Table 7 List of important candidate genes and their function

SNP_109 (5A); GWPS (E2 & C)

TraesCS5A02G372900

Chaperone DnaJ

DnaJ is a protein involved in the regulation of different defense processes especially in heat stress in the plant. Several previous studies also suggested that this protein family, involved in defense mechanism role during high temperature stress especially during grain filling [40].

TraesCS5A02G376800

F-box domain

Several proteins are required for growth and development in wheat such as F-box protein, this protein regulates phytohormone abscisic acid (ABA) hormone, this hormone regulates other processes like lateral root development, responses to several stresses, as well as embryo formation, seed dormancy, germination, seedling growth, [41,42,43,44].

TraesCS5A02G378300

AUX/IAA protein

Phytohormones are a vital part of the developmental process and provide signals to regulate this process in a sequenced manner. The auxin played important role in several processes (i) embryogenesis, (ii) lateral root development, (iii) vascular differentiation, (iv) apical dominance, (v) tropic responses, (vi) flower development, (vii) cell division, elongation, and differentiation [45,46,47].

TraesCS5A02G381100

Cytochrome P450

Cytochrome P450 proteins involved in several developmental events and enhances resistance to FHB. FHB is a fungal disease of different crops including wheat grown in humid and warm regions globally [48]. It infects wheat heads during flowering and affects the seed development process [48,49,50,51].

SNP_218 (4B); SLU (C)

TraesCS4B02G272400

ABC transporter-like

The ABC transporter played important role in grain growth and development and also a defense mechanism to mycotoxin tolerance in wheat. Mycotoxin causes premature bleaching of wheat spikelets, and thus decreases grain yield [52, 53].

SNP_1140 (3B); SLN (C)

TraesCS3B02G309800

AP2/ERF domain

APETALA2/Ethylene-responsive factor (AP2/ERF) played important role in defense mechanisms like abiotic stresses [54] as well as regulating plant growth and development [55].

SNP_2796 (4A); SLU (C)

TraesCS4A02G446700

Sucrose synthase

Sucrose Synthase (SUS) catalyzes the conversion of sucrose to starch [56, 57]. Starch is the major carbohydrate and determines factor for both yield and overall quality of grain [58, 59].

SNP_4595 (7B); NSPP (E2 & C)

TraesCS7B02G095400

Carbohydrate/purine kinase, PfkB, conserved site

Carbohydrate/purine kinase, PfkB, conserved site, kinase enzymes are involved in reversible protein phosphorylation to control different processes such as cellular functions, responses to hormonal, pathogenic, and environmental stimuli, and control of metabolism [60]. The carbohydrate kinases utilize a mutual strategy to determine the reaction between the sugar hydroxyl and the donor phosphate. However, several carbohydrate kinases are allosterically regulated using different strategies, for controlling carbohydrate metabolism [61, 62].

SNP_5026 (6A); NSPS (C)

TraesCS6A02G382400

SWEET sugar transporter

SWEET gene products played diverse roles in essential developmental and physiological processes like growth, senescence and flower, seed endosperm, and pollen development, and regulate critical steps in grain filling, which largely controls the crop yield [63, 64].

SNP_6196 (4A); SLU (C)

TraesCS4A02G157400

Cellulose synthase

Cellulose synthase played important role in cell wall biogenesis and regulation of plant phenotype [65,66,67].

TraesCS4A02G097900

Heat shock protein 70 family

Heat shock proteins (HSPs) have a significant role in protein folding and heat-tolerant crops. Wheat is severely affected by heat stress, mainly during the grain filling stage [40].

TraesCS4A02G315300

MADF domain

MADF protein is involved in the regulation of the phenotype of plants [68].

TraesCS4A02G058900

MADS-box

MADS-box proteins play important role in reproductive part development regulation; (i) inflorescence architecture, (ii) flowering time control, (iii) floral organ identity determination, and (iv) seed development [69, 70].

SNP_9866 (3B); SLU (C)

TraesCS3B02G367900

Late embryogenesis abundant protein, LEA_2 subgroup

Late embryogenesis abundant (LEA) proteins are involved in the responses and adaptation of plants to several abiotic stresses; (i) dehydration, (ii) salinity, (iii) high temperature, and (iv) cold in wheat [71].

TraesCS3B02G392600

Transcription factor GRAS

GRAS proteins are involved in the basic metabolic process such as photosynthesis, plant growth, senescence and provide a defense mechanism to photo-oxidative stress [72, 73].

SNP_11184 (1B); SLN, SLT and SLU (E2 & C)

TraesCS1B02G336900

CLAVATA3/ESR (CLE)-related protein 25/26

CLAVATA3 is involved in regulating cell proliferation and differentiation in plant shoots, roots, vasculature, etc. [74].

SNP_13218 (6A); SLU (C)

TraesCS6A02G334200

Alpha-amylase

Alpha-amylase is responsible for starch degradation in cereal crops including wheat during grain germination [75]. Premature production of α-amylase during grain development is considered a quality defect by the wheat industry. Alpha-amylase is also important for the baking industry to improve dough properties and end-product quality [76,77,78].