Breakthrough in genetic map of wheat: scientists

Researchers on Thursday reported inroads in an ambitious project to map the genetic sequence of wheat, which ultimately could lead to the creation of more fertile and disease-resistant wheat strains.

Scientists from INRA -- the French National Institute for Agricultural Research -- said they have succeeded in constructing a map of one wheat chromosome, the largest one -- chromosome 3B.

Their research demonstrates that it may be possible down the road to map out the entire wheat genome, which is five times larger than the human genome and 40 times larger than that of rice, INRA scientists said in a study published in the October 3 edition of Science Magazine.

More than 15 countries are taking part in a consortium to map the genome of wheat, which is one of the world's leading cereal crops and a staple food for one-third of the world's population.

INRA is helping to lead the International Wheat Genome Sequencing Consortium (IWGSC), which was established in 2005 with a goal of obtaining the complete sequence of the genome for wheat.

Among the countries contributing to the project are geneticists from Australia, the Czech Republic, France, Israel, the United States.

Researchers said deciphering the information encoded in wheat genes will help with the identification of the biological function of each gene.

That, in turn, will aid in the production of wheat cultivars that are better able to meet the challenge of feeding the world's growing population.

The genetic map of wheat is considered to be particularly instructive to scientists, because unlike many "diploid" plants and animals, which have just two sets of chromosomes, wheat is a "polyploid" -- the term used to describe organisms with three or more sets of chromosomes.

The research can be used to better understand genetic questions pertaining to a range of widely cultivated polyploid plants, including wheat, cotton and tobacco.