Exploring MATRILINEAL ( MTL ) gene-based in vivo mutations to induce haploidy in wheat

Matrilineal ( MTL ) gene is known to induce haploidy because of the 4-bp insertion in the last exon of the gene in maize haploid inducer stock. Orthologue gene search in wheat genome identified TaPLA genes on wheat chromosomes 4A, 4B and 4D. The DNA sequence homology between the maize MTL gene and TaPLA gene orthologues in wheat was 86–88%. The present study involves the selection of EMS mutants with mutations in TaPLA genes from Cadenza (6X) and Kronos (4X) TILLING populations with an aim to identify/develop a haploid inducer stock in wheat. A total of 45 mutants including 24 for Cadenza and 21 for Kronos were selected with 18 having mutations in TaPLA.4A , 17 in TaPLA. 4B and 10 in TaPLA. 4D gene. On applying KASP assay using mutation-specific markers, 36 markers showed clear polymorphism among the parents and the mutants. On the basis of validated KASP assay and the mutations leading to the changes in the amino acid, their biochemical properties and nature of amino acids, a total of 17 Cadenza and 14 Kronos mutants have been selected to be further used for pyramiding of these mutations. The validated KASP assay will be used to check the true F 1 s and homozygosity status of the mutant alleles in F 2 s. The homozygous F 2 s will be further used to cross with hexaploid or tetraploid wheat to check the haploidy induction ability.