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Journal of Integrative Agriculture  2026, Vol. 25 Issue (9): 3548-3558    DOI: 10.1016/j.jia.2024.10.005
Crop Science Advanced Online Publication | Current Issue | Archive | Adv Search |
Genetic identification and characterization of a novel locus for wheat kernel length

Qian Liu1*, Qijing Xuan1*, Yuxin Lan1, Xinlin Xie1, Bin Chen1, Jianing You2, Longxing Su1, Md Nahibuzzaman Lohani1, Lei Wu1, Xinrong Hu1, Li Yin1, Yanlin Liu1, Tongzhu Wang1, Qiantao Jiang1, Yuming Wei1, Youliang Zheng1, Chunji Liu3, Hongwei Geng4#, Jian Ma1#

1 State Key Laboratory of Crop Gene Exploration and Utilization in Southwest China/Triticeae Research Institute, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, China

2 Industrial Crop Research Institute, Sichuan Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Chengdu 610300, China

3 School of Agriculture, Henan Institute of Science and Technology, Xinxiang 453003, China

4 College of Agronomy/High Quality Special Wheat Crop Engineering Technology Research Center, Xinjiang Agricultural University, Urumqi 830052, China

 Highlights 
A novel locus for kernel length was identified and validated.
A new model for analyzing the genetic basis of quantitative traits was proposed.
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摘要  

粒长是决定小麦粒重的组成因素之一。在本研究中,我们首先利用群体分离分析法和小麦60 K液相SNP芯片快速确定了小麦长粒突变体BLS22B染色体长臂可能含有粒长调控位点,然后进一步利用连锁图谱确定该位点是一个主效且稳定的QTL,即Qkl.sau-BC-2B.1,其定位于0.4 cM的遗传区间内,在不同环境下能解释17.01%-30.53 %的表型变异,其遗传效应和真实性在另一个群体中也得到进一步验证。Qkl.sau-BC-2B.1的正效应位点可以显著增加百粒重并延长开花期,但不影响植株高度、分蘖数、穗长和每穗小穗数。表达量和测序分析表明,基因TraesCS2B02G478100编码区有个导致氨基酸变化的碱基变异,推测它很可能是该粒长位点的候选基因。另外,我们提出了一个新的解析产量相关性状遗传基础的模型。综上,本研究结果为后续开展粒长基因的挖掘和育种利用提供了基础。



Abstract  

Kernel length (KL) is one of the components determining grain weight (GW) in wheat.  In this study, we firstly detected a putative locus on chromosome arm 2BL from a mutant BLS2 with long kernels using a Bulked Segregant Analysis (BSA) combined with a 60 K SNP array.  This putative locus was then confirmed as a major and stable QTL based on linkage mapping.  The locus, Qkl.sau-BC-2B.1, was mapped in an interval of 0.4 cM, and phenotypic variance explained by it varied from 17.01 to 30.53% across different environments.  Effects of this locus was further verified in a second population.  The positive allele of the locus could significantly increase hundred-kernel weight and prolong anthesis date, but it did not affect plant height, tiller number, spike length, and spikelet number per spike.  Expression and sequencing analyses identified TraesCS2B02G478100, possessing a G to C transition variation leading to an amino acid change, as the likely candidate gene underlying the locus.  Further, a new model for analyzing the genetic basis of yield-related traits was proposed. Taken together, our results provide a foundation for subsequent gene mining and breeding utilization of this promising QTL for KL.

Keywords:  wheat       kernel length        BSA        60K SNP array        QTL mapping  
Received: 04 September 2024   Accepted: 25 September 2024 Online: 25 October 2024  
Fund: This research was supported by the National Key R&D Program of China (2023YFD1201900), the Xinjiang Autonomous Region Major Science and Technology Special Project, China (2024A02003-2), the Xinjiang Agriculture Research System, China (XJARS-01-02), and the Natural Science Foundation of Sichuan Province, China (2024NSFSC0312). 
About author:  #Correspondence Jian Ma, E-mail: jianma@sicau.edu.cn; Hongwei Geng, E-mail: hw-geng@163.com * These authors contributed equally to this study.

Cite this article: 

Qian Liu, Qijing Xuan, Yuxin Lan, Xinlin Xie, Bin Chen, Jianing You, Longxing Su, Md Nahibuzzaman Lohani, Lei Wu, Xinrong Hu, Li Yin, Yanlin Liu, Tongzhu Wang, Qiantao Jiang, Yuming Wei, Youliang Zheng, Chunji Liu, Hongwei Geng, Jian Ma. 2026. Genetic identification and characterization of a novel locus for wheat kernel length. Journal of Integrative Agriculture, 25(9): 3548-3558.

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