Biotech applications

CTBI is developing new tools and information to enable breeders and biotechnologists to accelerate the rate of triticale development, and move toward designer triticale. Here are the focus areas.

High-throughput doubled haploid production for breeding programs. Double haploid plants breed true every generation and are very useful in the breeding process. Knowledge from wheat is transferable to triticale. There is a particular focus on microspore survival, sporophytic shift, embryogenesis development, suppression of albino plants rate, reduction of manpower required in subculture stages and economic assessment of double haploid production cost.

Molecular marker development. New molecular markers will be associated with various phenotypic traits, e.g. disease resistance and physiologic traits. Their uses will accelerate the screening process of new triticale cultivars.

Genomics sequence discovery. Priority has been given to gene sequences in relation to major carbohydrate pathways.  These sequences are needed for the development of designer triticale.

Triticale promoter discovery. New tissue-specific promoters will enable target expression of transgenes in specific tissues at a specific developmental time.  A tighter control of transgene expression will maximize the expression of these genes prior to harvest.

DNA delivery method in triticale cells. Researchers have developed a new process for gene delivery in triticale cells using immature embryos and pollen grains.

Significant genetic potential already built in

The genetic knowledge and molecular breeding techniques developed for cereals can also be applied to triticale. For example, simple sugars from starch, cellulose and hemicellulose can lead to a wide range of platform chemicals for industrial, chemical synthesis and polymer production. The proportions of these sugar-based molecules can be improved through existing genomic screening and selection tools.

Triticale is composed of a favourable lignin (23%), cellulose (C6 glucose polymer, 40.6%) and hemicellulose (C6 and C5 polymers, 27%) ratio, compared to wheat.

Gene-targeting technologies make customized traits possible

New technologies using gene targeting are being developed for the production of single copy/single locus insertions in triticale. These technologies have the potential to significantly improve the homologous DNA recombination (HR) frequency and increase the number of stable integration events for more rapid trait development. Gene regulation offers opportunities for customized trait expression for specific applications, which is not possible with conventional random integration methods such as Biolistic or Agrobacterium-mediated plant transformation.