Use of perfect markers in wheat quality research and breeding

摘要

A primary objective of the wheat breeder is to develop populations with optimum combinations of genes controlling key traits. As more is known about the control of specific traits by specific genes, more emphasis can be placed on the use of markersfor specific genes, or specific alleles of genes, in wheat breeding. Markers that define specific genes are known as "perfect" markers as they are 100% linked to a gene controlling some significant component of the variability in the trait of interest. Perfect markers are of interest not only because they provide the breeder with a direct means of selecting for a trait, but also because they are directly linked to the mechanism underpinning the trait and are therefore highly valuable from a research perspective. In this paper, we discuss the range of perfect markers available for use in breeding and research in wheat quality. The choice of genes selected, the types of polymorphisms in the genes being targeted, the marker systems used to reveal the polymorphism, and strategies for the implementation of the markers in breeding and research are discussed. In addition, we discuss the future potential for the development of perfect markers given the rapid developments in cereal science and genomics.