ABC Transporter-Mediated Transport of Glutathione Conjugates Enhances Seed Yield and Quality in Chickpea

Abstract

The identification of functionally relevant molecular tags is vital for genomics-assisted crop improvement and enhancement of seed yield, quality, and productivity in chickpea (<i>Cicer arietinum</i>). The simultaneous improvement of yield/productivity as well as quality traits often requires pyramiding of multiple genes, which remains a major hurdle given various associated epistatic and pleotropic effects. Unfortunately, no single gene that can improve yield/productivity along with quality and other desirable agromorphological traits is known, hampering the genetic enhancement of chickpea. Using a combinatorial genomics-assisted breeding and functional genomics strategy, this study identified natural alleles and haplotypes of an <i>ABCC3</i>-type transporter gene that regulates seed weight, an important domestication trait, by transcriptional regulation and modulation of the transport of glutathione conjugates in seeds of <i>desi</i> and <i>kabuli</i> chickpea. The superior allele/haplotype of this gene introgressed in <i>desi</i> and <i>kabuli</i> near-isogenic lines enhances the seed weight, yield, productivity, and multiple desirable plant architecture and seed-quality traits without compromising agronomic performance. These salient findings can expedite crop improvement endeavors and the development of nutritionally enriched high-yielding cultivars in chickpea.