Wheat adaptation to environmental stresses under climate change: Molecular basis and genetic improvement.

Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) is a staple food for about 40% of the world's population. As the global population growth and living standards improvement, high yield and improved nutritional quality have become the main targets for wheat breeding. However, wheat production has been compromised by global warming through the more frequent occurrence of extreme temperature events, which increased water scarcity, aggravated soil salinization, and caused the plants more vulnerable to diseases, and can directly reduce plant fertility and suppress yield. One promising option to address these challenges is the genetic improvement of wheat for enhanced resistance to environmental stress. Several decades of progress in genomics and genetic engineering has tremendously advanced our understanding of the molecular and genetic mechanisms underlying abiotic and biotic stress responses in wheat. These advances have heralded what might be considered a "golden age" of functional genomics for the genetic improvement of wheat. Here, we summarize the current knowledge on the molecular and genetic basis of wheat resistance to abiotic and biotic stresses: the QTL/genes involved, their functional and regulatory mechanisms, and related strategies for genetic modification of wheat for improved stress resistance. In addition, we also provide perspectives on some key challenges that need to be addressed.