Identification of transposons, retroelements, and a gene family predominantly expressed in floral tissues in chromosome 3DS of the hexaploid wheat progenitor Aegilops tauschii

Abstract

A multigene family expressed during early floral development was identified on the short arm of wheat chromosome 3D in the region of the Ph2 locus, a locus controlling homoeologous chromosome pairing in allohexaploid wheat. Physical, genetic and molecular characterisation of the Wheat Meiosis 1 (WM1) gene family identified seven members that localised within a region of 173-kb. WM1 gene family members were sequenced and they encode mainly type Ia plasma membrane-anchored leucine rich repeat-like receptor proteins. In situ expression profiling suggests the gene family is predominantly expressed in floral tissue. In addition to the WM1 gene family, a number of other genes, gene fragments and pseudogenes were identified. It has been predicted that there is approximately one gene every 19-kb and that this region of the wheat genome contains 23 repetitive elements including BARE-1 and Wis2-1 like sequences. Nearly 50% of the repetitive elements identified were similar to known transposons from the CACTA superfamily. Ty1-copia, Ty3-gypsy and Athila LTR retroelements were also prevalent within the region. The WM1 gene cluster is present on 3DS and on barley 3HS but missing from the A and B genomes of hexaploid wheat. This suggests either recent generation of the cluster or specific deletion of the cluster during wheat polyploidisation. The evolutionary significance of the cluster, its possible roles in disease response or floral and early meiotic development and its location at or near the Ph2 locus are discussed.