title: Genome-wide dissection of the maize ear genetic architecture using multiple populations.
abstract: Improvement of grain yield is an essential long-term goal of maize (Zea mays) breeding to meet continual and increasing food demands worldwide, but the genetic basis remains unclear. We used 10 different recombination inbred line (RIL) populations genotyped with high-density markers and phenotyped in multiple environments to dissect the genetic architecture of maize ear traits. Three methods were used to map the quantitative trait loci (QTLs) affecting ear traits. We found 17-34 minor- or moderate-effect loci that influence ear traits, with little epistasis and environmental interactions, totally accounting for 55.4-82% of the phenotypic variation. Four novel QTLs were validated and fine mapped using candidate gene association analysis, expression QTL analysis and heterogeneous inbred family validation. The combination of multiple different populations is a flexible and manageable way to collaboratively integrate widely available genetic resources, thereby boosting the statistical power of QTL discovery for important traits in agricultural crops, ultimately facilitating breeding programs.
authors.affiliation: National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, China.
authors.forename: Yingjie
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Xiao
authors.affiliation: National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, China.
authors.forename: Hao
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Tong
authors.affiliation: National Maize Improvement Center of China, Beijing Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, China.
authors.forename: Xiaohong
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: Department of Botany and Plant Sciences, University of California, Riverside, CA, 92521, USA.
authors.forename: Shizhong
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.affiliation: National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, China.
authors.forename: Qingchun
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Pan
authors.affiliation: National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, China.
authors.forename: Feng
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Qiao
authors.affiliation: National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, China.
authors.forename: Mohammad Sharif
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Raihan
authors.affiliation: National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, China.
authors.forename: Yun
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Luo
authors.affiliation: National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, China.
authors.forename: Haijun
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, China.
authors.forename: Xuehai
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, China.
authors.forename: Ning
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, China.
authors.forename: Xiaqing
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, China.
authors.forename: Min
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Deng
authors.affiliation: National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, China.
authors.forename: Minliang
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Jin
authors.affiliation: National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, China.
authors.forename: Lijun
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.affiliation: National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, China.
authors.forename: Xin
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Luo
authors.affiliation: National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, China.
authors.forename: Yang
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.affiliation: National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, China.
authors.forename: Xiang
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, China.
authors.forename: Jie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, China.
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Zhan
authors.affiliation: National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, China.
authors.forename: Nannan
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, China.
authors.forename: Hong
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, China.
authors.forename: Gengshen
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: National Maize Improvement Center of China, Beijing Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, China.
authors.forename: Ye
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Cai
authors.affiliation: National Maize Improvement Center of China, Beijing Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, China.
authors.forename: Gen
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.affiliation: National Maize Improvement Center of China, Beijing Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, China.
authors.forename: Weidong
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: National Maize Improvement Center of China, Beijing Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, China.
authors.forename: Debo
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Zheng
authors.affiliation: National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, China.
authors.forename: Jianbing
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Yan
mesh_terms: D056726:Genetic Association Studies; D005828:Genetics, Population; D018745:Genome, Plant; D055106:Genome-Wide Association Study; D005838:Genotype; D007178:Inbreeding; D008957:Models, Genetic; D010641:Phenotype; D020641:Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide / Q000235:genetics; D040641:Quantitative Trait Loci / Q000235:genetics; D011995:Recombination, Genetic / Q000235:genetics; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D003313:Zea mays / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000235:genetics*
keywords: genome-wide association study (GWAS); joint linkage mapping; maize (Zea mays); multi-parent population; quantitative trait loci (QTLs); yield traits