title: Multiple interval QTL mapping and searching for PSTOL1 homologs associated with root morphology, biomass accumulation and phosphorus content in maize seedlings under low-P.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Modifications in root morphology are important strategies to maximize soil exploitation under phosphorus starvation in plants. Here, we used two multiple interval models to map QTLs related to root traits, biomass accumulation and P content in a maize RIL population cultivated in nutrient solution. In addition, we searched for putative maize homologs to PSTOL1, a gene responsible to enhance early root growth, P uptake and grain yield in rice and sorghum.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Based on path analysis, root surface area was the root morphology component that most strongly contributed to total dry weight and to P content in maize seedling under low-P availability. Multiple interval mapping models for single (MIM) and multiple traits (MT-MIM) were combined and revealed 13 genomic regions significantly associated with the target traits in a complementary way. The phenotypic variances explained by all QTLs and their epistatic interactions using MT-MIM (23.4 to 35.5 %) were higher than in previous studies, and presented superior statistical power. Some of these QTLs were coincident with QTLs for root morphology traits and grain yield previously mapped, whereas others harbored ZmPSTOL candidate genes, which shared more than 55 % of amino acid sequence identity and a conserved serine/threonine kinase domain with OsPSTOL1. Additionally, four ZmPSTOL candidate genes co-localized with QTLs for root morphology, biomass accumulation and/or P content were preferentially expressed in roots of the parental lines that contributed the alleles enhancing the respective phenotypes.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  QTL mapping strategies adopted in this study revealed complementary results for single and multiple traits with high accuracy. Some QTLs, mainly the ones that were also associated with yield performance in other studies, can be good targets for marker-assisted selection to improve P-use efficiency in maize. Based on the co-localization with QTLs, the protein domain conservation and the coincidence of gene expression, we selected novel maize genes as putative homologs to PSTOL1 that will require further validation studies.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Biologia Geral, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Avenida Presidente Antônio Carlos, 6627, Belo Horizonte, MG, 31270-901, Brazil. gabrielcorradiazevedo@yahoo.com.br.
authors.forename: Gabriel C
authors.initials: GC
authors.lastname: Azevedo
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Genética, Escola Superior de Agricultura Luiz de Queiroz, Universidade de São Paulo, Caixa Postal 83, Piracicaba, SP, 13400-970, Brazil. acheavegatti@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Adriana
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Cheavegatti-Gianotto
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Bioengenharia, Universidade Federal de São João del-Rei, Praça Dom Helvécio, 74, São João del-Rei, MG, 36301-160, Brazil. barbarafnegri@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Bárbara F
authors.initials: BF
authors.lastname: Negri
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Biologia Geral, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Avenida Presidente Antônio Carlos, 6627, Belo Horizonte, MG, 31270-901, Brazil. barbarahufnagel@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Bárbara
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Hufnagel
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Genética, Escola Superior de Agricultura Luiz de Queiroz, Universidade de São Paulo, Caixa Postal 83, Piracicaba, SP, 13400-970, Brazil. ldcesilva@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Luciano da Costa
authors.initials: Lda C
authors.lastname: E Silva
authors.affiliation: Núcleo de Biologia Aplicada, Embrapa Milho e Sorgo, Rodovia MG 424, km 65, Caixa Postal 151, Sete Lagoas, MG, 35701-970, Brazil. jurandir.magalhaes@embrapa.br.
authors.forename: Jurandir V
authors.initials: JV
authors.lastname: Magalhaes
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Genética, Escola Superior de Agricultura Luiz de Queiroz, Universidade de São Paulo, Caixa Postal 83, Piracicaba, SP, 13400-970, Brazil. augusto.garcia@usp.br.
authors.forename: Antonio Augusto F
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Garcia
authors.affiliation: Núcleo de Biologia Aplicada, Embrapa Milho e Sorgo, Rodovia MG 424, km 65, Caixa Postal 151, Sete Lagoas, MG, 35701-970, Brazil. ubiraci.lana@embrapa.br.
authors.forename: Ubiraci G P
authors.initials: UG
authors.lastname: Lana
authors.affiliation: Núcleo de Biologia Aplicada, Embrapa Milho e Sorgo, Rodovia MG 424, km 65, Caixa Postal 151, Sete Lagoas, MG, 35701-970, Brazil.
authors.forename: Sylvia M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: de Sousa
authors.affiliation: Núcleo de Biologia Aplicada, Embrapa Milho e Sorgo, Rodovia MG 424, km 65, Caixa Postal 151, Sete Lagoas, MG, 35701-970, Brazil. claudia.guimaraes@embrapa.br.
authors.forename: Claudia T
authors.initials: CT
authors.lastname: Guimaraes
mesh_terms: D018533:Biomass; D002874:Chromosome Mapping; D007178:Inbreeding; D010758:Phosphorus / Q000378:metabolism; D018517:Plant Roots / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism; D040641:Quantitative Trait Loci; D036226:Seedlings / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism; D003313:Zea mays / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000235:genetics* / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D010758:Phosphorus