Abstract
Oilseed crops are used to produce vegetable oil. Sesame (Sesamum indicum), an oilseed crop grown worldwide, has high oil content and a small diploid genome, but the genetic basis of oil production and quality is unclear. Here we sequence 705 diverse sesame varieties to construct a haplotype map of the sesame genome and de novo assemble two representative varieties to identify sequence variations. We investigate 56 agronomic traits in four environments and identify 549 associated loci. Examination of the major loci identifies 46 candidate causative genes, including genes related to oil content, fatty acid biosynthesis and yield. Several of the candidate genes for oil content encode enzymes involved in oil metabolism. Two major genes associated with lignification and black pigmentation in the seed coat are also associated with large variation in oil content. These findings may inform breeding and improvement strategies for a broad range of oilseed crops.
Highlights
Oilseed crops are used to produce vegetable oil
To dissect the genetic architecture of oil-related traits in maize, 368 inbred lines were analysed at B1 million single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and 74 loci were found to be associated with maize kernel oil concentration and fatty acid composition[16]
A total of 5,407,981 SNPs were identified in the sesame genome with an average of 1 SNP per 50 bp
Summary
Oilseed crops are used to produce vegetable oil. Sesame (Sesamum indicum), an oilseed crop grown worldwide, has high oil content and a small diploid genome, but the genetic basis of oil production and quality is unclear. Two major genes associated with lignification and black pigmentation in the seed coat are associated with large variation in oil content These findings may inform breeding and improvement strategies for a broad range of oilseed crops. GWAS is a well-established methodology in plant genetics, owing to the development of sequencing technologies and coupled computation methods These developments greatly accelerate the construction of high-density haplotype maps, which comprehensively capture the genomic variation and the pattern of common haplotypes within the species. By exploiting the natural variation in these 705 sesame genomes and performing a large-scale GWAS on 56 agronomic traits, key genomic loci underlying oil content, nutritional quality and oilseed yield of sesame were systemically identified for the first time. Forty-six candidate causative genes were identified by integrating functional genomic information This genetic resource may potentially be used to further breeding and biotechnologyassisted improvement of sesame and other oilseed crops
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary 
Published Version (
Free)
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call