The Genetic Resource of Thinopyrum elongatum (Host) D.R. Dewey in Breeding Improvement of Wheat

Thinopyrum elongatum (Host) D.R. Dewey is considered important genetic resource for wheat improvement by genomic engineering and modern genetic technologies, because it carries the E genome, the basic genome for the genus Thinopyrum. The members of this genus are successfully used in distant hybridization and the generation of introgression lines for the transfer of genes conferring economically valuable traits into new wheat cultivars. This review considers the main genetically characterized traits of Th. elongatum transferred or desirable for transfer into the wheat genome, like resistance to Fusarium head blight, Septoria diseases, rust diseases, and tolerance to abiotic stresses, including waterlogging, soil salinity, low temperatures, as well as genes that affect the quality of bakery products. The latest available results from the studies of the genome of Th. elongatum by genome and transcriptome sequencing techniques are discussed.