Genetic analysis of plant developmental traits contributing to increased winter-hardiness in winter wheat

冬小麦比春小麦有优势，因为它产量更高（25%），更有效地利用春季水分，并通过在秋季和早春期间提供地面覆盖减少土壤侵蚀。冬小麦春初生长迅速，开花较早，使其在与杂草的竞争中胜出，避免了赤霉病感染的高峰。然而，加拿大草原生产者需要冬小麦具有更强的抗寒性和更好的冬季存活率，以提供足够的保险，防止冬春季突然的寒流造成的损失。冬小麦在田间的存活主要取决于两个因素：(1)在秋季低温驯化过程中积累的低温耐受性；(2)冬季影响低温脱驯化率的因素。冷驯化和脱驯化过程影响植物的生长发育，决定了植物在冬季野外的生存能力。该项目建立在我们最近结束的加拿大基因组项目的基础上，重点研究发育性状，如终叶数、匍匐生长习性、植株高度和顶部节间长度，我们假设这些性状对冬季生存至关重要。我们之前的研究结果表明，染色体1B、2B、6A、6D、7A、B和D与上述发育性状有关。在这个项目中，我们将对与感兴趣的性状相关的染色体区域进行DNA测序。生物信息学分析和比较基因组学将鉴定基因，功能分析将确认它们在冬小麦田间存活中的作用。本研究的成功完成将有助于阐明植物适应冰冻胁迫的遗传/分子机制。为了提高冬季存活率，我们提出了发展发育性状的理想等位基因（基因）组合。科学进步将有助于“弹性冬小麦”的发展，这种小麦不仅能抵御加拿大的严冬，而且还具有减轻气候变化引起的不稳定天气影响的基因/性状。

Winter wheat has an advantage over spring varieties as it yields higher (25%), uses spring moisture more efficiently and reduces soil erosion by providing ground cover during the fall and early spring. Rapid initial spring growth of winter wheat allows it to out-compete weeds and escape peak of Fusarium head blight infections by flowering early. However, Canadian prairie producers require winter wheat with increased cold hardiness and improved winter survival to provide adequate insurance against losses due to sudden cold snaps during winter and spring. Winter wheat field survival depends on two major factors: (i) amount of low temperature (LT) tolerance accumulated during fall cold acclimation, and (ii) factors affecting cold de-acclimation rate during the winter months. The processes of cold acclimation and de-acclimation influence plant development, which determines winter field survival capability. The proposed project builds on our recently concluded Genome Canada project and focuses on developmental traits such as final leaf number, prostrate growth habit, plant height, and top internode length which we hypothesize are critical for winter survival. Our earlier results show that chromosomes 1B, 2B, 6A, 6D, 7A, B and D are associated with the mentioned developmental traits. In this project we will DNA sequence the chromosomal regions associated with traits of interest. Bioinformatics analysis and comparative genomics will identify genes and functional analysis will confirm their role in winter wheat field survival. Successful completion of this research will elucidate genetic/molecular mechanisms underlying plant's adaptive strategies to cope with freezing stress. We propose to develop ideal allele (gene) combinations of developmental traits for improved winter survival. Scientific advances will contribute to development of 'Resilient Winter Wheat', which will not only withstand harsh Canadian winters, but also possess genes/traits which mitigate the effects of erratic weather caused by climate change.