The 10,000-Year Success Story of Wheat!

Understanding the structural basis of ALS mutations associated with resistance to sulfonylurea in wheat

Developing herbicide-tolerant wheat varieties is highly desirable for effective weed management and improved crop yield. The enzyme acetolactate synthase (ALS) is the target enzyme for the sulfonylurea class of herbicides. The structural analysis of mutable sites in ALS is crucial for the generation of herbicide-resistant crops. Previous studies indicated that mutant lines of Triticum aestivum ALS (TaALS) with amino acid substitutions at P174, G631, and G632 residues provided resistance to sulfonylurea herbicide, nicosulfuron. The present study aimed to provide structural insights into mutable residues causing sulfonylurea herbicide resistance to TaALS enzyme through in-silico molecular docking and simulation approaches. The molecular docking analysis suggested a single point mutation at TaALS-P174S, its double mutant conformations (TaALS-G632S/P174S and TaALS-G631D/G632S) and associated triple mutant conformation (TaALS-G631D/G632S/P174S) to have the lowest binding affinity with nicosulfuron than the wild-type conformation of TaALS. Furthermore, the molecular dynamic simulation study confirms the weakest and more stable binding of the triple mutant conformation with nicosulfuron. Our computational study identifies a triple mutant conformation (TaALS-G631D/G632S/P174S) to be more effective in developing sulfonylurea herbicide-resistant wheat crops.

Research on the regulation mechanism of drought tolerance in wheat

Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) is one of the most important crops in arid and semi-arid areas of the world, and its sustainable and efficient production is essential for ensuring food security in China and globally. However, with the global climate change, wheat production is increasingly endangered by abiotic stress, and drought stress has become the main abiotic stress factor restricting wheat production efficiently. Therefore, investigating drought resistance genes and elucidating the mechanisms underlying drought resistance regulation is crucial for the genetic enhancement of drought resistance and the development of new drought-resistant wheat varieties. This paper reviews the majority of research conducted on wheat drought resistance over the past five years, focusing on aspects, such as transcriptional regulation, protein post-translational modifications, and other regulatory mechanisms related to drought resistance in wheat. Additionally, this paper discusses future directions for the genetic improvement of drought resistance and the breeding of new drought-resistant wheat varieties.

Exploration of biomass fractionation and lignin removal for enhancing enzymatic digestion of wheat-stalk through deep eutectic solvent Cetyl trimethyl ammonium chloride:Lactic acid treatment

The cationic surfactant-based deep eutectic solvents (DESs) have attracted extensive attention due to their effectual destruction of the natural anti-degradation barrier structure in lignocellulose. In this research, functional DES cetyl trimethyl ammonium chloride:Lactic acid (CTAC: LA molar ratio 1:0.5 to 1:6) was fabricated for pretreating wheat-stalk. The relationships of accessibility, lignin removal, xylan elimination, and enzymolysis efficacy were explored. The highest delignification (88.3 %) and xylan elimination (89.0 %) were obtained through the treatment with CTAC:LA (1:4, mol/mol, 160 °C, 60 min), acquiring 86.8 % of enzymolysis efficacy. The structure of CTAC:LA-treated straw was changed to porous state, while the accessibility and crystallinity were substantially improved to 668.2 mg/g and 57.6 %, respectively. The surface lignin area declined from 672.7 to 335.4 m2/g. Furthermore, the structure of lignin disrupted by CTAC:LA was analyzed by 2D-HSQC NMR, implying that CTAC:LA could cleave the CO covalent bond and CC bond and degrade the S- and H-units in wheat-stalk lignin through interaction. The potential pretreatment mechanism was proposed through comprehensive exploration at the molecular level and macro level, and this built pretreatment process held great promise for valorizing biomass into highly valuable chemicals.

Induction of Salt Stress Tolerance in Wheat Seeds by Parental Treatment with Salicylic Acid

Soil salinization is an important factor that limits crop production. The effects of spraying salicylic acid (SA) during the grain-filling stage on the salt tolerance of progeny seeds in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) were investigated in this study. The results showed that spraying SA during the grain-filling stage significantly increased the grain weight and yield of wheat plants. Meanwhile, the seeds from the SA-treated plants showed a higher germination rate, length and dry mass of the coleoptile and radicle, and a lower mean germination time compared to the seeds of water-treated plants under the salt germination condition, indicating that SA pretreatment during the grain-filling stage could effectively improve the salt tolerance of progeny seeds in wheat. SA pretreatment significantly increased the activities of amylases and the respiration rate, accompanied by a decrease in starch content, and a higher accumulation in the level of soluble sugars and adenosine triphosphate (ATP) in the germinated seedlings compared to the water pretreatment under salt stress. In addition, SA pretreatment obviously alleviated the increase in malondialdehyde (MDA) content and the reactive oxygen species (ROS) release rate in seedlings by activating antioxidant enzymes (superoxide dismutase (SOD) and peroxidase (POD)) under salt stress. Moreover, the seedlings of the SA-treated plants showed lower Na+ and higher K+ contents compared to the seeds of water-treated plants under salt stress. The results of this study indicate that spraying SA during the grain-filling stage improves the capacity of offspring seeds to maintain osmotic and ion balance and redox homeostasis under salt stress, thereby conferring salt tolerance to the wheat seeds.

Intestinal-level anti-inflammatory bioactivities of whole wheat: Rationale, design, and methods of a randomized, controlled, crossover dietary trial in adults with prediabetes

Randomized controlled trials (RCT) demonstrate that whole wheat consumption improves glycemia. However, substantial inter-individual variation is often observed, highlighting that dietary whole grain recommendations may not support the health of all persons. The objective of this report is to describe the rationale and design of a planned RCT aimed at establishing the gut microbiota and metabolome signatures that predict whole wheat-mediated improvements in glucose tolerance in adults with prediabetes. It is hypothesized that a controlled diet containing wheat bread (WHEAT; 160 g/day) compared with refined bread (WHITE) will improve glucose tolerance in a gut microbiota-mediated manner. Biospecimens will be collected before and after each 2-week study arm. Testing for oral glucose tolerance and gastrointestinal permeability will be performed post-intervention. Assessments will include oral glucose tolerance (primary outcome) and secondary outcomes including gut microbiota, targeted and untargeted metabolomics of fecal and plasma samples, intestinal and host inflammatory responses, and intestinal permeability. WHEAT is predicted to alleviate glucose intolerance by shifting microbiota composition to increase short-chain fatty acid-producing bacteria while reducing populations implicated in intestinal inflammation, barrier dysfunction, and systemic endotoxemia. Further, benefits from WHEAT are anticipated to correlate with gut-level and systemic metabolomic responses that can help to explain the expected inter-individual variability in glucose tolerance. Thus, knowledge gained from integrating multi-omic responses associating with glucose tolerance could help to establish a precision nutrition-based framework that can alleviate cardiometabolic risk. This framework could inform novel dietary whole grain recommendations by enhancing our understanding of inter-individual responsiveness to whole grain consumption.

Could Snacks Based on Lupin Be a Nutritious Treat? A Point of View

This viewpoint article presents an opinion about snacks made with lupin species. The nutritional quality of cereal-based snacks increased significantly when lupin was added. For instance, the protein and fibre content of lupin snacks could be as high as 55.7% and 8.3% respectively, soluble fibre as high as 61.2% of total fibre, and protein digestibility close to that of casein. As for sensory evaluation, some lupin snacks were ranked even better than controls. Moreover, some lupin snacks had similar or improved rheological behaviour with respect to controls. For instance, expansion indices of 11 versus 3 for controls. In summary, by adjusting formula and processing conditions, it is possible to obtain, at the same time, a healthy and tasty snack with very good machinability and rheological behaviour. This could improve the image and concept of snacks by providing an excellent opportunity for improving the diet quality of habitual consumers of snacks. This point of view also provides suggestions for improving the nutritional, rheological, and sensory evaluation of lupin snacks.

Comparative Physiological, Biochemical, and Leaf Proteome Responses of Contrasting Wheat Varieties to Drought Stress

Drought stress severely affects crop productivity and threatens food security. As current trends of global warming are predicted to exacerbate droughts, developing drought-resilient crops becomes urgent. Here, we used the drought-tolerant (BW35695) and drought-sensitive (BW4074) wheat varieties to investigate the physiological, biochemical, and leaf proteome responses underpinning drought tolerance. In response to drought, the tolerant variety had higher osmolyte accumulation and maintained higher leaf water content than the sensitive variety. BW35695 also had an enhanced antioxidant enzyme capacity and reduced reactive oxygen species (ROS), resulting in diminished membrane lipid damage, as reflected by malondialdehyde content. Proteomic analysis revealed that drought-induced differential expression of proteins involved in diverse biological processes in both wheat varieties, including primary and secondary metabolism, protein synthesis/folding/degradation, defense/ROS detoxification, energy, transcription, and cell structure. Notably, photosynthesis emerged as the most enriched biochemical process targeted for suppression in the drought-tolerant BW35695 wheat, but not in drought-sensitive BW4074, possibly as a survival strategy for averting cell damage inflicted by photosynthesis-derived ROS. Additionally, protein synthesis-related proteins were highly upregulated in BW35695, presumably to drive cell-wide stress-adaptive responses. The protein network identified here will be useful in further studies to understand the molecular basis for divergent drought response phenotypes in crops.

Enhancing Wheat Tolerance to Cadmium Stress through Moringa Leaf Extract Foliar Application

Cadmium, a hazardous heavy metal prevalent in plants and soil, poses a significant threat to human health, particularly as approximately 60% of the global population consumes wheat, which can accumulate high levels of Cd through its roots. This uptake leads to the translocation of Cd to the shoots and grains, exacerbating the potential health risks. However, promising results have been observed with the use of moringa leaf extract (MLE) foliar spray in mitigating the adverse effects of Cd stress. The current experiment was conducted to find out the Cd stress tolerance of wheat varieties V1 = Akbar-19 and V2 = Dilkash-2020 under exogenous spray of MLE. The treatments of this study were T0 = 0% MLE + 0 µM Cd, T1 = 3% MLE + 0 µM Cd, T2 = 0% MLE + 400 µM Cd, and T3 = 3% MLE + 400 µM Cd. Cd stress demonstrated a significant reduction in morphological attributes as shoot and root fresh weight (22%), shoot and root dry weight (24.5%), shoot and root length (22.5%), area of leaf and number of leaves 30.5%, and photosynthetic attributes (69.8%) in comparison with control. Exposure of wheat plants to Cd toxicity cause oxidative stress, increased H2O2, and MDA up to 75% while foliar application of MLE reduced the activities of reactive oxygen species (ROS). The activity of catalase (CAT), superoxide dismutase (SOD), peroxidase (POD), and ascorbic acid (AsA) increased up to 81.5% as well as organic osmolytes such as phenolics, total soluble proteins, and total soluble sugars were improved up to 77% by MLE applications under Cd stress. Higher accumulation of ionic contents root Na+ (22%) and Cd (44%) was documented in plants under Cd stress as compared to control, while uptake of root mineral ions Ca2+ and K+ was 35% more in MLE-treated plants. In crux, Cd toxicity significantly declined the growth, photosynthetic, and biochemical parameters while 3% MLE application was found effective in alleviating the Cd toxicity by improving growth and physiological parameters while declining reactive oxygen species and root Na+ as well as Cd uptake in wheat.

Potential of tetraploid wheats in plant breeding: A review

Domestication syndrome, selection pressure, and modern plant breeding programs have reduced the genetic diversity of the wheat germplasm. For the genetic gains of breeding programs to be sustainable, plant breeders require a diverse gene pool to select genes for resistance to biotic stress factors, tolerance to abiotic stress factors, and improved quality and yield components. Thus, old landraces, subspecies and wild ancestors are rich sources of genetic diversity that have not yet been fully exploited, and it is possible to utilize this diversity. Compared with durum wheat, tetraploid wheat subspecies have retained much greater genetic diversity despite genetic drift and various environmental influences, and the identification and utilization of this diversity can make a greater contribution to the genetic enrichment of wheat. In addition, using the pre-breeding method, the valuable left-behind alleles in the wheat gene pool can be re-introduced through hybridization and introgressive gene flow to create a sustainable opportunity for the genetic gain of wheat. This review provides some insights about the potential of tetraploid wheats in plant breeding and the genetic gains made by them in plant breeding across past decades, and gathers the known functional information on genes/QTLs, metabolites, traits and their direct involvement in wheat resistance/tolerance to biotic/abiotic stresses.

Effects of biochar on growth and yield of Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) under salt stress

Globally from abiotic stresses, salt stress is the major stress that limits crop production. One of them is wheat that has been utilized by more than 1/3 of the world population as staple food due to its nutritive value. Biochar is an activated carbon that can ameliorate the negative impacts on plants under saline conditions. The present study was conducted to examine the ameliorative impact of "Biochar application" to Triticum aestivum L. plant grown under salinity stress and evaluated on the basis of various growth, yield, physiological, biochemical attributes. Preliminary experiment was done to select the Triticum aestivum L. varieties with 90% germination rate for further experiment. The selected varieties, FSD08 and PUNJAB-11 of wheat were treated with two levels of sodium chloride (0 mM and 120 mM). Two varieties of wheat included FSD08 and PUNJAB-11 were treated with two levels of sodium chloride (0 mM and 120 mM). To address the impact of salt stress two levels of biochar 0% and 5% was used as exogenous application. A three way completely randomized experimentation was done in 24 pots of two wheat varieties with three replicates. The results demonstrated that salt stress affected growth, physiological attributes, yield and inorganic mineral ions (Ca2+ and K+) in roots and shoots parameters of wheat negatively while biochar overall improved the performance of plant. SOD, CAT, APX and POD activities enhanced during salt stress as the plant self-defense mechanism against salinity to minimize the damaging effect. Salt stress also significantly increased the membrane permeability, and levels of H2O2, MDA, Cl and Na ions. Biochar treatment nullified negative impacts of NaCl and improved the plant growth and yield significantly. Hence, biochar amendment can be suggested as suitable supplement for sustainable crop production under salinization.

Baseline tebuconazole sensitivity and potential resistant risk in Fusarium Graminearum

BACKGROUND

The Fusarium head blight caused by Fusarium graminearum results in reduced crop yields and the potential for vomitoxin contamination, which poses a risk to both human and livestock health. The primary method of control relies on the application of chemical fungicides.

RESULTS

The current study found that the tebuconazole sensitivity of 165 F. graminearum isolates collected from the Huang-Huai-Hai region of China between 2019 and 2023 ranged from 0.005 to 2.029 µg/mL, with an average EC50 value of 0.33 ± 0.03 µg/mL. The frequency distribution conformed to a unimodal curve around the mean, and therefore provides a useful reference for monitoring the emergence of tebuconazole resistance in field populations of F. graminearum. No cross-resistance was detected between tebuconazole and other unrelated fungicides such as flutriafol, propiconazole and fluazinam, but there was a clear negative cross-resistance with triazole fungicides including fludioxonil, epoxiconazole, hexaconazole, and metconazole. Analysis of five tebuconazole-resistant mutants produced under laboratory conditions indicated that although the mycelial growth of the mutants were significantly (p < 0.05) reduced, spore production and germination rates could be significantly (p < 0.05) increased. However, pathogenicity tests confirmed a severe fitness cost associated with tebuconazole resistance, as all of the mutants completely loss the ability to infect host tissue. Furthermore, in general the resistant mutants were found to have increased sensitivity to abiotic stress, such as ionic and osmotic stress, though not to Congo red and oxidative stress, to which they were more tolerant. Meanwhile, molecular analysis identified several point mutations in the CYP51 genes of the mutants, which resulted in two substitutions (I281T, and T314A) in the predicted sequence of the FgCYP51A subunit, as well as seven (S195F, Q332V, V333L, L334G, M399T, E507G, and E267G) in the FgCYP51C subunit. In addition, it was also noted that the expression of the CYP51 genes in one of the mutants, which lacked point mutations, was significantly up-regulated in response to tebuconazole treatment.

CONCLUSIONS

These results provide useful data that allow for more rational use of tebuconazole in the control of F. graminearum, as well as for more effective monitoring of fungicide resistance in the field.

Glutenin from the Ancient Wheat Progenitor Is Intrinsically Allergenic as It Can Clinically Sensitize Mice for Systemic Anaphylaxis by Activating Th2 Immune Pathway

Wheat allergy is a major type of food allergy with the potential for life-threatening anaphylactic reactions. Common wheat, Triticum aestivum (hexaploid, AABBDD genome), was developed using tetraploid wheat (AABB genome) and the ancient diploid wheat progenitor (DD genome)-Aegilops tauschii. The potential allergenicity of gluten from ancient diploid wheat is unknown. In this study, using a novel adjuvant-free gluten allergy mouse model, we tested the hypothesis that the glutenin extract from this ancient wheat progenitor will be intrinsically allergenic in this model. The ancient wheat was grown, and wheat berries were used to extract the glutenin for testing. A plant protein-free colony of Balb/c mice was established and used in this study. The intrinsic allergic sensitization potential of the glutenin was determined by measuring IgE response upon transdermal exposure without the use of an adjuvant. Clinical sensitization for eliciting systemic anaphylaxis (SA) was determined by quantifying the hypothermic shock response (HSR) and the mucosal mast cell response (MMCR) upon intraperitoneal injection. Glutenin extract elicited a robust and specific IgE response. Life-threatening SA associated and a significant MMCR were induced by the glutenin challenge. Furthermore, proteomic analysis of the spleen tissue revealed evidence of in vivo Th2 pathway activation. In addition, using a recently published fold-change analysis method, several immune markers positively and negatively associated with SA were identified. These results demonstrate for the first time that the glutenin from the ancient wheat progenitor is intrinsically allergenic, as it has the capacity to elicit clinical sensitization for anaphylaxis via activation of the Th2 pathway in vivo in mice.

Grains in a Modern Time: A Comprehensive Review of Compositions and Understanding Their Role in Type 2 Diabetes and Cancer

Globally, type 2 diabetes (T2D) and Cancer are the major causes of morbidity and mortality worldwide and are considered to be two of the most significant public health concerns of the 21st century. Over the next two decades, the global burden is expected to increase by approximately 60%. Several observational studies as well as clinical trials have demonstrated the health benefits of consuming whole grains to lower the risk of several chronic non-communicable diseases including T2D and cancer. Cereals grains are the primary source of energy in the human diet. The most widely consumed pseudo cereals include (quinoa, amaranth, and buckwheat) and cereals (wheat, rice, and corn). From a nutritional perspective, both pseudo cereals and cereals are recognized for their complete protein, essential amino acids, dietary fibers, and phenolic acids. The bran layer of the seed contains the majority of these components. Greater intake of whole grains rather than refined grains has been consistently linked to a lower risk of T2D and cancer. Due to their superior nutritional compositions, whole grains make them a preferred choice over refined grains. The modulatory effects of whole grains on T2D and cancer are also likely to be influenced by several mechanisms; some of these effects may be direct while others involve altering the composition of gut microbiota, increasing the abundance of beneficial bacteria, and lowering harmful bacteria, increasing insulin sensitivity, lowering solubility of free bile acids, breaking protein down into peptides and amino acids, producing short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), and other beneficial metabolites that promote the proliferation in the colon which modulate the antidiabetic and anticancer pathway. Thus, the present review had two aims. First, it summarized the recent knowledge about the nutritional composition and bioactive acids in pseudo cereals (quinoa, amaranth, and buckwheat) and cereals (wheat, rice, and corn); the second section summarized and discussed the progress in recent human studies, such as observational (cross-sectional studies, case-control studies, and cohort studies) and intervention studies to understand their role in T2D and cancer including the potential mechanism. Overall, according to the scientific data, whole grain consumption may reduce the incidence of T2D and cancer. Future studies should carry out randomized controlled trials to validate observational results and establish causality. In addition, the current manuscript encourages researchers to investigate the specific mechanisms by which whole grains exert their beneficial effects on health by examining the effects of different types of specific protein, dietary fibers, and phenolic acids that might help to prevent or treat T2D and cancer.

Endophytic Fungi from the Four Staple Crops and Their Secondary Metabolites

Endophytic fungi are present in every plant, and crops are no exception. There are more than 50,000 edible plant species on the planet, but only 15 crops provide 90 percent of the global energy intake, and "the big four"-wheat, rice, maize and potato-are staples for about 5 billion people. Not only do the four staple crops contribute to global food security, but the endophytic fungi within their plant tissues are complex ecosystems that have been under scrutiny. This review presents an outline of the endophytic fungi and their secondary metabolites in four staple crops: wheat, rice, maize and potato. A total of 292 endophytic fungi were identified from the four major crops, with wheat having the highest number of 157 endophytic fungi. Potato endophytic fungi had the highest number of secondary metabolites, totaling 204 compounds, compared with only 23 secondary metabolites from the other three crops containing endophytic fungi. Some of the compounds are those with specific structural and pharmacological activities, which may be beneficial to agrochemistry and medicinal chemistry.

A Transcriptome Response of Bread Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) to a 5B Chromosome Substitution from Wild Emmer

Over the years, alien chromosome substitution has attracted the attention of geneticists and breeders as a rich source of remarkable genetic diversity for improvement in narrowly adapted wheat cultivars. One of the problems encountered along this way is the coadaptation and realization of the genome of common wheat against the background of the introduced genes. Here, using RNA-Seq, we assessed a transcriptome response of hexaploid wheat Triticum aestivum L. (cultivar Chinese Spring) to a 5B chromosome substitution with its homolog from wild emmer (tetraploid wheat T. dicoccoides Koern) and discuss how complete the physiological compensation for this alien chromatin introgression is. The main signature of the transcriptome in the substituted line was a sharp significant drop of activity before the beginning of the photoperiod with a gradual increase up to overexpression in the middle of the night. The differential expression altered almost all biological processes and pathways tested. Because in most cases, the differential expression or its fold change were modest, and this was only a small proportion of the expressed transcriptome, the physiological compensation of the 5B chromosome substitution in common wheat seemed overall satisfactory, albeit not completely. No over- or under-representation of differential gene expression was found in specific chromosomes, implying that local structural changes in the genome can trigger a global transcriptome response.

QTL Mapping of Yield-Related Traits in Tetraploid Wheat Based on Wheat55K SNP Array

To enhance the understanding of yield-related traits in tetraploid wheat, it is crucial to investigate and identify genes that govern superior yield characteristics. This study utilized the wheat55K single nucleotide polymorphism array to genotype a recombinant inbred line (RIL) population consisting of 120 lines developed through the crossbreeding of two tetraploid wheat varieties, Qin Hei-1 (QH-1) and Durum Wheat (DW). An investigation and analysis were conducted on 11 yield-related traits, including peduncle length (PL), neck length (NL), spike length (SL), flowering date (FD), heading date (HD), thousand-kernel weight (TKW), kernel area ratio (KAR), kernel circumference (KC), kernel length (KL), kernel width (KW), and kernel length-width ratio (KL-WR), over a period of three years in two locations, Yang Ling, Shaanxi, and Lin He, Inner Mongolia. The analysis identified nine stable loci among eight agronomic traits, named QSL.QD-1A.1, QNL.QD-4B.2, QPL.QD-4B.1, QFD.QD-2B, QHD.QD-2B.1, QHD.QD-4B, QKC.QD-4B.2, QKL-WR.QD-4B.6, and QKL.QD-4B.2. Among them, the additive effects of three QTLs, QSL.QD-1A.1, QNL.QD-4B.2, and QFD.QD-2B, were positive, indicating that the enhancing alleles at these loci were derived from the parent line QH-1. These three QTLs showed significant positive effects on the phenotypes of the population materials. Furthermore, potential functional genes were identified within the mapping intervals of QSL.QD-1A.1 and QNL.QD-4B.2, which regulate the development of spike length and neck length, respectively. These results provide potential QTLs and candidate genes, which broaden the genetic basis of agronomic traits related to yield, such as SL, NL, PL, and FD, and benefits for wheat breeding and improvement.

Advances in Gluten Hypersensitivity: Novel Dietary-Based Therapeutics in Research and Development

Gluten hypersensitivity is characterized by the production of IgE antibodies against specific wheat proteins (allergens) and a myriad of clinical allergic symptoms including life-threatening anaphylaxis. Currently, the only recommended treatment for gluten hypersensitivity is the complete avoidance of gluten. There have been extensive efforts to develop dietary-based novel therapeutics for combating this disorder. There were four objectives for this study: (i) to compile the current understanding of the mechanism of gluten hypersensitivity; (ii) to critically evaluate the outcome from preclinical testing of novel therapeutics in animal models; (iii) to determine the potential of novel dietary-based therapeutic approaches under development in humans; and (iv) to synthesize the outcomes from these studies and identify the gaps in research to inform future translational research. We used Google Scholar and PubMed databases with appropriate keywords to retrieve published papers. All material was thoroughly checked to obtain the relevant data to address the objectives. Our findings collectively demonstrate that there are at least five promising dietary-based therapeutic approaches for mitigating gluten hypersensitivity in development. Of these, two have advanced to a limited human clinical trial, and the others are at the preclinical testing level. Further translational research is expected to offer novel dietary-based therapeutic options for patients with gluten hypersensitivity in the future.

Is Wheat Glutenin Extract Intrinsically Allergenic? Evaluation Using a Novel Adjuvant-Free Mouse Model of Systemic Anaphylaxis

Wheat is a prominent allergenic food that can trigger life-threatening anaphylaxis. Presently, it remains unclear whether wheat glutenin (WG) extract possesses inherent sensitization potential independently, without the use of adjuvants, and whether it can sensitize mice to the extent of inducing life-threatening systemic anaphylaxis. In this study, we tested the hypothesis that repeated skin exposures to WG extract without adjuvant will sensitize mice with the resultant anaphylactic reaction upon systemic WG challenge. Balb/c mice were bred and maintained on a strict plant protein-free diet and were repeatedly exposed to a WG extract or vehicle once a week for 9 weeks. WG-specific (s)IgE and total (t)IgE levels were quantified. Mice were challenged with WG extract to induce anaphylactic reactions as measured by hypothermic shock response (HSR) and mucosal mast cell degranulation response (MMCR). We also conducted proteomic analysis of 120 spleen immune markers. These skin-sensitized mice exhibited exposure-dependent IgE responses and near-fatal anaphylaxis upon challenge. Proteomic analysis identified seven dramatically elevated immune biomarkers in anaphylactic mice. These data reveal that WG is intrinsically allergenic, and that chronic skin exposure to WG extract can prime the mice for potentially fatal anaphylaxis.

Ancient Grain Flours with Different Degrees of Sifting: Advances in Knowledge of Nutritional, Technological, and Microbiological Aspects

Ancient grains have gained considerable attention in recent years, as some research suggests they may be healthier than modern wheat. The present study aims to evaluate the chemical, rheological, and microbiological features of three Southern Italian cultivated ancient wheat varieties: Risciola, Carosella, and Saragolla. ATR-FTIR analyses were performed on the finely ground grain samples of the three varieties. The selected grains were ground with a stone mill, and different sifting degrees (whole-100%, type 1-80%, and type 0-72%) were evaluated. The flours showed a good nutritional profile, a higher amylose/amylopectin ratio, and a lower glycemic index than the literature. The gluten index of the samples was in the range 2.6-28.9%, and the flours can be classified as weak, having a value <30%. The farinographic test showed a short development time, low dough stability, a high softening degree, and water absorption, which increased with the degree of sifting. Microbiological analyses performed on flours from ancient grains at different degrees of sifting show their safety, according to their microbiological parameters, which fall within the legal microbiological requirements established by the European Commission Regulation (EC).

Starch granules and their size distribution in wheat: Biosynthesis, physicochemical properties and their effect on flour-based food systems

Starch is a vital component of wheat grain and flour, characterized by two distinct granule types: A-type starch (AS) with granules larger than 10 µm in diameter, and B-type starch (BS) with granules measuring no more than 10 µm in diameter. This review comprehensively evaluates the isolation, purification, and biosynthesis processes of these types of granules. In addition, a comparative analysis of the structure and properties of AS and BS is presented, encompassing chemical composition, molecular, crystalline and morphological structures, gelatinization, pasting and digestive properties. The variation in size distribution of granules leads to differences in physicochemical properties of starch, influencing the formation of polymeric proteins, secondary and micro-structures of gluten, chemical and physical interactions between gluten and starch, and water absorption and water status in dough system. Thus, starch size distribution affects the quality of dough and final products. In this review, we summarize the up-to-date knowledge of AS and BS, and propose the possible strategies to enhance wheat yield and quality through coordinated breeding efforts. This review serves as a valuable reference for future advancements in wheat breeding.

Functional and Bioactive Properties of Wheat Protein Fractions: Impact of Digestive Enzymes on Antioxidant, α-Amylase, and Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibition Potential

This research aimed to determine the biofunctional properties of wheat flour (WF) protein fractions and modifications to the antioxidant, anti-α-amylase and anti-angiotensin-I converting enzyme (ACE) activities induced by the action of digestive endopeptidases in vitro. A molecular characterization of the most abundant protein fractions, i.e., albumins, glutelins-1, glutelins-2 and prolamins, showed that low- and high-MW polypeptides rich in cysteine, glutamic acid and leucine were present in albumins and glutelins, whereas low-MW subunits with a high proportion of polar amino acids prevailed in prolamins. Prolamins exhibited the second-highest water holding capacity (54%) after WF (84%), while albumins provided superior foam stability (76%). Prolamins, glutenins-1 and globulins demonstrated the highest antioxidant activity (up to 95%, 68% and 59%, respectively) both before and after hydrolysis with pepsin (P-H) or trypsin-chymotrypsin (TC-H). Prolamins, globulins and WF strongly inhibited α-amylase (>90%) before and after TC-H, and before P-H (55-71%). Moreover, P-H significantly increased α-amylase inhibition by albumins from 53 to 74%. The fractions with strong ACE inhibitory activity (70-89%) included prolamins and globulins after TC-H or P-H, as well as globulins before TC-H and WF before P-H. This novel evidence indicates that WF protein fractions and their peptide-enriched P and TC hydrolysates are excellent sources of multifunctional bioactives with antioxidant, antihyperglycemic and antihypertensive potential.

Population Structure of Modern Winter Wheat Accessions from Central Asia

Despite the importance of winter wheat in Central Asian countries, there are limited reports describing their diversity within this region. In this study, the population structures of 115 modern winter wheat cultivars from four Central Asian countries were compared to germplasms from six other geographic origins using 10,746 polymorphic single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers. After applying the STRUCTURE package, we found that in terms of the most optimal K steps, samples from Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan were grouped together with samples from Russia, while samples from Tajikistan and Uzbekistan were grouped with samples from Afghanistan. The mean value of Nei's genetic diversity index for the germplasm from four groups from Central Asia was 0.261, which is comparable to that of the six other groups studied: Europe, Australia, the USA, Afghanistan, Turkey, and Russia. The Principal Coordinate Analysis (PCoA) showed that samples from Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan were close to samples from Turkey, while Kazakh accessions were located near samples from Russia. The evaluation of 10,746 SNPs in Central Asian wheat suggested that 1006 markers had opposing allele frequencies. Further assessment of the physical positions of these 1006 SNPs in the Wheat Ensembl database indicated that most of these markers are constituents of genes associated with plant stress tolerance and adaptability. Therefore, the SNP markers identified can be effectively used in regional winter wheat breeding projects for facilitating plant adaptation and stress resistance.

Physicochemical Characteristics and Microstructure of Ancient and Common Wheat Grains Cultivated in Romania

Different wheat species, common wheat (Triticum aestivum subsp. aestivum), spelt (Triticum aestivum subsp. spelta) and einkorn (Triticum monococcum subsp. monococcum), were analyzed for physicochemical (moisture, ash, protein, wet gluten, lipid, starch, carbohydrates, test weight and thousand-kernel mass) and mineral elements (Ca, Mg, K, Na, Zn, Fe, Mn and Cu) concentrations in grains. Additionally, wheat grain microstructure was determined using a scanning electron microscope. SEM micrographs of wheat grains show that einkorn has smaller type A starch granule diameters and more compact protein bonds compared to common wheat and spelt grains, making it easier to digest. The ancient wheat grains presented higher values for ash, protein, wet gluten and lipid content compared to the common wheat grains, whereas the carbohydrates and starch content were significantly (p < 0.05) lower. The mean values showed that spelt (Triticum aestivum subsp. spelta) grains presented the highest values for Ca, Mg and K, while einkorn (Triticum monococcum subsp. monococcum) grains had the highest values for the microelements Zn, Mn and Cu. The highest values of Fe were recorded for common wheat varieties whereas no significant differences among the species were obtained for Na content. The principal component analysis (p > 0.05) between wheat flours characteristics showed a close association between wheat grain species and between the chemical characteristics of gluten and protein content (r = 0.994), lipid and ash content (r = 0.952) and starch and carbohydrate content (r = 0.927), for which high positive significant correlations (p < 0.05) were obtained. Taking into account that Romania is the fourth largest wheat producer at the European level, this study is of great global importance. According to the results obtained, the ancient species have higher nutritional value from the point of view of chemical compounds and macro elements of minerals. This may be of great importance for consumers who demand bakery products with high nutritional quality.

Epigenetic Landscape Is Largely Shaped by Diversiform Transposons in Aegilops tauschii

Transposons (TEs) account for more than 80% of the wheat genome, the highest among all known crop species. They play an important role in shaping the elaborate genomic landscape, which is the key to the speciation of wheat. In this study, we analyzed the association between TEs, chromatin states, and chromatin accessibility in Aegilops tauschii, the D genome donor of bread wheat. We found that TEs contributed to the complex but orderly epigenetic landscape as chromatin states showed diverse distributions on TEs of different orders or superfamilies. TEs also contributed to the chromatin state and openness of potential regulatory elements, affecting the expression of TE-related genes. Some TE superfamilies, such as hAT-Ac, carry active/open chromatin regions. In addition, the histone mark H3K9ac was found to be associated with the accessibility shaped by TEs. These results suggest the role of diversiform TEs in shaping the epigenetic landscape and in gene expression regulation in Aegilops tauschii. This has positive implications for understanding the transposon roles in Aegilops tauschii or the wheat D genome.

Historical Selection, Adaptation Signatures, and Ambiguity of Introgressions in Wheat

Wheat was one of the crops domesticated in the Fertile Crescent region approximately 10,000 years ago. Despite undergoing recent polyploidization, hull-to-free-thresh transition events, and domestication bottlenecks, wheat is now grown in over 130 countries and accounts for a quarter of the world's cereal production. The main reason for its widespread success is its broad genetic diversity that allows it to thrive in different environments. To trace historical selection and hybridization signatures, genome scans were performed on two datasets: approximately 113K SNPs from 921 predominantly bread wheat accessions and approximately 110K SNPs from about 400 wheat accessions representing all ploidy levels. To identify environmental factors associated with the loci, a genome-environment association (GEA) was also performed. The genome scans on both datasets identified a highly differentiated region on chromosome 4A where accessions in the first dataset were dichotomized into a group (n = 691), comprising nearly all cultivars, wild emmer, and most landraces, and a second group (n = 230), dominated by landraces and spelt accessions. The grouping of cultivars is likely linked to their potential ancestor, bread wheat cv. Norin-10. The 4A region harbored important genes involved in adaptations to environmental conditions. The GEA detected loci associated with latitude and temperature. The genetic signatures detected in this study provide insight into the historical selection and hybridization events in the wheat genome that shaped its current genetic structure and facilitated its success in a wide spectrum of environmental conditions. The genome scans and GEA approaches applied in this study can help in screening the germplasm housed in gene banks for breeding, and for conservation purposes.

Single and Interactive Effects of Unmalted Cereals, Hops, and Yeasts on Quality of White-Inspired Craft Beers

White beers owe their name to their straw yellow colour deriving from the use of unmalted wheat, which also supplies a relatively high protein content causing haze formation. This study aimed to develop white-inspired craft beers made with combinations of three mixtures of barley malt/unmalted wheat (alternatively durum-var. Dauno III, soft-var. Risciola, or emmer-var. Padre Pio), two hop varieties (Cascade or Columbus), and two Saccharomyces cerevisiae strains (Belgian yeast and a high-ester producing yeast); and assess the single and interactive effects of these ingredients on physical, chemical, and sensory characteristics of the beers. According to the graphical representation of the results for the Principal Component Analysis, most of the samples appear overlapped since they had similar characteristics, but it was possible to highlight two clusters of beers different from the others: those produced with (a) Risciola wheat and Columbus hop and (b) Dauno III wheat, Cascade hop, and the Belgian yeast. The beers of these clusters obtained the highest scores for their overall quality that, in turn, was positively correlated with concentrations of citric acid, 4-hydroxybenzoic acid, syringic acid, and epicatechin; alcohol %, colour, amount and persistence of foam, intensity of fruity flavour, and body.

Wheat quality: A review on chemical composition, nutritional attributes, grain anatomy, types, classification, and function of seed storage proteins in bread making quality

Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) belonging to one of the most diverse and substantial families, Poaceae, is the principal cereal crop for the majority of the world's population. This cereal is polyploidy in nature and domestically grown worldwide. Wheat is the source of approximately half of the food calories consumed worldwide and is rich in proteins (gluten), minerals (Cu, Mg, Zn, P, and Fe), vitamins (B-group and E), riboflavin, niacin, thiamine, and dietary fiber. Wheat seed-storage proteins represent an important source of food and energy and play a major role in the determination of bread-making quality. The two groups of wheat grain proteins, i.e., gliadins and glutenins, have been widely studied using SDS-PAGE and other techniques. Sustainable production with little input of chemicals along with high nutritional quality for its precise ultimate uses in the human diet are major focus areas for wheat improvement. An expansion in the hereditary base of wheat varieties must be considered in the wheat breeding program. It may be accomplished in several ways, such as the use of plant genetic resources, comprising wild relatives and landraces, germplasm-assisted breeding through advanced genomic tools, and the application of modern methods, such as genome editing. In this review, we critically focus on phytochemical composition, reproduction growth, types, quality, seed storage protein, and recent challenges in wheat breeding and discuss possible ways forward to combat those issues.

The TriMet_DB: A Manually Curated Database of the Metabolic Proteins of Triticum aestivum

Mass-spectrometry-based wheat proteomics is challenging because the current interpretation of mass spectrometry data relies on public databases that are not exhaustive (UniProtKB/Swiss-Prot) or contain many redundant and poor or un-annotated entries (UniProtKB/TrEMBL). Here, we report the development of a manually curated database of the metabolic proteins of Triticum aestivum (hexaploid wheat), named TriMet_DB (Triticum aestivum Metabolic Proteins DataBase). The manually curated TriMet_DB was generated in FASTA format so that it can be read directly by programs used to interpret the mass spectrometry data. Furthermore, the complete list of entries included in the TriMet_DB is reported in a freely available resource, which includes for each protein the description, the gene code, the protein family, and the allergen name (if any). To evaluate its performance, the TriMet_DB was used to interpret the MS data acquired on the metabolic protein fraction extracted from the cultivar MEC of Triticum aestivum. Data are available via ProteomeXchange with identifier PXD037709.

Elucidating the Genetic Relationships on the Original Old Sicilian Triticum Spp. Collection by SNP Genotyping

Several Triticum species spread in cultivation in Sicily and neighboring regions over the centuries, which led to the establishment of a large genetic diversity. Many ancient varieties were widely cultivated until the beginning of the last century before being replaced by modern varieties. Recently, they have been reintroduced in cultivation in Sicily. Here, the genetic diversity of 115 and 11 accessions from Sicily and Calabria, respectively, belonging to Triticum species was evaluated using a high-density SNP array. Einkorn, emmer, and spelta wheat genotypes were used as outgroups for species and subspecies; five modern varieties of durum and bread wheat were used as references. A principal coordinates analysis (PCoA) and an unweighted pair group method with arithmetic mean (UPGMA) showed four distinct groups among Triticum species and T. turgidum subspecies. The population structure analysis distinguished five gene pools, among which three appeared private to the T. aestivum, T. turgidum subsp. Turgidum, and 'Timilia' group. The principal component analysis (PCA) displayed a bio-morphological trait relationship of a subset (110) of ancient wheat varieties and their wide variability within the T. turgidum subsp. durum subgroups. A discriminant analysis of principal components (DAPC) and phylogenetic analyses applied to the four durum wheat subgroups revealed that the improved varieties harbored a different gene pool compared to the most ancient varieties. The 'Russello' and 'Russello Ibleo' groups were distinguished; both displayed higher genetic variability compared to the 'Timilia' group accessions. This research represents a comprehensive approach to fingerprinting the old wheat Sicilian germplasm, which is useful in avoiding commercial fraud and sustaining the cultivation of landraces and ancient varieties.

Polyploidy before and after domestication of crop species

Recent advances in the genomics of polyploid species answer some of the long-standing questions about the role of polyploidy in crop species. Here, we summarize the current literature to reexamine scenarios in which polyploidy played a role both before and after domestication. The prevalence of polyploidy can help to explain environmental robustness in agroecosystems. This review also clarifies the molecular basis of some agriculturally advantageous traits of polyploid crops, including yield increments in polyploid cotton via subfunctionalization, modification of a separated sexuality to selfing in polyploid persimmon via neofunctionalization, and transition to a selfing system via nonfunctionalization combined with epistatic interaction between duplicated S-loci. The rapid progress in genomics and genetics is discussed along with how this will facilitate functional studies of understudied polyploid crop species.

A Comparative Assessment of Agronomic and Baking Qualities of Modern/Old Varieties and Landraces of Wheat Grown in Calabria (Italy)

The cultivation of wheat has been part of the evolution of human civilisation since ancient times. Wheat breeding has modified some of its characteristics to obtain improved varieties with high production potential that better meet the demands of the bread and pasta industry. Even today, there are still old varieties, landraces, adapted to particular environments. They are still cultivated in some areas because of the interest shown by the market in typical bakery products expressing the cultural heritage of local communities. The aim of this work was to evaluate the bio-agronomic and bakery characteristics of four modern genotypes, one old cultivar and two landraces of wheat typically grown in Calabria (Southern Italy). The experiment was carried out over two years in two different locations, during which the main bio-agronomic and quality traits related to bread making aptitude were detected. A marked difference was found between the landraces and the other genotypes in both agronomic and technological characteristics. Despite the higher protein and gluten content, landraces were found to have a significantly lower gluten index.

Baseline Sensitivity and Potential Resistance Mechanisms for Fusarium pseudograminearum to Fludioxonil

Fusarium crown rot (FCR), which is caused by Fusarium pseudograminearum, is one of the most important diseases affecting wheat production in the Huanghuai wheat-growing region of China. Although the phenylpyrrole fungicide fludioxonil is known to have a broad-spectrum activity against a wide range of plant pathogens, including F. pseudograminearum, it has not yet been registered for the control of FCR in China, and further research is needed to assess the biological characteristics and molecular mechanisms associated with fludioxonil resistance, and especially the potential for highly resistant isolates to emerge. The current study demonstrated that the baseline fludioxonil sensitivity of 61 F. pseudograminearum isolates collected from the Henan province of China during the summers of 2019 to 2021 conformed to a unimodal distribution with a mean effective concentration for 50% inhibition (EC₅₀) value of 0.021 ± 0.003 μg/ml, which indicated that none of the isolates exhibited natural resistance to fludioxonil. Nevertheless, four fludioxonil-resistant mutants were attained after repeated exposure to fludioxonil under laboratory conditions. All resistant mutants exhibited significantly lower growth rates on potato dextrose agar (PDA) and lower levels of sporulation and pathogenicity in wheat seedlings. In addition, the resistant mutants also exhibited less growth on PDA amended with either 0.5 M mannitol, 0.5 M glucose, 0.5 M MgCl₂, or 0.5 M NaCl, which indicated that they had greater sensitivity to osmotic stress. Molecular analysis of the proposed fludioxonil target protein FpOs1 indicated that the predicted sequences of the resistant mutants contained none of the characteristic amino acid changes previously associated with fludioxonil resistance in other species. Further investigation via quantitative real-time PCR analysis revealed that expression of the FpOs1 gene was significantly altered in the resistant mutants in both the absence and presence of fludioxonil. Meanwhile, plate assays found evidence of cross-resistance between fludioxonil and cyprodinil, as well as with the triazole fungicides tebuconazole and difenoconazole, but not with other commonly used fungicides including prochloraz, fluazinam, and carbendazim. Taken together, these results provide new insights into the mechanism and biological characteristics associated with fludioxonil resistance in F. pseudograminearum and indicate that fludioxonil could provide effective and sustained control of FCR during wheat production.

Characterization of the Protein and Carbohydrate Related Quality Traits of a Large Set of Spelt Wheat Genotypes

Spelt wheat (Triticum aestivum subsp. spelta L.) is an underexploited hexaploid wheat species that has become an increasingly fashionable raw material of bakery products in the last decades, partly because of its ability to grow under organic agricultural conditions and partly because of the growing number of people following the trend of having a healthy diet. However, due to its difficult threshing, most research on spelt seed is based on a very limited number of genotypes. Therefore, we determined the physical, compositional, and breadmaking quality traits of 90 spelt genotypes in order to highlight the variation of these properties and to identify possible genetic resources for spelt improvement. The thousand kernel weight of the spelt genotypes ranged between 23.2 and 49.7 g, the protein content between 12.1% and 22.2%, the gluten index between 0.7 and 98.8, the dough stability between 0.0 and 19.6 min, and the starch damage between 6.3 and 19.4 UCD value. The average values showed that spelt has higher protein and gluten contents but weaker dough strength and stability than common bread wheat. The starch pasting temperature was also higher in spelt, but the starch damage was lower, resulting in lower water absorption. Some genebank accessions (MVGB142, 145, 353, and 525) and internationally available cultivars (Bohemia, Bodensonne, Black-Bearded, and White-Beardless) were identified as good genetic resources for improving the breadmaking-quality traits of spelt.

Multiple Approaches to Improve the Quality of Cereal-Based Foods

The interest in improving the health benefits of cereal foods is continuously increasing [...]

Combining QTL mapping and gene co-expression network analysis for prediction of candidate genes and molecular network related to yield in wheat

BACKGROUND

Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) is an important cereal crop. Increasing grain yield for wheat is always a priority. Due to the complex genome of hexaploid wheat with 21 chromosomes, it is difficult to identify underlying genes by traditional genetic approach. The combination of genetics and omics analysis has displayed the powerful capability to identify candidate genes for major quantitative trait loci (QTLs), but such studies have rarely been carried out in wheat. In this study, candidate genes related to yield were predicted by a combined use of linkage mapping and weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) in a recombinant inbred line population.

RESULTS

QTL mapping was performed for plant height (PH), spike length (SL) and seed traits. A total of 68 QTLs were identified for them, among which, 12 QTLs were stably identified across different environments. Using RNA sequencing, we scanned the 99,168 genes expression patterns of the whole spike for the recombinant inbred line population. By the combined use of QTL mapping and WGCNA, 29, 47, 20, 26, 54, 46 and 22 candidate genes were predicted for PH, SL, kernel length (KL), kernel width, thousand kernel weight, seed dormancy, and seed vigor, respectively. Candidate genes for different traits had distinct preferences. The known PH regulation genes Rht-B and Rht-D, and the known seed dormancy regulation genes TaMFT can be selected as candidate gene. Moreover, further experiment revealed that there was a SL regulatory QTL located in an interval of about 7 Mbp on chromosome 7A, named TaSL1, which also involved in the regulation of KL.

CONCLUSIONS

A combination of QTL mapping and WGCNA was applied to predicted wheat candidate genes for PH, SL and seed traits. This strategy will facilitate the identification of candidate genes for related QTLs in wheat. In addition, the QTL TaSL1 that had multi-effect regulation of KL and SL was identified, which can be used for wheat improvement. These results provided valuable molecular marker and gene information for fine mapping and cloning of the yield-related trait loci in the future.

Detection of the Spatio-Temporal Differentiation Patterns and Influencing Factors of Wheat Production in Huang-Huai-Hai Region

The stability of wheat production is closely related to national food security and agricultural sustainable development, and it has been a major policy concern for China. By analyzing the spatiotemporal factors and causes of wheat production, we can grasp the spatiotemporal distribution law of wheat production to rationally allocate agricultural resources. To this end, this study first conducted a quantitative analysis of the yield differentiation patterns in Huang-Huai-Hai (HHH) wheat based on the 2010–2020 wheat agricultural data, comprehensively using the Theil index and exploratory spatial data analysis. Second, to eliminate the spatial heterogeneity and multicollinearity of the modeling variables, a local model of SCA-GWR combining Spearman correlation analysis (SCA) and geographically weighted regression (GWR) was established. Compared with the traditional global regression model, the superiority and applicability of the SCA-GWR model are proved, and it is a simple and effective new method to detect spatial data nonstationarity. Finally, the factors influencing wheat production in the HHH region were detected based on the SCA-GWR local model, and relevant policy recommendations were put forward. The results show that: (1) The yield difference in different farming areas gradually narrowed, and the wheat production had a significant High-High aggregation trend. The center of gravity for wheat production lies in the southwest of the HHH region. (2) Wheat production still has a strong dependence on irrigation and fertilizer. Effective irrigated areas and temperature are the main driving forces for its production. The inhibitory effect of the proportion of nonagricultural employment on wheat production gradually weakened. Radiation and rainfall were only significantly positively correlated with wheat production in the central and southern HHH region. In response to the findings of the study, corresponding policy recommendations are made in terms of optimizing the allocation of resources, increasing investment in agricultural infrastructure, and vigorously researching and developing agricultural science and technology, and the results of the study can provide a basis for decision-making and management by relevant departments.

Wheat Amylase Trypsin Inhibitors Aggravate Intestinal Inflammation Associated with Celiac Disease Mediated by Gliadin in BALB/c Mice

Celiac disease (CD) is an autoimmune intestinal disorder caused by the ingestion of gluten in people who carry the susceptible gene. In current celiac disease research, wheat gluten is often the main target of attention, neglecting the role played by non-gluten proteins. This study aimed to describe the effects of wheat amylase trypsin inhibitors (ATI, non-gluten proteins) and gliadin in BALB/c mice while exploring the further role of relevant adjuvants (cholera toxin, polyinosinic: polycytidylic acid and dextran sulfate sodium) intervention. An ex vivo splenocyte and intestinal tissue were collected for analysis of the inflammatory profile. The consumption of gliadin and ATI caused intestinal inflammation in mice. Moreover, the histopathology staining of four intestinal sections (duodenum, jejunum, terminal ileum, and middle colon) indicated that adjuvants, especially polyinosinic: polycytidylic acid, enhanced the villi damage and crypt hyperplasia in co-stimulation with ATI and gliadin murine model. Immunohistochemical results showed that tissue transglutaminase and IL-15 expression were significantly increased in the jejunal tissue of mice treated with ATI and gliadin. Similarly, the expression of inflammatory factors (TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-4, IL-13) and Th1/Th2 balance also showed that the inflammation response was significantly increased after co-stimulation with ATI and gliadin. This study provided new evidence for the role of wheat amylase trypsin inhibitors in the pathogenesis of celiac disease.

Buckwheat and Amaranth as Raw Materials for Brewing, a Review

Globally, beer is considered the most-consumed low-alcohol beverage, it ranks third, after water and tea, in the top sales of these drinks. New types of beer are the result of the influence of several factors, including innovations in science and technology, changing requirements for food consumption of the population, competition between producers, promotion of food for health, flavor, and quality, the limited nature of traditional food resource raw materials, and the interest of producers in reducing production costs. Manufacturers are looking for new solutions for obtaining products that meet the requirements of consumers, authentic products of superior quality, with distinctive taste and aroma. This review proposes the use of two pseudocereals as raw materials in the manufacture of beer: buckwheat and amaranth, focusing on the characteristics that recommend them in this regard. Due to their functional and nutraceutical properties, these pseudocereals can improve the quality of beer-a finished product. Additionally, all types of beer obtained from these pseudocereals are recommended for diets with particular nutritional requirements, especially gluten-free diets. Researchers and producers will continue to improve and optimize the sensory and technological properties of the new types of beer obtained from these pseudocereals.

Improvement and Re-Evolution of Tetraploid Wheat for Global Environmental Challenge and Diversity Consumption Demand

Allotetraploid durum wheat is the second most widely cultivated wheat, following hexaploid bread wheat, and is one of the major protein and calorie sources of the human diet. However, durum wheat is encountered with a severe grain yield bottleneck due to the erosion of genetic diversity stemming from long-term domestication and especially modern breeding programs. The improvement of yield and grain quality of durum wheat is crucial when confronted with the increasing global population, changing climate environments, and the non-ignorable increasing incidence of wheat-related disorders. This review summarized the domestication and evolution process and discussed the durum wheat re-evolution attempts performed by global researchers using diploid einkorn, tetraploid emmer wheat, hexaploid wheat (particularly the D-subgenome), etc. In addition, the re-evolution of durum wheat would be promoted by the genetic enrichment process, which could diversify allelic combinations through enhancing chromosome recombination (pentaploid hybridization or pairing of homologous chromosomes gene Ph mutant line induced homoeologous recombination) and environmental adaptability via alien introgressive genes (wide cross or distant hybridization followed by embryo rescue), and modifying target genes or traits by molecular approaches, such as CRISPR/Cas9 or RNA interference (RNAi). A brief discussion of the future perspectives for exploring germplasm for the modern improvement and re-evolution of durum wheat is included.

Insights on life cycle and cell identity regulatory circuits for unlocking genetic improvement in Zygosaccharomyces and Kluyveromyces yeasts

Evolution has provided a vast diversity of yeasts that play fundamental roles in nature and society. This diversity is not limited to genotypically homogeneous species with natural interspecies hybrids and allodiploids that blur species boundaries frequently isolated. Thus, life cycle and the nature of breeding systems have profound effects on genome variation, shaping heterozygosity, genotype diversity and ploidy level. The apparent enrichment of hybrids in industry-related environments suggests that hybridization provides an adaptive route against stressors and creates interest in developing new hybrids for biotechnological uses. For example, in the Saccharomyces genus where regulatory circuits controlling cell identity, mating competence and meiosis commitment have been extensively studied, this body of knowledge is being used to combine interesting traits into synthetic F1 hybrids, to bypass F1 hybrid sterility and to dissect complex phenotypes by bulk segregant analysis. Although these aspects are less known in other industrially promising yeasts, advances in whole-genome sequencing and analysis are changing this and new insights are being gained, especially in the food-associated genera Zygosaccharomyces and Kluyveromyces. We discuss this new knowledge and highlight how deciphering cell identity circuits in these lineages will contribute significantly to identify the genetic determinants underpinning complex phenotypes and open new avenues for breeding programmes.