Use of genotype-environment interactions to elucidate the pattern of maize root plasticity to nitrogen deficiency.
Maize (Zea mays L.) root morphology exhibits a high degree of phenotypic plasticity to nitrogen (N) deficiency, but the underlying genetic architecture remains to be investigated. Using an advanced BC4 F3 population, we investigated the root growth plasticity under two contrasted N levels and identified the quantitative trait loci (QTLs) with QTL-environment (Q × E) interaction effects. Principal components analysis (PCA) on changes of root traits to N deficiency (ΔLN-HN) showed that root length and biomass contributed for 45.8% in the same magnitude and direction on the first PC, while root traits scattered highly on PC2 and PC3. Hierarchical cluster analysis on traits for ΔLN-HN further assigned the BC4 F3 lines into six groups, in which the special phenotypic responses to N deficiency was presented. These results revealed the complicated root plasticity of maize in response to N deficiency that can be caused by genotype-environment (G × E) interactions. Furthermore, QTL mapping using a multi-environment analysis identified 35 QTLs for root traits. Nine of these QTLs exhibited significant Q × E interaction effects. Taken together, our findings contribute to understanding the phenotypic and genotypic pattern of root plasticity to N deficiency, which will be useful for developing maize tolerance cultivars to N deficiency.
Key Lab of Plant-Soil Interaction, MOE, Center for Resources, Environment and Food Security, College Resources and Environmental Sciences, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, China.|Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Crop Genetics and Physiology/Co-Innovation Center for Modern Production Technology of Grain Crops, Key Laboratory of Plant Functional Genomics of the Ministry of Education, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, 225009, China.
Pengcheng
P
Li
Key Lab of Plant-Soil Interaction, MOE, Center for Resources, Environment and Food Security, College Resources and Environmental Sciences, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, China.|Leading Bio-agricultural Co., Ltd., Qinhuangdao, 066000, China.
Zhongjuan
Z
Zhuang
Key Lab of Plant-Soil Interaction, MOE, Center for Resources, Environment and Food Security, College Resources and Environmental Sciences, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, China.|Institute of Agricultural Resource and Environment, Jilin Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Changchun, 130033, China.
Hongguang
H
Cai
Key Lab of Plant-Soil Interaction, MOE, Center for Resources, Environment and Food Security, College Resources and Environmental Sciences, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, China.
Shuai
S
Cheng
Key Lab of Plant-Soil Interaction, MOE, Center for Resources, Environment and Food Security, College Resources and Environmental Sciences, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, China.
Ayaz Ali
AA
Soomro
Key Lab of Plant-Soil Interaction, MOE, Center for Resources, Environment and Food Security, College Resources and Environmental Sciences, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, China.
Zhigang
Z
Liu
Key Lab of Plant-Soil Interaction, MOE, Center for Resources, Environment and Food Security, College Resources and Environmental Sciences, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, China.
Riliang
R
Gu
Key Lab of Plant-Soil Interaction, MOE, Center for Resources, Environment and Food Security, College Resources and Environmental Sciences, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, China.
Guohua
G
Mi
Key Lab of Plant-Soil Interaction, MOE, Center for Resources, Environment and Food Security, College Resources and Environmental Sciences, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, China.
Lixing
L
Yuan
Key Lab of Plant-Soil Interaction, MOE, Center for Resources, Environment and Food Security, College Resources and Environmental Sciences, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, China.
Fanjun
F
Chen
D002874:Chromosome Mapping; D003433:Crosses, Genetic; D004777:Environment; D005838:Genotype; D009584:Nitrogen / Q000172:deficiency* / Q000494:pharmacology*; D010641:Phenotype; D018517:Plant Roots / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D025341:Principal Component Analysis; D040641:Quantitative Trait Loci / Q000235:genetics; D019655:Quantitative Trait, Heritable; D003313:Zea mays / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology*
D009584:Nitrogen
Genotype-environment interactions; Zea mays L; nitrogen stress; quantitative trait locus; root morphology; root plasticity