title: Population structure and linkage disequilibrium of a mini core set of maize inbred lines in China.
abstract: Understanding genetic diversity, population structure, and the level and distribution of linkage disequilibrium (LD) in target populations are of great importance and the prerequisite for association mapping. In the present study, 145 genome-wide SSR markers were used to assess the genetic diversity, population structure, and LD of a set of 95 maize inbred lines which represented the Chinese maize inbred lines. Results showed that the population included a diverse genetic variation. A model-based population structure analysis subdivided the inbred lines into four subgroups that correspond to the four major empirical germplasm origins in China, i.e., Lancaster, Reid, Tangsipingtou and P. Among all of the inbred lines, 65.3% were assigned into the corresponding subgroups; others were assigned into a "mixed" subgroup. LD was significant at a 0.01 level between 63.89% of the SSR pairs in the entire sample and with a range of 18.75-40.28% in the subgroups. Among factors influencing LD, linkage was the major cause for LD of SSR loci. The results suggested that the population may be used in the detection of genome-wide SSR marker-phenotype association.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Crop Science, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences/National Key Facility for Crop Gene Resources and Genetic Improvement (NFCRI), 100081 Beijing, People's Republic of China. ronghuanwang@126.com
authors.forename: Ronghuan
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Yongtao
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.forename: Jiuran
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.forename: Yunsu
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Shi
authors.forename: Yanchun
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Song
authors.forename: Tianyu
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Yu
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Li
mesh_terms: D002681:China; D005819:Genetic Markers; D014644:Genetic Variation; D005838:Genotype; D007178:Inbreeding; D015810:Linkage Disequilibrium; D018598:Minisatellite Repeats; D011157:Population Dynamics; D003313:Zea mays / Q000235:genetics* / Q000254:growth & development
chemical_list: D005819:Genetic Markers