Theoretical and Applied Genetics
@theorapplgenet.bsky.social
Theoretical & Applied Genetics communicates key
discoveries and news in plant genetics, genomics and plant breeding
https://link.springer.com/journal/122
discoveries and news in plant genetics, genomics and plant breeding
https://link.springer.com/journal/122
Understanding the genetic architecture of complex traits is essential for designing the ideal crop. This study applies multiple genome-wide approaches to dissect flowering, maturity, pigment content, lodging, and yield in middle American common beans.
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Genetic architecture of ideotype-related traits in middle American beans through single trait, multi-trait and epistatic genome-wide analyses
rdcu.be
December 12, 2025 at 7:01 AM
Understanding the genetic architecture of complex traits is essential for designing the ideal crop. This study applies multiple genome-wide approaches to dissect flowering, maturity, pigment content, lodging, and yield in middle American common beans.
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Slowing grape ripening could help the wine industry adapt to warmer climates - but how can this be achieved genetically? This study uncovers natural variation from a wild relative that significantly reduces ripening speed in grapevine.
Full article: rdcu.be/eOv2g
Full article: rdcu.be/eOv2g
Grape ripening speed slowed down using natural variation
rdcu.be
December 12, 2025 at 1:00 AM
Slowing grape ripening could help the wine industry adapt to warmer climates - but how can this be achieved genetically? This study uncovers natural variation from a wild relative that significantly reduces ripening speed in grapevine.
Full article: rdcu.be/eOv2g
Full article: rdcu.be/eOv2g
Reproductive development in wheat is key to grain number and overall yield - but the genetic basis of fertility remains incompletely understood. This study identifies a gene linked to both male and female sterility in wheat.
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A TOPLESS-related gene regulates both male and female sterility in wheat
rdcu.be
December 11, 2025 at 7:01 AM
Reproductive development in wheat is key to grain number and overall yield - but the genetic basis of fertility remains incompletely understood. This study identifies a gene linked to both male and female sterility in wheat.
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Improving disease resistance in crops means understanding both the genes that help and those that hinder. This study pinpoints a key susceptibility gene in barley associated with leaf rust, narrowing it to a small genomic region and identifying a strong candidate.
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Genetic and physical localization of a leaf rust susceptibility gene in barley
rdcu.be
December 11, 2025 at 1:00 AM
Improving disease resistance in crops means understanding both the genes that help and those that hinder. This study pinpoints a key susceptibility gene in barley associated with leaf rust, narrowing it to a small genomic region and identifying a strong candidate.
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Understanding the genetic building blocks behind crop quality is key to improving performance and value. This study takes a fresh look at a key group of genes involved in wheat quality using a new tool applied across 26 grass genomes.
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Recent duplications and rare structural variations revealed by comparative sequence analysis of low molecular weight glutenin subunits (LMW-GS) genes re-identified using LMWgsFinder in 26 genomes of the grass family
rdcu.be
December 10, 2025 at 7:00 AM
Understanding the genetic building blocks behind crop quality is key to improving performance and value. This study takes a fresh look at a key group of genes involved in wheat quality using a new tool applied across 26 grass genomes.
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Understanding the genetics behind cotton fiber quality is essential for advancing breeding efforts. This study explores the genetic basis of fiber development, leading to the identification of a key gene involved in cell elongation and quality traits.
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A GDSL esterase/lipase gene GbGELP identified from a fiber micronaire QTL qMIC-A11 modulates cell elongation and fiber development
rdcu.be
December 10, 2025 at 1:00 AM
Understanding the genetics behind cotton fiber quality is essential for advancing breeding efforts. This study explores the genetic basis of fiber development, leading to the identification of a key gene involved in cell elongation and quality traits.
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Grain weight is a major driver of wheat yield, but improving it without reducing grain number per spike remains a challenge. This study identifies stable QTLs for grain size traits, offering new tools to address this trade-off in breeding.
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Genetic identification and characterization of quantitative trait loci for wheat grain size-related traits independent of grain number per spike
rdcu.be
December 9, 2025 at 7:00 AM
Grain weight is a major driver of wheat yield, but improving it without reducing grain number per spike remains a challenge. This study identifies stable QTLs for grain size traits, offering new tools to address this trade-off in breeding.
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Tiller number is a key component of wheat architecture and yield. This study tracks how breeding has shaped this trait over time, identifying QTLs and selected haplotypes that contribute to reduced tillering and increased spike productivity in modern Chinese wheat.
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The selection and application of tiller number QTLs in modern wheat breeding
rdcu.be
December 9, 2025 at 1:00 AM
Tiller number is a key component of wheat architecture and yield. This study tracks how breeding has shaped this trait over time, identifying QTLs and selected haplotypes that contribute to reduced tillering and increased spike productivity in modern Chinese wheat.
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Understanding how soybean flowering and maturity respond to genetic and environmental factors is key for local adaptation. This study uses GWAS to uncover QTNs and their interactions with environments and other loci, offering new insights into the genetic control of phenology.
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Genome-wide association analyses for revealing QTN, QTN-by-environment and QTN-by-QTN interactions in soybean phenology
rdcu.be
December 8, 2025 at 7:17 AM
Understanding how soybean flowering and maturity respond to genetic and environmental factors is key for local adaptation. This study uses GWAS to uncover QTNs and their interactions with environments and other loci, offering new insights into the genetic control of phenology.
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Selecting the best mix of clones in ancient grapevine varieties requires balancing multiple traits. This study introduces an integer programming approach to optimise polyclonal selection, offering a tool to maximise genetic gains across key viticultural and enological traits.
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Integer programming as a powerful tool for polyclonal selection in ancient grapevine varieties
rdcu.be
December 8, 2025 at 1:00 AM
Selecting the best mix of clones in ancient grapevine varieties requires balancing multiple traits. This study introduces an integer programming approach to optimise polyclonal selection, offering a tool to maximise genetic gains across key viticultural and enological traits.
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Endogenous antioxidant systems grains fluctuate dramatically among genotypes, creating breeding blind spots for nutritional enhancement. Phenotype-genotype association screens across wheat populations have uncovered genomic signatures linked to tocerpherol metabolism.
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Survey of tocopherol and the associated genetic loci in wheat grain
rdcu.be
November 21, 2025 at 7:24 AM
Endogenous antioxidant systems grains fluctuate dramatically among genotypes, creating breeding blind spots for nutritional enhancement. Phenotype-genotype association screens across wheat populations have uncovered genomic signatures linked to tocerpherol metabolism.
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Dwarfing is a key trait for improving crop architecture and production efficiency in watermelon. This study identifies ClaCSLH1 as a regulator of internode elongation, showing how its disruption alters cell wall composition and leads to a stable dwarf phenotype.
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The knockout of ClaCSLH1 induced dwarfing in watermelon
rdcu.be
November 21, 2025 at 1:00 AM
Dwarfing is a key trait for improving crop architecture and production efficiency in watermelon. This study identifies ClaCSLH1 as a regulator of internode elongation, showing how its disruption alters cell wall composition and leads to a stable dwarf phenotype.
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High-quality genome assemblies are key to unlocking genetic variation in crop varieties. This study presents the chromosome-level assembly of high-yield soybean variety Mengdou1137, revealing resistance genes and trait-associated variants for disease and lodging resistance.
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Chromosome-level genome assembly of a high-yield Chinese soybean variety Mengdou1137 unlocks genetic potential of disease and lodging resistance
rdcu.be
November 20, 2025 at 7:42 AM
High-quality genome assemblies are key to unlocking genetic variation in crop varieties. This study presents the chromosome-level assembly of high-yield soybean variety Mengdou1137, revealing resistance genes and trait-associated variants for disease and lodging resistance.
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Monosomic alien addition lines offer a powerful tool for exploring genome interactions in Brassica species. This study develops Brassica rapa–nigra MAALs, shedding light on B-genome contributions to trait expression and revealing insights into chromosome transmission.
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Development of Brassica rapa-nigra monosomic alien addition lines: cytology, genetics, and morphology
rdcu.be
November 20, 2025 at 1:00 AM
Monosomic alien addition lines offer a powerful tool for exploring genome interactions in Brassica species. This study develops Brassica rapa–nigra MAALs, shedding light on B-genome contributions to trait expression and revealing insights into chromosome transmission.
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Stripe rust remains a major challenge in wheat production. This study characterises adult-plant resistance in Yunnan hulled wheat, identifying and validating three QTLs with additive effects that provide strong potential for breeding resilient varieties.
Full article: rdcu.be/evKum
Full article: rdcu.be/evKum
November 19, 2025 at 7:31 AM
Stripe rust remains a major challenge in wheat production. This study characterises adult-plant resistance in Yunnan hulled wheat, identifying and validating three QTLs with additive effects that provide strong potential for breeding resilient varieties.
Full article: rdcu.be/evKum
Full article: rdcu.be/evKum
Seed coat colour in peanut is linked to nutritional value, but its genetic control is not fully understood. This study fine-maps a major locus for red testa and identifies an anthocyanin reductase gene as a strong candidate, offering insights into pigment accumulation.
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Genetic analysis and fine mapping reveal that AhRt3, which encodes an anthocyanin reductase, is responsible for red testa in cultivated peanuts
rdcu.be
November 19, 2025 at 1:00 AM
Seed coat colour in peanut is linked to nutritional value, but its genetic control is not fully understood. This study fine-maps a major locus for red testa and identifies an anthocyanin reductase gene as a strong candidate, offering insights into pigment accumulation.
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Protein and oil content are core traits for soybean breeding, yet their genetic regulation is complex. This study integrates QTL mapping, BSA-seq, RNA-seq, and mutation validation to identify candidate genes, supporting future improvement through marker-assisted selection.
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QTL mapping and multi-omics identify candidate genes for protein and oil in soybean
rdcu.be
November 18, 2025 at 7:48 AM
Protein and oil content are core traits for soybean breeding, yet their genetic regulation is complex. This study integrates QTL mapping, BSA-seq, RNA-seq, and mutation validation to identify candidate genes, supporting future improvement through marker-assisted selection.
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Trichome traits impact the appearance and quality of Chinese cabbage, yet their genetic control remains unclear. This study identifies a rare stop-gain mutation in BrGL2, shedding light on the molecular regulation of trichome development.
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A rare stop-gain SNP mutation in BrGL2 causes aborted trichome development in Chinese cabbage (Brassica rapa L. ssp. pekinensis)
rdcu.be
November 18, 2025 at 1:00 AM
Trichome traits impact the appearance and quality of Chinese cabbage, yet their genetic control remains unclear. This study identifies a rare stop-gain mutation in BrGL2, shedding light on the molecular regulation of trichome development.
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GxE interactions present a major challenge in hybrid breeding under tropical conditions. This study demonstrates that incorporating environmental features into genomic prediction models can improve the accuracy of hybrid performance predictions in biomass sorghum.
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Prediction of biomass sorghum hybrids using environmental feature-enriched genomic combining ability models in tropical environments
rdcu.be
November 17, 2025 at 7:17 AM
GxE interactions present a major challenge in hybrid breeding under tropical conditions. This study demonstrates that incorporating environmental features into genomic prediction models can improve the accuracy of hybrid performance predictions in biomass sorghum.
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Finger millet plays a key nutritional and agronomic role in East Africa, yet its genetic diversity remains underutilised. This study investigates the population structure of Ethiopian landraces and identifies genomic regions and haplotypes linked to key yield.
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Genetic structure of Ethiopian finger millet landraces and genome-wide association mapping for agronomic and nutritional traits
rdcu.be
November 17, 2025 at 1:00 AM
Finger millet plays a key nutritional and agronomic role in East Africa, yet its genetic diversity remains underutilised. This study investigates the population structure of Ethiopian landraces and identifies genomic regions and haplotypes linked to key yield.
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Climate change is shifting the timing of key developmental stages in grapevine. This study integrates genetic data into phenological models to predict how specific allele combinations may perform under future climate scenarios, supporting the development of resilient hybrids.
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Allele-based modeling to predict phenological stages of grapevine hybrids under future climatic conditions
rdcu.be
November 14, 2025 at 7:24 AM
Climate change is shifting the timing of key developmental stages in grapevine. This study integrates genetic data into phenological models to predict how specific allele combinations may perform under future climate scenarios, supporting the development of resilient hybrids.
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Historic germplasm collections hold valuable alleles for wheat improvement. This study uses genomic and phenotypic analysis of the Watkins collection to find loci linked to disease resistance and climate adaptation, offering new opportunities to diversify breeding gene pools.
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Enhancing the breeding gene pool of wheat using accessions in gene banks as demonstrated by the Watkins collection
rdcu.be
November 14, 2025 at 1:01 AM
Historic germplasm collections hold valuable alleles for wheat improvement. This study uses genomic and phenotypic analysis of the Watkins collection to find loci linked to disease resistance and climate adaptation, offering new opportunities to diversify breeding gene pools.
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Wild pigmented rice holds untapped potential for boosting nutrition and resilience in agriculture. This review explores how precision gene editing and neo-domestication strategies can transform wild rice into a high-value crop.
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Harnessing neo-domestication of wild pigmented rice for enhanced nutrition and sustainable agriculture
rdcu.be
November 13, 2025 at 7:42 AM
Wild pigmented rice holds untapped potential for boosting nutrition and resilience in agriculture. This review explores how precision gene editing and neo-domestication strategies can transform wild rice into a high-value crop.
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Improving yield in wheat relies on uncovering the genetic basis of complex traits. This study combines linkage and association analysis to identify key genomic regions and candidate genes, providing valuable targets for future breeding and gene discovery efforts.
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Joint linkage and association analysis identifies genomic regions and candidate genes for yield-related traits in wheat
rdcu.be
November 13, 2025 at 1:00 AM
Improving yield in wheat relies on uncovering the genetic basis of complex traits. This study combines linkage and association analysis to identify key genomic regions and candidate genes, providing valuable targets for future breeding and gene discovery efforts.
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Cloning genes in wheat has long been hindered by its large and complex genome. This review outlines recent advances in genomic tools and strategies that are transforming gene cloning in wheat and its relatives, enabling faster progress in trait discovery and crop improvement.
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Progress and innovations of gene cloning in wheat and its close relatives
rdcu.be
November 12, 2025 at 7:31 AM
Cloning genes in wheat has long been hindered by its large and complex genome. This review outlines recent advances in genomic tools and strategies that are transforming gene cloning in wheat and its relatives, enabling faster progress in trait discovery and crop improvement.
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