title: Genetic control of functional traits related to photosynthesis and water use efficiency in Pinus pinaster Ait. drought response: integration of genome annotation, allele association and QTL detection for candidate gene identification.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Understanding molecular mechanisms that control photosynthesis and water use efficiency in response to drought is crucial for plant species from dry areas. This study aimed to identify QTL for these traits in a Mediterranean conifer and tested their stability under drought.
  
  
  RESULTS
  High density linkage maps for Pinus pinaster were used in the detection of QTL for photosynthesis and water use efficiency at three water irrigation regimes. A total of 28 significant and 27 suggestive QTL were found. QTL detected for photochemical traits accounted for the higher percentage of phenotypic variance. Functional annotation of genes within the QTL suggested 58 candidate genes for the analyzed traits. Allele association analysis in selected candidate genes showed three SNPs located in a MYB transcription factor that were significantly associated with efficiency of energy capture by open PSII reaction centers and specific leaf area.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The integration of QTL mapping of functional traits, genome annotation and allele association yielded several candidate genes involved with molecular control of photosynthesis and water use efficiency in response to drought in a conifer species. The results obtained highlight the importance of maintaining the integrity of the photochemical machinery in P. pinaster drought response.
authors.forename: Marina
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: de Miguel
authors.forename: José-Antonio
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Cabezas
authors.forename: Nuria
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: de María
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Sánchez-Gómez
authors.forename: María-Ángeles
authors.initials: MÁ
authors.lastname: Guevara
authors.forename: María-Dolores
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Vélez
authors.forename: Enrique
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Sáez-Laguna
authors.forename: Luis-Manuel
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Díaz
authors.forename: Jose-Antonio
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Mancha
authors.forename: María-Carmen
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Barbero
authors.forename: Carmen
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Collada
authors.forename: Carmen
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Díaz-Sala
authors.forename: Ismael
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Aranda
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Ecología y Genética Forestal, INIA-CIFOR, Ctra, de La Coruña Km 7,5, 28040 Madrid, Spain. cervera@inia.es.
authors.forename: María-Teresa
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Cervera
mesh_terms: D000483:Alleles; D002874:Chromosome Mapping; D019295:Computational Biology; D003433:Crosses, Genetic; D055864:Droughts; D059647:Gene-Environment Interaction; D056726:Genetic Association Studies; D008040:Genetic Linkage; D018745:Genome, Plant; D023281:Genomics; D008126:Lod Score; D058977:Molecular Sequence Annotation; D010641:Phenotype; D010788:Photosynthesis / Q000235:genetics*; D028223:Pinus / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*; D020641:Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide; D040641:Quantitative Trait Loci; D013312:Stress, Physiological / Q000235:genetics*