Advances in mutant characterization for detecting causal mutations in crop plants
Poonam G Bhad1,2, Shreekant Baradkar3,4, Suvendu Mondal3,4
1Nuclear Agriculture and Biotechnology Division, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Trombay, Mumbai, India. poonam@barc.gov.in.
Summary
Induced mutagenesis generates valuable crop variants, but identifying genetic causes is key. This review details DNA mapping, RNA profiling, and gene editing tools for efficient crop improvement.
Area of Science:
- Plant genetics and breeding
- Genomic technologies
- Molecular biology
Background:
- Induced mutagenesis is crucial for developing crop varieties with enhanced yield, climate resilience, and nutritional value.
- Effective utilization of induced mutants in breeding programs necessitates precise identification of genetic alterations responsible for desired traits.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review and synthesize recent advances in phenotypic, genomic, and transcriptomic techniques for mutant characterization.
- To highlight the application of these techniques in facilitating crop improvement through efficient mutant utilization.
Main Methods:
- Structural DNA mapping: Whole-genome resequencing (WGS) frameworks (MutMap, QTL-seq) and reduced-representation sequencing (RRS) approaches (GBS, RAD-seq).
- RNA transcriptomic profiling: Analyzing gene expression and alternative splicing in mutants.
- Multi-omics tools: Integrating genomics and transcriptomics (e.g., eQTL mapping).
- Candidate gene validation: Target exome capture, KASP markers, transient gene silencing, TILLING, and gene editing (TALENs, CRISPR/Cas9, base editing).
Main Results:
- WGS and RRS methods enable high-density genotyping for identifying single-nucleotide polymorphisms and genetic lesions.
- Transcriptomic profiling reveals gene network modifications and alternative splicing events in mutants.
- Multi-omics approaches aid in filtering candidate genes, and various validation techniques confirm their functional roles.
Conclusions:
- Accurate identification of genetic lesions in induced mutants is essential for successful crop improvement.
- A combination of advanced genomic, transcriptomic, and gene editing tools accelerates mutant characterization and breeding.
- These integrated approaches are vital for harnessing the potential of induced mutagenesis in developing superior crop varieties.
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