Using TILLING lines and RNA-seq to investigate genes that control wheat inflorescence development.

Inflorescence architecture is a trait to contributes significantly to grain production of cereals. Wheat provides 20% of the protein and calories for the global human diet; however, very little is known about the genes that control inflorescence development of this major crop. We sought to identify genes that control spikelet development by screening the Cadenza bread wheat TILLING population for lines that display a modified form of inflorescence architecture known as paired spikelets. Here, we used exome capture sequence analysis to identify candidate mutations the promote the modified form of inflorescence architecture in two lines, and RNA-seq transcriptome experiments to enhance our understanding of the underlying genetic pathways. This research identified a homeobox domain transcription factor that controls inflorescence architecture in wheat.