Abstract
Key message The identification of stable QTL for seed quality traits by association mapping of a diverse panel of linseed accessions establishes the foundation for assisted breeding and future fine mapping in linseed. Linseed oil is valued for its food and non-food applications. Modifying its oil content and fatty acid (FA) profiles to meet market needs in a timely manner requires clear understanding of their quantitative trait loci (QTL) architectures, which have received little attention to date. Association mapping is an efficient approach to identify QTL in germplasm collections. In this study, we explored the quantitative nature of seed quality traits including oil content (OIL), palmitic acid, stearic acid, oleic acid, linoleic acid (LIO) linolenic acid (LIN) and iodine value in a flax core collection of 390 accessions assayed with 460 microsatellite markers. The core collection was grown in a modified augmented design at two locations over 3 years and phenotypic data for all seven traits were obtained from all six environments. Significant phenotypic diversity and moderate to high heritability for each trait (0.73–0.99) were observed. Most of the candidate QTL were stable as revealed by multivariate analyses. Nine candidate QTL were identified, varying from one for OIL to three for LIO and LIN. Candidate QTL for LIO and LIN co-localized with QTL previously identified in bi-parental populations and some mapped nearby genes known to be involved in the FA biosynthesis pathway. Fifty-eight percent of the QTL alleles were absent (private) in the Canadian cultivars suggesting that the core collection possesses QTL alleles potentially useful to improve seed quality traits. The candidate QTL identified herein will establish the foundation for future marker-assisted breeding in linseed.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1007/s00122-014-2264-4) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
Highlights
Oil crops have gained in importance worldwide over the past 20 years as indicated by the increase in total harvested area from 189.3 million hectares in 1992 to 272.7 million hectares in 2011 (FAOSTAT 2013)
We explored the quantitative nature of seed quality traits including oil content (OIL), palmitic acid, stearic acid, oleic acid, linoleic acid (LIO) linolenic acid (LIN) and iodine value in a flax core collection of 390 accessions assayed with 460 microsatellite markers
LIN is the precursor of the long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), docosapentaenoic acid (DPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) which are synthesized in the human body and recognized for their health benefits (Simopoulos 2000)
Summary
Oil crops have gained in importance worldwide over the past 20 years as indicated by the increase in total harvested area from 189.3 million hectares in 1992 to 272.7 million hectares in 2011 (FAOSTAT 2013). This increase hinges partly on the versatility of their fatty acid profiles which. Theor Appl Genet (2014) 127:881–896 play a significant role in the nutritional properties and the end-use functionality of oil crops. In this regard, linseed (Linum usitatissimum L.), with its high content of alpha linolenic acid, is unique. LIN is the precursor of the long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), docosapentaenoic acid (DPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) which are synthesized in the human body and recognized for their health benefits (Simopoulos 2000)
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