Research Centre for Cereal and Industrial Crops (CREA-CI), CREA-Council for Agricultural Research and Economics, SS 673 Meters 25 200, 71122 Foggia, Italy.
Department of Agriculture, Food, Natural Science, Engineering, University of Foggia, Via Napoli 25, 71122 Foggia, Italy.
Genes (Basel). 2024 Feb 17;15(2):251. doi: 10.3390/genes15020251.
Rapid climate changes, with higher warming rates during winter and spring seasons, dramatically affect the vernalization requirements, one of the most critical processes for the induction of wheat reproductive growth, with severe consequences on flowering time, grain filling, and grain yield. Specifically, the genes play a major role in the transition from vegetative to reproductive growth in wheat. Recent advances in wheat genomics have significantly improved the understanding of the molecular mechanisms of genes (, , , and ), unveiling a diverse array of natural allelic variations. In this review, we have examined the current knowledge of genes from a functional and structural point of view, considering the studies conducted on alleles at different ploidy levels (diploid, tetraploid, and hexaploid). The molecular characterization of alleles has been a focal point, revealing a diverse array of allelic forms with implications for flowering time. We have highlighted the structural complexity of the different allelic forms and the problems linked to the different nomenclature of some alleles. Addressing these issues will be crucial for harmonizing research efforts and enhancing our understanding of gene function and evolution. The increasing availability of genome and transcriptome sequences, along with the improvements in bioinformatics and computational biology, offers a versatile range of possibilities for enriching genomic regions surrounding the target sites of genes, paving the way for innovative approaches to manipulate flowering time and improve wheat productivity.
快速的气候变化，冬季和春季变暖速度加快，极大地影响了春化要求，这是诱导小麦生殖生长的最关键过程之一，对开花时间、籽粒灌浆和籽粒产量有严重影响。具体来说，基因在小麦从营养生长向生殖生长的转变中起着主要作用。小麦基因组学的最新进展极大地提高了我们对基因（、、、和）分子机制的理解，揭示了一系列自然等位基因变异。在这篇综述中，我们从功能和结构的角度研究了基因的当前知识，考虑了在不同倍性水平（二倍体、四倍体和六倍体）上进行的等位基因研究。等位基因的分子特征是一个重点，揭示了一系列具有开花时间意义的等位基因形式。我们强调了不同等位基因形式的结构复杂性，以及一些等位基因命名法不同所带来的问题。解决这些问题对于协调研究工作和增强我们对基因功能和进化的理解至关重要。随着基因组和转录组序列的可用性不断增加，以及生物信息学和计算生物学的改进，为丰富基因目标位点周围的基因组区域提供了多种可能性，为操纵开花时间和提高小麦生产力的创新方法铺平了道路。
