This review is on sorghum functional genomics and molecular breeding, discussing past achievements and future prospects. It covers various aspects of sorghum research, including genomic resources, gene identification, stress tolerance mechanisms, and molecular breeding techniques. The review highlights the importance of sorghum as a crop with significant genetic diversity and adaptability to various stress conditions, making it a valuable resource for biofuel production and food security. The authors discuss the advancements in genome assembly, particularly the telomere-to-telomere (T2T) assemblies that have improved the understanding of complex genomic regions like centromeres and telomeres. They also delve into the molecular mechanisms of sorghum’s response to stresses such as salt and alkalinity, identifying key genes like SbWRKY55 and AT1 that regulate these responses. It touches on the genetic basis of agronomic traits such as plant height, tannin content, and biomass yield, discussing the roles of genes like Dw3, Tan1, and SbSNF4-2. Additionally, it examines the progress in sorghum transformation techniques and the potential of CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing for crop improvement.
Overall, the document provides a detailed look at the current state of sorghum research and suggests that continued investment in functional genomics and molecular breeding will be crucial for unlocking the full potential of sorghum as a staple crop.
Reference:
Liu F, Baye W, Zhao K, Tang S, Xie Q, Xie P. Unravelling sorghum functional genomics and molecular breeding: past achievements and future prospects. J Genet Genomics. 2024 Jul 23:S1673-8527(24)00194-2. PMID: 39053846. doi: 10.1016/j.jgg.2024.07.016. Read more