title: First steps to understand heat tolerance of temperate maize at adult stage: identification of QTL across multiple environments with connected segregating populations.
abstract: Dents were more heat tolerant than Flints. QTL for heat tolerance with respect to grain yield at field conditions were identified considering multiple populations and environments. High temperatures have the potential to cause severe damages to maize production. This study aims to elucidate the genetic mechanisms of heat tolerance under field conditions in maize and the genome regions contributing to natural variation. In our study, heat tolerance was assessed on a multi-environment level under non-controlled field conditions for a set of connected intra- and interpool Dent and Flint populations. Our findings indicate that Dent are more heat tolerant during adult stage than Flint genotypes. We identified 11 quantitative trait loci (QTL) including 2 loci for heat tolerance with respect to grain yield. Furthermore, we identified six heat-tolerance and 112 heat-responsive candidate genes colocating with the previously mentioned QTL. To investigate their contribution to the response to heat stress and heat tolerance, differential expression and sequence variation of the identified candidate genes should be subjected to further research.
authors.affiliation: Max Planck Institute for Plant Breeding Research, Carl-von-Linné-Weg 10, 50829, Cologne, Germany.
authors.forename: Felix P
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-9955-741X
authors.initials: FP
authors.lastname: Frey
authors.affiliation: KWS SAAT SE, Grimsehlstrasse 31, 37555, Einbeck, Germany.
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Presterl
authors.affiliation: Group Limagrain, Am Eggenkamp 1, 48268, Greven, Germany.
authors.forename: Patrick
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Lecoq
authors.affiliation: Group Limagrain, Fehrpart u. 80, 6710, Szeged, Hungary.
authors.forename: András
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Orlik
authors.affiliation: Max Planck Institute for Plant Breeding Research, Carl-von-Linné-Weg 10, 50829, Cologne, Germany. stich@mpipz.mpg.de.
authors.forename: Benjamin
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Stich
mesh_terms: D002874:Chromosome Mapping; D003433:Crosses, Genetic; D004777:Environment; D017343:Genes, Plant; D005828:Genetics, Population; D005838:Genotype; D006358:Hot Temperature; D008957:Models, Genetic; D010641:Phenotype; D020641:Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide; D040641:Quantitative Trait Loci; D013312:Stress, Physiological; D003313:Zea mays / Q000235:genetics*