Capturing the missing gene content of elite wheat by analysis of wheat landraces
Abstract
There is a need to breed superior wheat cultivars to meet increasing global food demand. However, modern cultivars have undergone a substantial loss of genetic diversity due to intensive breeding. A pool of genetic diversity remains untapped in wheat landraces, and pangenomics can help identify genes of potential agronomic importance in these old lines that can be applied to accelerate wheat improvement. Here, we have constructed the largest wheat pangenome to date, representing 1,061 diverse individuals (827 landraces and 234 modern cultivars) from 47 countries across six continents. We identified 10,426 predicted gene models specific to landraces that are enriched for functions associated with disease resistance, abiotic stress adaptation, and symbiosis. Our results reveal that landraces harbour an extensive repertoire of genes that are absent from modern wheat cultivars and provide a foundational resource for the systematic reintroduction of adaptive variation to enhance wheat resilience and sustainability in the face of climate change.
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