Mapping QTLs for morpho-agronomic traits in proso millet (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Panicum miliaceum</Emphasis> L.)

Proso millet (Panicum miliaceum L.) is the cereal crop with the low water requirement and increasingly being used for human consumption. It is the most common rotational crop within wheat-based dryland production systems in the semiarid High Plains of the USA. However, there is no published genetic map for this species, which prevents the identification of quantitative trait loci (QTL). The objectives of the present study were (1) construction of a genetic linkage map and (2) identification of DNA markers linked to QTLs for morpho-agronomic traits. A total of 93 recombinant inbred lines derived from a single F₁ (“Huntsman” × “Minsum”) were genotyped with GBS-SNP markers and phenotyped for nine morpho-agronomic traits in the field during 2013 and 2014 at Scottsbluff and Sidney, NE. IciMapping v.4.0.6.0 was used for constructing a genetic linkage map and mapping QTL. The RILs exhibited significant variation for a wide range of traits, and several traits showed evidence of genotype × environment interactions. A total of 833 GBS-SNP markers formed 18 major and 84 minor linkage groups, whereas 519 markers remained ungrouped. A total of 117 GBS-SNP markers were distributed on the 18 major linkage groups spanning a genome length of 2137 cM of proso millet with an average distance of 18 cM between markers. The length and number of markers in each of the 18 major linkage groups ranged from 54.6 to 236 cM and 4 to 12, respectively. A total of 18 QTLs for eight morpho-agronomic traits were detected on 14 linkage groups, each of which explained 13.2–34.7 % phenotypic variance. DNA markers flanking the QTLs were identified, which will aid in marker-assisted selection of these traits. To our knowledge, this is the first genetic linkage map and QTL mapping in proso millet, which will support further genetic analysis and genomics-assisted genetic improvement of this crop.     

Linkage analysis and identification of quantitative trait loci associated with freeze tolerance and turf quality traits in St. Augustinegrass

St. Augustinegrass [Stenotaphrum secundatum (Walt.) Kuntze] is a warm-season turfgrass commonly grown in the southern USA. In this study, the first linkage map for all nine haploid chromosomes of the species was constructed for cultivar ‘Raleigh’ and cultivar ‘Seville’ using a pseudo-F₂ mapping strategy. A total of 160 simple sequence repeat markers were mapped to nine linkage groups (LGs) covering a total distance of 1176.24 cM. To demonstrate the usefulness of the map, quantitative trait loci (QTL) were mapped controlling field winter survival, laboratory-based freeze tolerance, and turf quality traits. Multiple genomic regions associated with these traits were identified. Moreover, overlapping QTL were found for winterkill and spring green up on LG 3 (99.21 cM); turf quality, turf density, and leaf texture on LG 3 (68.57–69.50 cM); and surviving green tissue and regrowth on LGs 1 (38.31 cM), 3 (77.70 cM), 6 (49.51 cM), and 9 (34.20 cM). Additional regions, where QTL identified in both field and laboratory-based/controlled environment freeze testing co-located, provided strong support that these regions are good candidates for true gene locations. These results present the first complete linkage map produced for St. Augustinegrass, providing a template for further genetic mapping. Additionally, markers linked to the QTL identified may be useful to breeders for transferring these traits into new breeding lines and cultivars.     

Analysis of an intraspecific RIL population uncovers genomic segments harbouring multiple QTL for seed relevant traits in lentil (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Lens culinaris</Emphasis> L.)

Improving seed related traits remains key objective in lentil breeding. In recent years, genomic resources have shown great promise to accelerate crop improvement. However, limited genomic resources in lentil greatly restrict the use of genomics assisted breeding. The present investigation aims to build an intraspecific genetic linkage map and identify the QTL associated with important seed relevant traits using 94 recombinant inbreds (WA 8649090 × Precoz). A total of 288 polymorphic DNA markers including simple sequence repeat (SSR), inter simple sequence repeat (ISSR) and random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) were assayed on mapping population. The resultant genetic linkage map comprised 220 loci spanning 604.2 cM of the lentil genome, with average inter-marker distance of 2.74 cM. QTL mapping in this RIL population uncovered a total of 18 QTL encompassing nine major and nine minor QTL. All major QTL were detected for seed related traits viz., seed diameter (SD), seed thickness (ST), seed weight (SW) and seed plumpness (SP) across two locations. A considerable proportion of the phenotypic variation (PV) was accounted to these QTL. For instance, one major QTL on LG5 controlling SW (QTL 15) explained 50% PV in one location, while the same QTL accounted for 34.18% PV in other location. Importantly, the genomic region containing multiple QTL for different seed traits was mapped to a 17-cM region on LG5. The genomic region harbouring QTL for multiple traits opens up exciting opportunities for genomics assisted improvement of lentil.     

SSR-based genetic mapping and QTL analysis for timing of spring bud flush,young shoot color,and mature leaf size in tea plant (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Camellia sinensis</Emphasis>)

Tea plant (Camellia sinensis) is a major beverage crop across the world. To uncover the genetic controls of agronomic traits and facilitate marker-assisted breeding (MAB) in tea plant, we constructed a saturated SSR-based linkage map using an F₁ population derived from the crossing of ‘Longjin43’ × ‘Baihaozao’. A total of 483 SSR markers, consisting of 117 novel loci, 129 transferred from other tea plant maps, and 237 previously mapped, were successfully integrated into a new consensus map. The map has 15 linkage groups, covering 1226.2 cM in total with an average marker distance of 2.5 cM. The 126 markers in common enabled us to align this map to the reference genetic maps of tea plant. Phenotype data were collected in 2014 and 2015 for five traits: timing of spring bud flush (TBF), young shoot color (YSC), mature leaf length (MLL), mature leaf width (MLW), and leaf shape index (LSI, i.e., MLL/MLW). QTL analyses were performed for the five traits using the new consensus map and 15 QTLs were identified. The SSR markers, linkage map, and QTLs reported here are useful resources for future QTL mining, identification of causal genes, and MAB in tea plant.     

Exploring the genetic characteristics of 93-11 and Nipponbare recombination inbred lines based on the GoldenGate SNP assay

Understanding genetic characteristics in rice populations will facilitate exploring evolutionary mechanisms and gene cloning. Numerous molecular markers have been utilized in linkage map construction and quantitative trait locus (QTL) mappings. However, segregation-distorted markers were rarely considered, which prevented understanding genetic characteristics in many populations. In this study, we designed a 384-marker GoldenGate SNP array to genotype 283 recombination inbred lines (RILs) derived from 93-11 and Nipponbare Oryza sativa crosses. Using 294 markers that were highly polymorphic between parents, a linkage map with a total genetic distance of 1,583.2 cM was constructed, including 231 segregation-distorted markers. This linkage map was consistent with maps generated by other methods in previous studies. In total, 85 significant quantitative trait loci (QTLs) with phenotypic variation explained (PVE) values≥5% were identified. Among them, 34 QTLs were overlapped with reported genes/QTLs relevant to corresponding traits, and 17 QTLs were overlapped with reported sterility-related genes/QTLs. Our study provides evidence that segregation-distorted markers can be used in linkage map construction and QTL mapping. Moreover, genetic information resulting from this study will help us to understand recombination events and segregation distortion. Furthermore, this study will facilitate gene cloning and understanding mechanism of inter-subspecies hybrid sterility and correlations with important agronomic traits in rice.     

大豆遗传图谱的构建和分析

利用大豆栽培品种科丰1号和南农1138－2杂交得到的重组近交系NJRIKY,通过RFLP,SSR,RAPD和AFLP4种分子标记的遗传连锁分析,构建了包含24个连锁群,由792个遗传标记组成的大豆较高密度连锁图谱,该图谱覆盖2320．7cM,平均图距2．9cM,SSR标记的多态性较高,在基因组中的位置相对稳定,可以作为锚定标记,有利于连锁群的归并和不同图谱的比较整合;而AFLP标记对于增加图谱密度效率较高,但其容易出现聚集现象,从而造成连锁群上有很大的空隙（gap),另外,在连锁群中有21．7％的分子标记出现偏分离,该图谱为基因定位,比较基因组学和重要农艺性状的QTL定位等研究打下了基础。     

Development of an integrated linkage map of einkorn wheat and its application for QTL mapping and genome sequence anchoring

Key message

An integrated genetic map was constructed for einkorn wheat A genome and provided valuable information for QTL mapping and genome sequence anchoring.

Abstract

Wheat is one of the most widely grown food grain crops in the world. The construction of a genetic map is a key step to organize biologically or agronomically important traits along the chromosomes. In the present study, an integrated linkage map of einkorn wheat was developed using 109 recombinant inbred lines (RILs) derived from an inter sub-specific cross, KT1-1 (T. monococcum ssp. boeoticum) × KT3-5 (T. monococcum ssp. monococcum). The map contains 926 molecular markers assigned to seven linkage groups, and covers 1,377 cM with an average marker interval of 1.5 cM. A quantitative trait locus (QTL) analysis of five agronomic traits identified 16 stable QTL on all seven chromosomes, except 6A. The total phenotypic variance explained by these stable QTL using multiple regressions varied across environments from 8.8 to 87.1 % for days to heading, 24.4–63.0 % for spike length, 48.2–79.6 % for spikelet number per spike, 13.1–48.1 % for plant architecture, and 12.2–26.5 % for plant height, revealing that much of the RIL phenotypic variation had been genetically dissected. Co-localizations of closely linked QTL for different traits were frequently observed, especially on 3A and 7A. The QTL on 3A, 5A and 7A were closely associated with Eps-A ^m 3, Vrn1 and Vrn3 loci, respectively. Furthermore, this genetic map facilitated the anchoring of 237 T. urartu scaffolds onto seven chromosomes with a physical length of 26.15 Mb. This map and the QTL data provide valuable genetic information to dissect important agronomic and developmental traits in diploid wheat and contribute to the genetic ordering of the genome assembly.

     

Transmission of Fruit Quality Traits in Apricot (Prunus armeniaca L.) and Analysis of Linked Quantitative Trait Loci (QTLs) Using Simple Sequence Repeat (SSR) Markers

Twelve important pomological traits related to fruit quality were studied during 3 years in an F₁ apricot progeny of 160 seedlings derived from a cross between the Spanish selection ‘Z701-1’ and the South African cultivar ‘Palsteyn’. Results indicated quantitative transmission of most of the fruit quality traits studied. In addition, a clear influence of the genetic background of parents was observed. In some seedlings, values outside the range of the parent were observed due to the influence of this genetic background. No correlations were found among most agronomic traits in apricot during the 3 years of the study. However, high correlations between years were described for most of the evaluated traits, and the environment had limited influence on the expression of the trait. A genetic map was developed using 41 apricot and peach SSR markers. The map obtained showed eight linkage groups (corresponding to the eight chromosomes) covering a total distance of 369.3 cM and an average distance between markers of 9 cM. Fifty-four QTLs associated with different traits were identified, including: blooming date (linkage groups G1, G4 and G7); ripening time (G4 and G6); fruit development (G4 and G6); fruit weight (G1 and G4); stone weight (G1 and G7); flesh color (G1 and G6); pH (G1, G2 and G4); malic acid (G1, G2 and G4); and soluble solids content (G4 and G5). We have highlighted several QTLs in G4 that explain the variability in various traits related to fruit quality such as blooming date, ripening time, and soluble solids content. In addition, we have also highlighted an important QTL on G2 that explains much of the variation in levels of acidity.     

Quantitative trait loci associated with tipburn, heat stress-induced physiological disorders, and maturity traits in crisphead lettuce

Crisphead lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) crops exhibit several economically important, physiological disorders when grown in high temperature conditions. These include tipburn, rib discoloration, premature bolting, ribbiness, and internal rib cracking. We evaluated seven physiological disorders and three agronomic traits segregating in a recombinant inbred line (RIL) population consisting of 152 F₇ RILs derived from an intra-specific cross between two crisphead cultivars, L. sativa cv. Emperor x L. sativa cv. El Dorado; evaluations were carried out at each of two parental maturities in one planting and at one intermediate maturity in a second planting in each of 2 years for a total of six evaluations. A genetic map was developed using 449 polymorphic SNP markers; it comprises 807 cM in 20 linkage groups that covered 51 % of the nine lettuce chromosomes. Composite interval mapping revealed a total of 36 significant QTLs for eight out of the ten traits evaluated. Significant QTLs were distributed in 11 linkage groups on seven of the chromosomes and accounted for up to 83 % of the phenotypic variation observed. The three largest QTLs for rib discoloration, which accounted individually for 7–21 % of the variation, were clustered with stem length, two with ribbiness and one with head firmness. Three major clusters of QTLs revealed pleiotropic effects or tight linkage between tipburn incidence and severity, head type, stem length, head firmness and ribbiness. One QTL, qTPB5.2, was detected in multiple trials and described 38–70 % of the variation in tipburn incidence. qTPB5.2 is, therefore, a useful candidate gene for breeding for tipburn resistance using marker-assisted selection.     

A genetic linkage map based on AFLP and SSR markers and mapping of QTL for dry-matter content in sweetpotato

We developed a genetic linkage map of sweetpotato using amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) and simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers and a mapping population consisting of 202 individuals derived from a broad cross between Xushu 18 and Xu 781, and mapped quantitative trait loci (QTL) for the storage root dry-matter content. The linkage map for Xushu 18 included 90 linkage groups with 2077 markers (1936 AFLP and 141 SSR) and covered 8,184.5 cM with an average marker distance of 3.9 cM, and the map for Xu 781 contained 90 linkage groups with 1954 markers (1824 AFLP and 130 SSR) and covered 8,151.7 cM with an average marker distance of 4.2 cM. The maps described herein have the best coverage of the sweetpotato genome and the highest marker density reported to date. These are the first maps developed that have 90 complete linkage groups, which is in agreement with the actual number of chromosomes. Duplex and triplex markers were used to detect the homologous groups, and 13 and 14 homologous groups were identified in Xushu 18 and Xu 781 maps, respectively. Interval mapping was performed first and, subsequently, a multiple QTL model was used to refine the position and magnitude of the QTL. A total of 27 QTL for dry-matter content were mapped, explaining 9.0–45.1 % of the variation; 77.8 % of the QTL had a positive effect on the variation. This work represents an important step forward in genomics and marker-assisted breeding of sweetpotato.     

Quantitative trait locus (QTL) analysis of fruit-quality traits for mandarin breeding in Japan

The improvement of fruit quality is an important objective in citrus breeding. Using an F₁ segregating population from a cross between citrus cultivars ‘Harehime’ (‘E647’—‘Kiyomi’ [Citrus unshiu Marcow. ‘Miyagawa Wase’ × Citrus sinensis (L.) Osbeck ‘Trovita’] × ‘Osceola’—a cultivar of clementine [Citrus clementina hort. ex Tanaka] × ‘Orland’ [Citrus paradisi Macfad. ‘Duncan’ × Citrus tangerina hort. ex Tanaka] × ‘Miyagawa Wase’) and ‘Yoshida’ ponkan (Citrus reticulata Blanco ‘Yoshida’), a SNP-based genetic linkage map was constructed and quantitative trait locus (QTL) mapping of four fruit-quality traits (fruit weight, sugar content, peel puffing, and water rot) was performed. The constructed genetic linkage map of ‘Harehime’ consisted of 442 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) on 9 linkage groups (LGs) and covered 635.8 cM of the genome, while that of ‘Yoshida’ ponkan consisted of 332 SNPs on 9 LGs and covered 892.9 cM of its genome. We identified four QTLs associated with fruit weight, one QTL associated with sugar content, three QTLs associated with peel puffing, and one QTL associated with water rot. For these QTL regions, we estimated the haplotypes of the crossed parents and verified the founding cultivars that these QTLs were originated from and their inheritance in descendant cultivars using pedigree information. QTLs identified in this study provide useful information for marker-assisted breeding of citrus in Japan.     

Construction of genetic linkage maps and QTL mapping for X-disease resistance in tetraploid chokecherry (Prunus virginiana L.) using SSR and AFLP markers

Chokecherry (Prunus virginiana L.) (2n = 4x = 32) is a unique Prunus species for both genetics and disease resistance research due to its tetraploid nature and known variations in X-disease resistance. X-disease is a destructive disease of stone fruit trees, causing yield loss and poor fruit quality. However, genetic and genomic information on chokecherry is limited. In this study, simple sequence repeat (SSR) and amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) markers were used to construct genetic linkage maps and to identify quantitative trait loci (QTLs) associated with X-disease resistance in chokecherry. A segregating population (101 progenies) was developed by crossing an X-disease-resistant chokecherry line (RC) with a susceptible chokecherry line (SC). A total of 498 DNA markers (257 SSR and 241 AFLP markers) were mapped on the two genetic maps of the two parental lines (RC and SC). The map of RC contains 302 markers assigned to 14 linkage groups covering 2,089 cM of the genome. The map of SC has 259 markers assigned to 16 linkage groups covering 1,562.4 cM of the genome. The average distance between two markers was 6.9 cM for the RC map and 6.0 cM for the SC map. One QTL located on linkage group 15 on the map of SC was found to be associated with X-disease resistance. Genetic linkage maps and the identified QTL linked to X-disease resistance will further facilitate genetic research and breeding of X-disease resistance in chokecherry and other Prunus species.     

Inheritance of reproductive phenology traits and related QTL identification in apricot

Reproductive phenological traits of great agronomical interest in apricot species, including flowering date, ripening date and fruit development period, were studied during 3 years in two F₁ progenies derived from the crosses ‘Bergeron’ × ‘Currot’ (B × C) and ‘Goldrich’ × ‘Currot’ (G × C). Results showed great variability and segregation in each population, confirming the polygenic nature and quantitative inheritance of all the studied traits. Genetic linkage maps were constructed combining SSR and SNP markers, using 87 markers in the ‘B × C’ population and 89 markers in ‘G × C’. The genetic linkage maps in both progenies show the eight linkage groups (LGs) of apricot, covering a distance of 394.9 cM in ‘Bergeron’ and of 414.3 cM in ‘Currot’. The ‘Goldrich’ and ‘Currot’ maps were of 353.5 and 422.3 cM, respectively. The average distance obtained between markers was thus 7.59 cM in ‘Bergeron’ and 7.53 cM in ‘Currot’, whereas the ‘Goldrich’ and ‘Currot’ averages were 5.6 and 7.5 cM, respectively. According to the polygenic nature of the studied phenology traits, QTLs linked to flowering date, ripening date and the fruit development period were identified during the 3 years of the study in all LGs except for LG 8. Among the QTLs identified, major QTLs for flowering and ripening date and the fruit development period were identified in LG 4, especially important in the ‘G × C’ population.     

Construction of High-Density Genetic Linkage Maps and Mapping of Growth-Related Quantitative Trail Loci in the Japanese Flounder (Paralichthys olivaceus)

High-density genetic linkage maps were constructed for the Japanese flounder (Paralichthys olivaceus). A total of 1624 microsatellite markers were polymorphic in the reference family. Linkage analysis using JoinMap 4.0 resulted in the mapping of 1487 markers to 24 linkage groups, a result which was consistent with the 24 chromosomes seen in chromosome spreads. The female map was composed of 1257 markers, covering a total of 1663.8 cM with an average interval 1.35 cM between markers. The male map consisted of 1224 markers, spanning 1726.5 cM, with an average interval of 1.44 cM. The genome length in the Japanese flounder was estimated to be 1730.3 cM for the females and 1798.0 cM for the males, a coverage of 96.2% for the female and 96.0% for the male map. The mean recombination at common intervals throughout the genome revealed a slight difference between sexes, i.e. 1.07 times higher in the male than female. High-density genetic linkage maps are very useful for marker-assisted selection (MAS) programs for economically valuable traits in this species and for further evolutionary studies in flatfish and vertebrate species. Furthermore, four quantiative trait loci (QTL) associated with growth traits were mapped on the genetic map. One QTL was identified for body weight on LG 14 f, which explained 14.85% of the total variation of the body weight. Three QTL were identified for body width on LG14f and LG14m, accounting for 16.75%, 13.62% and 13.65% of the total variation in body width, respectively. The additive effects were evident as negative values. There were four QTL for growth traits clustered on LG14, which should prove to be very useful for improving growth traits using molecular MAS.     

A genetic linkage map of the cultivated strawberry (Fragaria × ananassa) and its comparison to the diploid Fragaria reference map

The cultivated strawberry, Fragaria × ananassa, is the most economically-important soft-fruit species, but few practical molecular tools for the purpose of marker assisted selection currently exist. As a precursor to the development of such tools, a genetic linkage map was developed from a F₁ population comprising 174 seedlings derived from a cross between two F. × ananassa cultivars, ‘Redgauntlet’ × ‘Hapil’. The resultant map is composed of 315 molecular markers—218 microsatellites, 11 gene-specific markers and 86 AFLP and RAPD markers—and spans 3,116 cM. In total, 69 linkage group fragments were recovered, more than the 56 linkage groups expected for the cultivated strawberry, however, all fragments contained a transferable marker that could be associated with one of 56 linkage group scaffolds. The female (Redgauntlet) and male (Hapil) linkage maps are composed, respectively of 170 loci in 32 linkage groups covering 1,675.3 cM and 182 loci in 37 linkage groups covering 1,440.7 cM, with 37 markers common to both maps. The maximum number of markers in one linkage group was 15, the minimum was two. All linkage groups resolved contained at least one transferable marker (SSR or gene-specific) that had been mapped on the diploid Fragaria reference map (FV × FB), and therefore all linkage groups could be identified as homologous to one of the seven diploid Fragaria linkage groups. When marker order was compared to the diploid Fragaria reference map, effectively complete colinearity was observed. However, the occurrence of duplicated loci on homologues of linkage groups FG1 and FG6 provided evidence of a putative chromosomal duplication or translocation event in Fragaria. The development of this linkage map will facilitate the study and dissection of QTL associated with traits of economic importance such as disease resistance and fruit quality, and provides a foundation for the development of markers for the purpose of marker assisted breeding and selection in the cultivated strawberry, F. × ananassa.     

Mapping of QTLs for oil content and fatty acid composition in Indian mustard [Brassica juncea (L.) Czern. and Coss.]

An AFLP linkage map of Brassica juncea (L.) Czern and Coss was constructed using 88 recombinant inbred lines (RILs) from a cross between an Indian cultivar ‘Varuna’ and an accession from Poland ‘BEC-144’. The map included 91 AFLP markers organized on 19 linkage groups covering a total map distance of 1679.1 cM. A total of 14 QTLs were detected for oil content (2 QTLs), erucic acid (2 QTLs), eicosenoic acid (2 QTLs), linolenic acid (3 QTLs), linoleic acid (3 QTLs) and palmitic acid (2 QTLs). A specific genomic region on LG2 was associated with contents of three fatty acids: erucic acid, eicosenoic acid and linoleic acid. Some of the markers showed absolute linkage with the QTLs associated with the levels of linolenic acid, linoleic acid and oil content. These markers may be used for improvement of fatty acid profile of B. juncea.     

High density SNP mapping and QTL analysis for fruit quality characteristics in peach (Prunus persica L.)

Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were used to construct an integrated SNP linkage map of peach (Prunus persica (L.) Batsch). A set of 1,536 SNPs were evaluated with the GoldenGate® Genotyping assay in two mapping populations, Pop-DF, and Pop-DG. After genotyping and filtering, a final set of 1,400 high quality SNPs in Pop-DF and 962 in Pop-DG with full map coverage were selected and used to construct two linkage maps with JoinMap®4.0. The Pop-DF map covered 422 cM of the peach genome and included 1,037 SNP markers, and Pop-DG map covered 369 cM and included 738 SNPs. A consensus map was constructed with 588 SNP markers placed in eight linkage groups (n?=?8 for peach), with map coverage of 454 cM and an average distance of 0.81 cM/marker site. Placements of SNPs on the “peach v1.0” physical map were compared to placement on the linkage maps and several differences were observed. Using the SNP linkage map of Pop-DG and phenotypic data collected for three harvest seasons, a QTL analysis for fruit quality traits and chilling injury symptoms was carried out with the mapped SNPs. Significant QTL effects were detected for mealiness (M) and flesh bleeding (FBL) QTLs on linkage group 4 and flesh browning (FBr) on linkage group 5. This study represents one of the first examples of QTL detection for quality traits and chilling injury symptoms using a high-density SNP map in a single peach F1 family.     

玉米杂交种掖单13号的SSR连锁图谱构建与叶夹角和叶向值的QTL定位与分析

为了增加单位面积产量, 玉米育种者已经开始了更密植更紧凑株型的选育。叶夹角和叶向值是评价玉米株型的重要指标。本研究以掖478×丹340的500个F2单株为作图群体, 构建了具有138个位点的SSR标记连锁图谱, 图谱总长度为1 394.9 cM, 平均间距10.1 cM。利用397个F2：3家系对叶夹角和叶向值进行QTL定位分析, 结果表明: 叶夹角和叶向值分别检测到6和8个QTL, 累计解释表型变异41.0%和60.8%, 单个QTL的贡献率在2.9%~13.6%之间。与叶夹角和叶向值有关的基因主要作用方式为加性和部分显性。此外两个性状共检测到9对上位性互作位点, 表明上位性互作在叶夹角和叶向值的遗传中也起较重要的作用。     

Genetic mapping of EST-derived simple sequence repeats (EST-SSRs) to identify QTL for leaf morphological characters in a Quercus robur full-sib family

The availability of genomic resources such as expressed sequence tag-derived simple sequence repeat (EST-SSR) markers in adaptive genes with high transferability across related species allows the construction of genetic maps and the comparison of genome structure and quantitative trait loci (QTL) positions. In the present study, genetic linkage maps were constructed for both parents of a Quercus robur × Q. robur ssp. slavonica full-sib pedigree. A total of 182 markers (61 AFLPs, 23 nuclear SSRs, 98 EST-SSRs) and 172 markers (49 AFLPs, 21 nSSRs, 101 EST-SSRs, 1 isozyme) were mapped on the female and male linkage maps, respectively. The total map length and average marker spacing were 1,038 and 5.7 cM for the female map and 998.5 and 5.8 cM for the male map. A total of 68 nuclear SSRs and EST-SSRs segregating in both parents allowed to define homologous linkage groups (LG) between both parental maps. QTL for leaf morphological traits were mapped on all 12 LG at a chromosome-wide level and on 6 LG at a genome-wide level. The phenotypic effects explained by each single QTL ranged from 4.0 % for leaf area to 15.8 % for the number of intercalary veins. QTL clusters for leaf characters that discriminate between Q. robur and Quercus petraea were mapped reproducibly on three LG, and some putative candidate genes among potentially many others were identified on LG3 and LG5. Genetic linkage maps based on EST-SSRs can be valuable tools for the identification of genes involved in adaptive trait variation and for comparative mapping.     

QTL Mapping for Fiber and Yield Traits in Upland Cotton under Multiple Environments

A population of 178 recombinant inbred lines (RILs) was developed using a single seed descendant from a cross between G. hirsutum. acc DH962 and G. hirsutum. cv Jimian5, was used to construct a genetic map and to map QTL for fiber and yield traits. A total of 644 polymorphic loci were used to construct a final genetic map, containing 616 loci and spanning 2016.44 cM, with an average of 3.27 cM between adjacent markers. Statistical analysis revealed that segregation distortion in the intraspecific population was more serious than that in the interspecific population. The RIL population and the two parents were phenotyped under 8 environments (two locations, six years), revealing a total of 134 QTL, including 64 for fiber qualities and 70 for yield components, independently detected in seven environments, explaining 4.40–15.28% of phenotypic variation (PV). Among the 134 QTL, 9 common QTL were detected in more than one environment, and 22 QTL and 19 new QTL were detected in combined analysis (E9). A total of 26 QTL hotspot regions were observed on 13 chromosomes and 2 larger linkage groups, and some QTL clusters related to fiber qualities or yield components were also observed. The results obtained in the present study suggested that to map accurate QTL in crops with larger plant types, such as cotton, phenotyping under multiple environments is necessary to effectively apply the obtained results in molecular marker-assisted selection breeding and QTL cloning.