@Article{phyton.2022.019842,
AUTHOR = {Hameed Gul, Mengya Qian, Mohammad G. Arabzai, Tianhui Huang, Qiannan Ma, Fangyu Xing, Wan Cao, Tingting Liu, Hong Duan, Qianlin Xiao, Zhizhai Liu},
TITLE = {Discovering Candidate Chromosomal Regions Linked to Kernel Size-Related Traits via QTL Mapping and Bulked Sample Analysis in Maize},
JOURNAL = {Phyton-International Journal of Experimental Botany},
VOLUME = {91},
YEAR = {2022},
NUMBER = {7},
PAGES = {1429--1443},
URL = {http://www.techscience.com/phyton/v91n7/47018},
ISSN = {1851-5657},
ABSTRACT = {Kernel size-related traits, including kernel length, kernel width, and kernel thickness, are critical components in determining yield and kernel quality in maize (<i>Zea mays</i> L.). Dissecting the phenotypic characteristics of these traits, and discovering the candidate chromosomal regions for these traits, are of potential importance for maize yield and quality improvement. In this study, a total of 139 F2:3 family lines derived from EHel and B73, a distinct line with extremely low ear height (EHel), was used for phenotyping and QTL mapping of three kernel size-related traits, including 10-kernel length (KL), 10-kernel width (KWid), and 10-kernel thickness (KT). The results showed that only one QTL for KWid, i.e., <i>qKWid9</i> on Chr9, with a phenotypic variation explained (PVE) of 13.4% was detected between SNPs of AX-86298371 and AX-86298372, while no QTLs were detected for KL and KT across all 10 chromosomes. Four bulked groups of family lines, i.e., Groups I to IV, were constructed with F2:3 family lines according to the phenotypic comparisons of KWid between EHel and B73. Among these four groups, Group I possessed a significantly lower KWid than EHel (<i>P </i>=<i> </i>0.0455), Group II was similar to EHel (<i>P </i>=<i> </i>0.34), while both Group III and Group IV were statistically higher than EHel (<i>P </i><<i> </i>0.05). Besides, except Group IV exhibited a similar KWid to B73 (<i>P </i>=<i> </i>0.11), KWid of Groups I to III were statistically lower than B73 (<i>P </i><<i> </i>0.00). By comparing the bulked genotypes of the four groups to EHel and B73, a stable chromosomal region on Chr9 between SNPs of AX-86298372 to AX-86263154, entirely covered by <i>qKWid9</i>, was identified to link KWid with the positive allele of increasing phenotypic effect to KWid from B73, similar to that of <i>qKWid9</i>. A large amount of enzyme activity and macromolecule binding-related genes were annotated within this chromosomal region, suggesting <i>qKWid9</i> as a potential QTL for KWid in maize.},
DOI = {10.32604/phyton.2022.019842}
}