Rapid Identification of QTL for Mesocotyl Length in Rice Through Combining QTL-seq and Genome-Wide Association Analysis

Mesocotyl is a crucial organ for pushing buds out of soil, which plays a vital role in seedling emergence and establishment in direct-seeded rice. Thus, the identification of quantitative trait loci (QTL) associated with mesocotyl length (ML) could accelerate genetic improvement of rice for direct seeding cultivation. In this study, QTL sequencing (QTL-seq) applied to 12 F-2 populations identified 14 QTL for ML, which were distributed on chromosomes 1, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, and 9 based on the Delta(SNP-index) or G-value statistics. Besides, a genome-wide association study (GWAS) using two diverse panels identified five unique QTL on chromosomes 1, 8, 9, and 12 (2), respectively, explaining 5.3-14.6% of the phenotypic variations. Among these QTL, seven were in the regions harboring known genes or QTLs, whereas the other 10 were potentially novel. Six of the QTL were stable across two or more populations. Eight high-confidence candidate genes related to ML were identified for the stable loci based on annotation and expression analyses. Association analysis revealed that two PCR gel-based markers for the loci co-located by QTL-seq and GWAS, Indel-Chr1:18932318 and Indel-Chr7:15404166 for loci qML1.3 and qML7.2 respectively, were significantly associated with ML in a collection of 140 accessions and could be used as breeder-friendly markers in further breeding.

Automated summary

This study identified 14 QTL associated with mesocotyl length in rice through QTL-seq and GWAS, with some QTL related to known genes or QTL and others potentially novel. Six of the identified QTL were stable across multiple populations, suggesting potential value for genetic improvement in rice direct-seeding cultivation.