Genome-wide association study of leaf architecture in the maize nested association mapping population
Feng Tiana, Peter J. Bradburyb, Patrick J. Browna c, Hsiao‐Yi Hungd, Qi Sune, Sherry A. Flint-Garciaf g, Torbert Rochefordc h, Michael D. McMullenf g, James Brendan Hollandd i, Edward S. Bucklera b j✉
- aInstitute for Genomic Diversity, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, USA
- bUS Department of Agriculture–Agricultural Research Service (USDA-ARS), Ithaca, New York, USA
- cDepartment of Crop Sciences, University of Illinois, Urbana, Illinois, USA
- dDepartment of Crop Science, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina, USA
- eComputational Biology Service Unit, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, USA
- fDivision of Plant Sciences, University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri, USA
- gUSDA-ARS, Columbia, Missouri, USA
- hDepartment of Agronomy, Purdue University, Urbana, Illinois, USA
- iUSDA-ARS, Raleigh, North Carolina, USA
- jDepartment of Plant Breeding and Genetics, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, USA
- ✉Corresponding author
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Abstract
US maize yield has increased eight-fold in the past 80 years, with half of the gain attributed to selection by breeders. During this time, changes in maize leaf angle and size have altered plant architecture, allowing more efficient light capture as planting density has increased. Through a genome-wide association study (GWAS) of the maize nested association mapping panel, we determined the genetic basis of important leaf architecture traits and identified some of the key genes. Overall, we demonstrate that the genetic architecture of the leaf traits is dominated by small effects, with little epistasis, environmental interaction or pleiotropy. In particular, GWAS results show that variations at the liguleless genes have contributed to more upright leaves. These results demonstrate that the use of GWAS with specially designed mapping populations is effective in uncovering the basis of key agronomic traits.
TL;DROverall, GWAS results show that variations at the liguleless genes have contributed to more upright leaves, and the use of GWAS with specially designed mapping populations is effective in uncovering the basis of key agronomic traits. (Semantic Scholar)