Abstract
Cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz) is an important crop for starch production, and recently much effort has been directed towards improving its starch properties. Waxy cassava starch has some advantages over starch from other sources due to its neutral flavor and pasting properties. The genetic inheritance of the waxy starch phenotype is considered to be monogenic and recessive; however, it is possible that other genomic regions contribute to the waxy phenotype. The aim of this study was to evaluate the power of genome-wide association studies (GWAS) to detect variants related to waxy starch and to identify alternative genes or genomic regions. For this purpose, a set of 382 samples (waxy and non-waxy) was analyzed using a panel of 20,956 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). All genotypes were evaluated in relation to the presence of waxy starch, determined using the 2% iodine test. The GWAS was performed using the retrospective CAse–control Retrospective Association Testing (CARAT) model. Kinship and population structure were also investigated and added to the model. Ten SNPs were found to be significant and located on chromosome 2 and co-located in genomic regions. The significant SNPs are in a region near the Granule-bound starch synthase I (GBSSI) and Beta-amylase genes. Additive and epistatic effects were also found among the significant SNPs, and these need to be better investigated in segregant populations of waxy sources. The regions and genes identified in this work may drive further studies and reveal biological processes related to the waxy phenotype.
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