Integrating GWAS and gene expression data for functional characterization of resistance to white mould in soya bean

White mould of soya bean, caused by Sclerotinia sclerotiorum (Lib.) de Bary, is a necrotrophic fungus capable of infecting a wide range of plants. To dissect the genetic architecture of resistance to white mould, a high-density customized single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) array (52041 SNPs) was used to genotype two soya bean diversity panels. Combined with resistance variation data observed in the field and greenhouse environments, genome-wide association studies (GWASs) were conducted to identify quantitative trait loci (QTL) controlling resistance against white mould. Results showed that 16 and 11 loci were found significantly associated with resistance in field and greenhouse, respectively. Of these, eight loci localized to previously mapped QTL intervals and one locus had significant associations with resistance across both environments. The expression level changes in genes located in GWAS-identified loci were assessed between partially resistant and susceptible genotypes through a RNA-seq analysis of the stem tissue collected at various time points after inoculation. A set of genes with diverse biological functionalities were identified as strong candidates underlying white mould resistance. Moreover, we found that genomic prediction models outperformed predictions based on significant SNPs. Prediction accuracies ranged from 0.48 to 0.64 for disease index measured in field experiments. The integrative methods, including GWAS, RNA-seq and genomic selection (GS), applied in this study facilitated the identification of causal variants, enhanced our understanding of mechanisms of white mould resistance and provided valuable information regarding breeding for disease resistance through genomic selection in soya bean.