组，代表全球目前已知的最耐受的小麦基因型和品种。将在索诺拉的田间条件下评估和分析这一炎热和干旱小组，以选择表现最佳的品种，并在分子和生理水平上详细分析这些品种，以阐明耐受机制并确定潜在的基因。大多数关于胁迫反应的分子生理学研究都是使用不耐受的参考基因型进行的，这主要是因为遗传资源是可用的，此外，植物通常在实验室条件下生长。因此，我们目前对作物中耐受性特异性胁迫反应的信息很少，小麦中的信息更少。因此，该项目将产生第一个关于小麦“真正”耐受机制的全面研究，这将对研究界和育种计划产生重大影响。本项目将详细分析的干旱响应途径之一与糖在胁迫耐受性中的作用以及通过海藻糖-6-磷酸（T6 P）调节糖分配到种子中有关。已经证明，T6 P的外部应用可以增强耐旱性，因此该途径中的基因是该项目的主要目标。其中一个基因（TPS）特别令人感兴趣，并且已经使用CRIPR-Cas9技术进行了基因编辑。目前很少有研究超越了这项技术在小麦中的概念验证，因此该项目将开创这项突破性技术在小麦改良中的应用，提供一个里程碑式的研究。该项目将在索诺拉的CIAD和英国的Rothamsted Research（RRes）之间合作，分享专业知识和联合力量，建立在PI的广泛专业知识和预先存在的合作基础上，与CIMMYT和ICARDA建立合作关系，以及与正在进行的小麦研究计划，如英国的“设计未来小麦”（DFW），“国际小麦产量伙伴关系”（IWYP）或“炎热和干燥气候下的小麦”，澳大利亚工业转型研究中心。该项目产生的数据不仅将大大提高我们对小麦耐受机制的理解，而且通过现有的网络，将告知育种者要针对哪些性状和基因进行选择。通过提供经过验证的耐热和耐旱种质、耐受机制的详细信息以更好地进行针对性表型分析和选择，以及用于选择上级耐受相关基因的分子标记，该项目将在进行卓越科学的同时实现耐受育种。

Sonora contributes 45% of the total wheat production in Mexico, however this is becoming increasingly compromised by high temperature and drought, which are an increasing problem in Sonora and globally due to climate change. There is therefore a growing urgency to "safeguard" Sonora's wheat from heat and drought stress. Within this project, a unique wheat panel will be assembled representing the most tolerant wheat genotypes and varieties currently known, globally. This Heat and Drought panel will be evaluated and analysed under field conditions in Sonora to select the best-performers and these will be analysed in detail at the molecular and physiological level to unravel the tolerance mechanisms and identify the underlying genes. Most molecular-physiological studies on stress responses have been conducted using intolerant reference genotypes, mainly because genetic resources are available, and in addition, plants are often grown under laboratory conditions. We therefore presently have very little information on tolerant-specific stress responses in crops, and even less in wheat. This project will therefore generate a first-of-its-kind comprehensive study on "true" tolerance mechanisms in wheat and this will have large implications for the research community and for breeding programs. One of the drought responsive pathways that will be analysed in detail within this project is related to the role of sugars in stress tolerance and the regulation of sugar allocation to seeds via trehalose-6-phosphate (T6P). It has already been proven that external application of T6P can enhance drought tolerance and the genes within this pathway are therefore prime targets of this project. One of these genes (TPS) is of particular interest and has already been subjected to gene editing using CRIPR-Cas9 technology. There are currently very few studies that go beyond the proof-of-concept that this technology works in wheat and this project will therefore pioneer this breakthrough technology for applications in wheat improvement, providing a land-mark study. Sharing expertise and joining forces, this project will be conducted in collaboration between CIAD in Sonora and Rothamsted Research (RRes) in the UK, building on the broad expertise and pre-existing collaborations of the PIs, their established partnership with CIMMYT and ICARDA, as well as integration with ongoing wheat research programs, such as "Designing Future Wheat" (DFW) in the UK, "International Wheat Yield Partnership" (IWYP) or "Wheat for a Hot and Dry Climate", an Australian Industrial Transformation Research Hub. The data generated within this project will not only greatly enhance our understanding of tolerance mechanisms in wheat, but, via this existing network, will inform breeders about which traits and genes to target and select for. Through provision of validated heat and drought tolerant germplasm, detailed information on tolerance mechanisms for better targeted phenotyping and selection, as well as molecular markers for selection of superior tolerance-related genes, this project will enable tolerance breeding whilst doing excellent science.