Molecular characterization and functional analysis of elite genes in wheat and its related species.

The tribe Triticeae includes major cereal crops (bread wheat, durum wheat, triticale, barley and rye), as well as abundant forage and lawn grasses. Wheat and its wild related species possess numerous favourable genes for yield improvement, grain quality enhancement, biotic and abiotic stress resistance, and constitute a giant gene pool for wheat improvement. In recent years, significant progress on molecular characterization and functional analysis of elite genes in wheat and its related species have been achieved. In this paper, we review the cloned functional genes correlated with grain quality, biotic and abiotic stress resistance, photosystem and nutrition utilization in wheat and its related species.