Identification of two major QTLs for pod shell thickness in peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.) using BSA-seq analysis

Abstract

Background Pod shell thickness (PST) is an important agronomic trait of peanut because it affects the ability of shells to resist pest infestations and pathogen attacks, while also influencing the peanut shelling process. However, very few studies have explored the genetic basis of PST. Results An F2 segregating population derived from a cross between the thick-shelled cultivar Yueyou 18 (YY18) and the thin-shelled cultivar Weihua 8 (WH8) was used to identify the quantitative trait loci (QTLs) for PST. On the basis of a bulked segregant analysis sequencing (BSA-seq), four QTLs were preliminarily mapped to chromosomes 3, 8, 13, and 18. Using the genome resequencing data of YY18 and WH8, 22 kompetitive allele-specific PCR (KASP) markers were designed for the genotyping of the F2 population. Two major QTLs (qPSTA08 and qPSTA18) were identified and finely mapped, with qPSTA08 detected on chromosome 8 (0.69-Mb physical genomic region) and qPSTA18 detected on chromosome 18 (0.15-Mb physical genomic region). Moreover, qPSTA08 and qPSTA18 explained 31.1–32.3% and 16.7–16.8% of the phenotypic variation, respectively. Fifteen genes were detected in the two candidate regions, including three genes with nonsynonymous mutations in the exon region. Two molecular markers (Tif2_A08_31713024 and Tif2_A18_7198124) that were developed for the two major QTL regions effectively distinguished between thick-shelled and thin-shelled materials. Subsequently, the two markers were validated in four F2:3 lines selected. Conclusions The QTLs identified and molecular markers developed in this study may lay the foundation for breeding cultivars with a shell thickness suitable for mechanized peanut shelling.

Genome-Wide Association Studies of Embryogenic Callus Induction Rate in Peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.)

“…Quantitative trait loci (QTLs) controlling callus differentiation have been identified in many crops, such as rice [19], Populus euphratica [20], soybean [21], maize [22], and wheat [23]. In recent decades, with the development of diverse molecular markers, more accurate high-throughput sequencing technology has been applied to peanut genetics and breeding [24,25]. In the present study, we compared the genotype and callus induction rate (CIR) of peanut varieties, constructing a high-density SNP-array genetic map based on the whole-genome resequencing of 353 peanut accessions, with the aim of identifying germplasm resources with a high CIR to expand the efficiency of the genetic transformation of peanut.…”