Crop Gene Discovery and Utilization

Team Name: Crop Gene Discovery and Utilization

Aims and missions: Main focus of this team is to establish strategies and methodologies for efficiently discovering new genes from germplasm resources for better development, drought tolerance, disease resistance and higher yield. Our objectives are germplasm enhancement for wheat breeding through applied genomics such as re-sequencing, SNP chip scanning etc to reveal haplotype blocks associated with important traits, tracking gene flow during polyploidization, domestication and breeding. Our main research on core collection and genome diversity, gene discovery, germplasm enhancement and utilization, artificial selection and genome evolution, national platform construction and improvement for wheat gene discovery and utilization.

The team objectives:

1) To build a world-class team, leading and promoting national research and use of crop gene resources.

2) To reveal gene flow during natural and artificial evolution of wheat.

3) Isolation and functional analysis of agronomically important genes.

4) Pre-breeding and developing stocks for wheat genomic research.

Team Chief Scientist: Dr. Zhang Xue-yong

Education Background

Prof. Xueyong Zhang, a wheat geneticist, received his BSc degree in Agronomy (1984) from Gansu Agricultural University of China, his MS degree in Agronomy (1987) from Northwestern Agricultural and Forestry University, China, and his PhD in Agronomy (1992) from the Graduate School, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences.

Research Area

His research is focusing on wheat yield genes and genome evolution. He is working as chief scientist of National Basic Rsearch Program (973), and CAAS-Innovation group, Crop gene discovery and application. He is also the director of Key Lab of Crop Gene Resources & Germplasm Enhancement, Ministry of Agriculture. He is editor of, Acta Agronomica Sinica, The Crop Journal, Scientia Agricultura Sinica, Journal of Integrative Agricultural.

Major publications in last 5 years

1. Liu Z, Yue W，Dayong Li, Wang RRC， Kong XY，Lu K, Wang GX，Dong YS，Jin WW*, Zhang XY*. 2008, Structure and dynamics of retrotransposons at wheat centromere and pericentromeres. Chromosoma, 117:445–456

2. Han YH, Wang GX, Liu Z, Liu JH, Yue W, Song RT, Zhang XY*, Jin WW*.  2010, Divergence in centromere structure distinguishes related genomes in Coix lacryma-jobi and its wild relative. Chromosoma, 119：89-98.

3. Su ZQ, Hao CY，Wang LF， Dong YC，Zhang XY*.  2011，Identification and development of a functional marker of TaGW2 associated with grain weight in bread wheat (Triticum aestivum L.). Theor Appl Genet, 122：211-223

4. Barrerro R, Bellgard M, Zhang XY*. 2011, Diverse approaches to achieving grain yield in wheat.  Functional and Integrative Genomics, 11:37-48

5. Jiang QY, Hou J, Hao CY, Wang LF, Ge HM, DongYS, Zhang XY*. 2011, The wheat (T. aestivum) sucrose synthase 2 gene (TaSus2) active in endosperm development is associated with yield traits. Functional Integr Genomics, 11：49-67

6. Wang LF, Ge HM，Hao CY, Dong YS, Zhang XY*. 2012 Identifying loci influencing 1,000-kernel weight in wheat by microsatellite screening for evidence of selection during breeding. PLoS ONE, 7（2）：e29432.

7. Ge HM，You GX， Wang LF, Hao CY，Dong YS, Li ZS, Zhang XY*.  2012, Genome selection sweep and association analysis shed light on future breeding by design in wheat. Crop Science, 52:1218-1228.

8. Zhang DL, Hao CY, Wang LF, Zhang XY*，2012 Identifying loci influencing grain number by microsatellite screening in bread wheat (Triticum aestivum L.). Planta, 236: 1507-1517

9. Hao CY, Wang YQ, Hou J, Fuelliet C, Balfourier F, Zhang XY*. 2012, Association mapping and haplotype analysis of a 3.1-Mb genomic region involved in Fusarium head blight resistance on wheat chromosome 3BS. PLoS ONE, doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0046444

10. Li BC，Choulet F, Heng YF, Hao WW, Paux E，Liu Z， Yue W， Jin WW， Feuillet C， Zhang XY*. 2013, Wheat centromeric retrotransposons: the new ones take a more important role in centromeric structure. Plant Journal, 73:952-965.

11. Hou J, Jiang QY, Hao CY, Wang YQ, Zhang HN, Zhang XY*. 2014, Global selection on sucrose synthase haplotypes during a century of wheat breeding. Plant Physiology, on line

Team Members: JING Rui-lian, KONG Xiu-ying, SUN Jia-qiang, GAO Li-feng, LI Hong-jie, GAI Hong-mei, HAO Chen-yang, ZHAO Guang-yao, MAO Xin-guo, LIU Hong-xia, XIA Chuan, YAN Su-li.