ARS | Publication request: Transcriptome Analysis of a Breeding Program Pedigree Reveals Target Genes for the Improvement of Malting Quality

Submitted to: Plant and Animal Genome Conference
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: December 6, 2009
Publication Date: January 9, 2010
Citation: Munoz-Amatriain, M., Xiong, Y., Bilgic, H., Budde, A.D., Schmitt, M., Smith, K.P., Muehlbauer, G.J. Transcriptome Analysis of a Breeding Program Pedigree Reveals Target Genes for the Improvement of Malting Quality[abstract]. Plant and Animal Genome Conference, January 9-13, 2010, San Diego, California. Poster 324.

Technical Abstract: The University of Minnesota barley-breeding program is a good example of advanced cycle breeding that has achieved genetic gains for agronomic and malting quality traits but with a proven reduction in genetic diversity. However, there are no studies examining the effect of advanced cycle breeding on gene expression diversity. We analyzed the transcriptome of fifteen genotypes representing a historically important pedigree of the University of Minnesota breeding program using the Barley1 GeneChip array. Our results show an overall reduction in the number of differentially expressed genes over time. However, there are still many genes whose expression has not been fixed yet, therefore representing potential targets for crop improvement. Since improvement of the complex phenotype “malting quality” is one of the main goals of barley breeding, we focused on the identification of candidate genes for enhancing a set of traits that define malting quality. A total of 49 genes have been found to be still differentially expressed between the most recent genotypes and correlated with one or more of the parameters defining malting quality. These genes represent targets for the improvement of malt quality within the University of Minnesota breeding program.