Genomic signals of ecogeographic adaptation in a wild relative are associated with improved wheat performance under drought stress
Abstract Background Prioritizing wild relative diversity for improving crop adaptation to emerging drought-prone environments is challenging. Here, we combine the genome-wide environmental scans (GWES) in wheat diploid ancestor Aegilops tauschii (Ae. tauschii) with allele testing in the genetic back...
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BMC
2025-02-01
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| Series: | Genome Biology |
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1186/s13059-025-03500-1 |
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| author | Moses Nyine Dwight Davidson Elina Adhikari Marshall Clinesmith Huan Wang Alina Akhunova Allan Fritz Eduard Akhunov |
| author_facet | Moses Nyine Dwight Davidson Elina Adhikari Marshall Clinesmith Huan Wang Alina Akhunova Allan Fritz Eduard Akhunov |
| author_sort | Moses Nyine |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Background Prioritizing wild relative diversity for improving crop adaptation to emerging drought-prone environments is challenging. Here, we combine the genome-wide environmental scans (GWES) in wheat diploid ancestor Aegilops tauschii (Ae. tauschii) with allele testing in the genetic backgrounds of adapted cultivars to identify diversity for improving wheat adaptation to water-limiting conditions. Results We evaluate the adaptive allele effects in Ae. tauschii-wheat introgression lines phenotyped for multiple traits under irrigated and water-limiting conditions using both unmanned aerial system-based imaging and conventional approaches. The GWES show that climatic gradients alone explain more than half of genomic variation in Ae. tauschii, with many alleles associated with climatic factors in Ae. tauschii being linked with improved performance of introgression lines under water-limiting conditions. We find that the most significant GWES signals associated with temperature annual range in the wild relative are linked with reduced canopy temperature in introgression lines and increased yield. Conclusions Our results suggest that introgression of climate-adaptive alleles from Ae. tauschii has the potential to improve wheat performance under water-limiting conditions, and that variants controlling physiological processes responsible for maintaining leaf temperature are likely among the targets of adaptive selection in a wild relative. Adaptive variation uncovered by GWES in wild relatives has the potential to improve climate resilience of crop varieties. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-f6bffc9c77334dfd97ff6cb98d2c873d |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 1474-760X |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-02-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
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| series | Genome Biology |
| spelling | doaj-art-f6bffc9c77334dfd97ff6cb98d2c873d2025-08-20T02:15:11ZengBMCGenome Biology1474-760X2025-02-0126112410.1186/s13059-025-03500-1Genomic signals of ecogeographic adaptation in a wild relative are associated with improved wheat performance under drought stressMoses Nyine0Dwight Davidson1Elina Adhikari2Marshall Clinesmith3Huan Wang4Alina Akhunova5Allan Fritz6Eduard Akhunov7Department of Plant Pathology, Kansas State UniversityDepartment of Plant Pathology, Kansas State UniversityDepartment of Plant Pathology, Kansas State UniversityDepartment of Agronomy, Kansas State UniversityDepartment of Plant Pathology, Kansas State UniversityDepartment of Plant Pathology, Kansas State UniversityDepartment of Agronomy, Kansas State UniversityDepartment of Plant Pathology, Kansas State UniversityAbstract Background Prioritizing wild relative diversity for improving crop adaptation to emerging drought-prone environments is challenging. Here, we combine the genome-wide environmental scans (GWES) in wheat diploid ancestor Aegilops tauschii (Ae. tauschii) with allele testing in the genetic backgrounds of adapted cultivars to identify diversity for improving wheat adaptation to water-limiting conditions. Results We evaluate the adaptive allele effects in Ae. tauschii-wheat introgression lines phenotyped for multiple traits under irrigated and water-limiting conditions using both unmanned aerial system-based imaging and conventional approaches. The GWES show that climatic gradients alone explain more than half of genomic variation in Ae. tauschii, with many alleles associated with climatic factors in Ae. tauschii being linked with improved performance of introgression lines under water-limiting conditions. We find that the most significant GWES signals associated with temperature annual range in the wild relative are linked with reduced canopy temperature in introgression lines and increased yield. Conclusions Our results suggest that introgression of climate-adaptive alleles from Ae. tauschii has the potential to improve wheat performance under water-limiting conditions, and that variants controlling physiological processes responsible for maintaining leaf temperature are likely among the targets of adaptive selection in a wild relative. Adaptive variation uncovered by GWES in wild relatives has the potential to improve climate resilience of crop varieties.https://doi.org/10.1186/s13059-025-03500-1WheatWild relativesAegilops tauschiiDrought toleranceEnvironmental adaptationIntrogression |
| spellingShingle | Moses Nyine Dwight Davidson Elina Adhikari Marshall Clinesmith Huan Wang Alina Akhunova Allan Fritz Eduard Akhunov Genomic signals of ecogeographic adaptation in a wild relative are associated with improved wheat performance under drought stress Genome Biology Wheat Wild relatives Aegilops tauschii Drought tolerance Environmental adaptation Introgression |
| title | Genomic signals of ecogeographic adaptation in a wild relative are associated with improved wheat performance under drought stress |
| title_full | Genomic signals of ecogeographic adaptation in a wild relative are associated with improved wheat performance under drought stress |
| title_fullStr | Genomic signals of ecogeographic adaptation in a wild relative are associated with improved wheat performance under drought stress |
| title_full_unstemmed | Genomic signals of ecogeographic adaptation in a wild relative are associated with improved wheat performance under drought stress |
| title_short | Genomic signals of ecogeographic adaptation in a wild relative are associated with improved wheat performance under drought stress |
| title_sort | genomic signals of ecogeographic adaptation in a wild relative are associated with improved wheat performance under drought stress |
| topic | Wheat Wild relatives Aegilops tauschii Drought tolerance Environmental adaptation Introgression |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1186/s13059-025-03500-1 |
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