Molecular Breeding for Reducing Antinutrient Factors in Cereals

Phytic acid (PA; InsP6) is the primary storage compound of phosphorus in seeds. PA poses a number of challenges in husbandry and for staples in human nutrition. PA is stored in globoids as mixed salts (phytate) with minerals such as potassium>magnesium>calcium>iron, in decreasing concentration order. PA reduces the bioavailability of iron and thus contributes to the hidden hunger, while people still obtain sufficient energy from the starchy cereal grains. In the case of feedstuffs, the main issue is phosphate management in animal production systems. Identification of low-PA mutants impaired in PA biosynthesis or transport is one way to solve some of the problems outlined above. With the help of mutations, our understanding of the biosynthesis and deposition of PA in plants has over the last 10 years created new resources for molecular plant breeding and our basic understanding of functions in which PA takes part. Currently we are exploring TILLING in hexaploid wheat targeting key enzymes in PA biosynthesis. We also use genome wide association studies in order to major contributors to the accumulation of phytic acid and phosphate in the cereal grains. The association mapping is done in a Hordeum vulgare core collection of 400 European varieties in the ERA-Plant Genomic EXBARDIV project.