Packing batteries with more punch
Indian researchers are working on cells that can store more energy, last longer
Scientists have identified regions in the wheat genome responsible for concentration of zinc in wheat grain. They have also identified candidate genes involved in zinc concentration in wheat. The findings can potentially help in developing wheat varieties with enhanced levels of the micronutrient, scientists said.
Researchers have found 39 new molecular markers and two genome segments that carry important genes for zinc uptake, translocation, and storage by analyzing zinc concentrations. A total of 330 wheat lines were analysed from different environments in India and Mexico. The genome-wide association approach, used in human disease research, was applied in this study to locate genome segments linked to zinc uptake.
“We found few key hotspot genomic regions for grain zinc concentration in wheat. The results will be validated in breeding lines and mapping populations. We hope to consequently use it to develop new wheat varieties to improve food and nutritional security in India and globally,” said Dr. Govindan Velu, wheat breeder at International Maize and Wheat Improvement Centre (CIMMYT) which led the study.
This study was jointly conducted by researchers from CIMMYT, Flinders University, Australia; Punjab Agriculture University, Ludhiana; Indian Institute of Wheat and Barley Research, Karnal; and Banaras Hindu University (BHU), Varanasi.
Dr. Vinod Kumar Mishra, a researcher from BHU explained that “there are varieties of wheat with different grain zinc concentration but we wanted to find out genes responsible for higher zinc level in wheat. When we studied 330 wheat germplasm under similar environmental conditions and agriculture practices, we found zinc concentration to be different across them. This helped in identifying genes responsible for this variation.”
In this study higher number of genetic markers was used than earlier studies. Markers play an important role in identifying genes responsible for traits of an organism or plants, Dr Mishra told India Science Wire.
About 30 per cent of Indian population is estimated to have zinc deficiency. Children below 5 year of age and pregnant women are more vulnerable for nutrient deficiency. “It is becoming increasingly possible to improve nutritional values of major staples like wheat by combined use of traditional breeding and cutting edge genomic approaches. The hotspot genomic regions and the molecular markers identified by the study would, for instance, facilitate precise selection of promising progeny lines through marker assisted breeding”, added Dr Velu.
The study results have been published in journal Scientific Reports. Apart from Dr. Velu and Dr Mishra, the research team included Ravi Prakash Singh, Leonardo Crespo-Herrera, Philomin Juliana and Susanne Dreisigacker (CIMMYT, Mexico); Ravi Valluru (Cornell University); James Stangoulis (Flinders University); Virinder Singh Sohu and Gurvinder Singh Mavi (PAU); Arun Balasubramaniam (BHU); Ravish Chatrath and Vikas Gupta, Gyanendra Pratap Singh (IIWBR); and Arun Kumar Joshi (CIMMYT, Global Wheat Program, New Delhi).
(India Science Wire)
Twitter handle:@usm_1984
Indian researchers are working on cells that can store more energy, last longer
To fix a broken bone, doctors often harvest another bone from the patient’s body or from someone else. It ...
Superconductors from IIScScientists at IISc Bangalore have invented a device with a nanocrystal structure ...
Engineering and construction giant L&T has won a licence from the Council of Scientific & Industrial ...
Will a stock continue its current trend or will it reverse? We tell you how you can read chart patterns to ...
Sensex and Nifty 50 saw selling interest on Friday and slumped; selling pressure could continue
Investors with a long-term horizon can consider this offer
Most AMCs have been sending out cryptic e-mails. We tell you how to read between the lines
In these isolated times when people yearn for a slice of the familiar, amateur and professional chefs are ...
Forget the tuna. The island nation will keep you full and happy with coconut, koftas and jasmine
This year, on Facebook, I saw that someone had posted a list of EASY RESOLUTIONS. I didn’t copy them down but ...
With strokes of quirky humour, Partha Pratim Deb uses pulp, terracotta, glass and discarded cloth to create ...
Digital is becoming dominant media, but are companies and their ad agencies transforming fast enough to make a ...
Slow Network, promoted by journalist-lyricist Neelesh Misra, pushes rural products and experiences
How marketers can use the traditional exchange of festive wishes meaningfully
For Fortune, a brand celebrating its 20th anniversary, it was a rude shock to become the butt of social media ...
Three years after its inception, compliance with GST procedures remains a headache for exporters, job workers ...
Corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives of companies are altering the prospects for wooden toys of ...
Aequs Aerospace to create space for large-scale manufacture of toys at Koppal
And it has every reason to smile. Covid-19 has triggered a consumer shift towards branded products as ...
Please Email the Editor