Abstract
Meta-QTL (MQTL) analysis for drought tolerance was undertaken in bread wheat to identify consensus and robust MQTLs using 340 known QTLs from 11 earlier studies; 13 MQTLs located on 6 chromosomes (1D, 3B, 5A, 6D, 7A and 7D) were identified, with maximum of 4 MQTLs on chromosome 5A. Mean confidence intervals for MQTLs were much narrower (mean, 6.01 cM; range 2.07–19.46 cM), relative to those in original QTLs (mean, 13.6 cM; range, 1.0–119.1 cM). Two MQTLs, namely MQTL4 and MQTL12, were major MQTLs with potential for use in marker-assisting breeding. As many as 228 candidate genes (CGs) were also identified using 6 of the 13 MQTLs. In-silico expression analysis of these 228 CGs allowed identification of 14 important CGs, with + 3 to − 8 fold change in expression under drought (relative to normal conditions) in a tolerant cv. named TAM107. These CGs encoded proteins belonging to the following families: NAD-dependent epimerase/dehydratase, protein kinase, NAD(P)-binding domain protein, heat shock protein 70 (Hsp70), glycosyltransferase 2-like, etc. Important MQTLs and CGs identified in the present study should prove useful for future molecular breeding and for the study of molecular basis of drought tolerance in cereals in general and wheat in particular.
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Acknowledgements
The work was carried out, when AK, IJ and KK held JRF positions under a research project funded by Department of Biotechnology, New Delhi, India and GS held SRF position under NASF-ICAR program of Government of India. PKG was awarded Hony Scientist position and HSB was awarded Senior Scientist position both from Indian National Science Academy (INSA). Head, Department of Genetics and Plant Breeding, CCS University, Meerut, provided the necessary infrastructure. Authors are also thankful to Dr. Sandhya Tyagi, Division of Genetics, IARI, New Delhi for providing inputs to AK for conducting MQTL analysis.
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PKG, HSB and PKS conceived the study and also edited and finalized the manuscript. AK conducted MQTL analysis and wrote the first draft of the MS jointly with GS; IJ and KK helped AK in preparing the files for MQTL analysis.
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Kumar, A., Saripalli, G., Jan, I. et al. Meta-QTL analysis and identification of candidate genes for drought tolerance in bread wheat (Triticum aestivum L.). Physiol Mol Biol Plants 26, 1713–1725 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12298-020-00847-6
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12298-020-00847-6