Journal of Integrative Agriculture (May 2019)

Characterization of TaCOMT genes associated with stem lignin content in common wheat and development of a gene-specific marker

  • Lu-ping FU,
  • Yong-gui XIAO,
  • Jun YAN,
  • Jin-dong LIU,
  • Wei-e WEN,
  • Yong ZHANG,
  • Xian-chun XIA,
  • Zhong-hu HE

Journal volume & issue
Vol. 18, no. 5
pp. 939 – 947

Abstract

Read online

Stem lignin content (SLC) in common wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) contributes to lodging resistance. Caffeic acid 3-O-methyltransferase (COMT) is a key enzyme involved in lignin biosynthesis. Characterization of TaCOMT genes and development of gene-specific markers could enable marker-assisted selection in wheat breeding. In the present study, the full-length genomic DNA (gDNA) sequences of TaCOMT genes located on chromosomes 3A, 3B, and 3D were cloned by homologous cloning. Two allelic variants, TaCOMT-3Ba and TaCOMT-3Bb, were identified and differed by a 222-bp insertion/deletion (InDel) in the 3′-untranslated region (3′-UTR). A co-dominant gene-specific marker based on this InDel was developed and designated as TaCOMT-3BM. A total of 157 wheat cultivars and advanced lines grown in four environments were used to validate the associations between allelic patterns and SLC. The SLC of cultivars with TaCOMT-3Ba was significantly (P<0.01) higher than that of those with TaCOMT-3Bb, and the marker TaCOMT-3BM could be effectively used in wheat breeding.

Keywords