Genius in the Genes: First Draft Sequence of Wheat Genome
Genius in the Genes: First Draft Sequence of Wheat Genome
An international consortium has just published the first draft sequence of the bread wheat genome. The International Wheat Genome Sequencing Consortium of which 3 members are research institutions from India, has gone on to provide a genetic blueprint of the bread wheat genome which could boost crop productivity and provide improved resistance to climatic changes and infections.
The International Wheat Genome Sequencing Consortium which also has India has a partner has emphasized that the genetic blueprint can be the best resource for plant science researchers as well as breeders.
3 leading institutes: Punjab Agricultural University (PAU), National Research Centre on Plant Biotechnology and Delhi University (South Campus) from India have been entrusted with the financial support from the Department of Biotechnology for decoding a chromosome designated as 2A. The chromosome is about 900 million bases in size an one-third the size of the human genome. It is 25 times the size of the rice genome.
The project coordinator,Dr Kuldeep Signh has been quoted by Hindustan Times as saying that this is a “major landmark towards obtaining a complete reference sequence”. Currently, there are around 15 countries in the consortium.
The transportation from lab to field will take more years and it will certainly improve productivity, improved resistance to diseases from the crops, and enable tolerance to droughts as well as heat waves.
Dr. Vijay Raghavan who is the secretary at DBT has indicated that the genomics resource had caused thousands of markers to be available for wheat researchers. This will then improve the mapping and cloning of genes of agronomic importance in less time and cost less money.
Dr. Swapan Dutta from the ICAR has indicated that the decoding of the wheat genome will improve the understanding of the gene function. This is an important discovery because the genetic framework of wheat has been developed for the first time. This could improve plant breeding and ensure protection against climate change induced weather droughts.
Bread wheat is a leading staple for as much as 30% of the global population. Its genetic secrets have been hard to decipher because its genome is 5 times the size of the human one. Full sequencing of the wheat genome is just 3 years away, according to media and scientific reports. Researchers have studied a cultivated wheat variety called Chinese Spring/Triticum asetivum L.
A draft sequence of the genome has been produced including its location of more than 124,000 genes most of which relate to grain quality as well as stress tolerance and pest resistance.
