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Homoeologous recombination, chromosome engineering and crop improvement

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Abstract

Sears (1956) pioneered plant chromosome engineering 50 years ago by directed transfer of a leaf rust resistance gene from an alien chromosome to a wheat chromosome using X-ray irradiation and an elegant cytogenetic scheme. Since then many other protocols have been reported, but the one dealing with induced homoeologous pairing and recombination is the most powerful, and has been extensively used in wheat. Here, we briefly review the current status of homoeologous recombination-based chromosome engineering research in plants with a focus on wheat, and demonstrate that integrated use of cytogenetic stocks and molecular resources can enhance the efficiency and precision of homoeologus-based chromosome engineering. We report the results of an experiment on homoeologous recombination-based transfer of virus resistance from an alien chromosome to a wheat chromosome, its characterization, and the prospects for further engineering by a second round of recombination. A proposal is presented for genome-wide, homoeologous recombination-based engineering for efficient mining of gene pools of wild relatives for crop improvement.

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Author notes

  1. Peng Zhang

    Present address: Plant Breeding Institute, University of Sydney, 107 Cobbitty Road, Camden, NSW 2570, Australia

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Wheat Genetic and Genomic Resources Center, Department of Plant Pathology, Throckmorton Plant Sciences Center, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS, 66506-5502, USA

    Lili Qi, Bernd Friebe & Bikram S. Gill

Authors
  1. Lili Qi
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  2. Bernd Friebe
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  3. Peng Zhang
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  4. Bikram S. Gill
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Correspondence to Bikram S. Gill.

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Contribution number 07-65-J of the Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS 66506–5502, USA.

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Qi, L., Friebe, B., Zhang, P. et al. Homoeologous recombination, chromosome engineering and crop improvement. Chromosome Res 15, 3–19 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10577-006-1108-8

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