Abstract
BackgroundGrain protein concentration (GPC) is a major determinant of quality in barley (Hordeum vulgare L.). Breeding barley cultivars with high GPC has practical value for feed and food properties. The aim of the present study was to identify quantitative trait loci (QTLs) for GPC that could be detected under multiple environments.ResultsA population of 190 recombinant inbred lines (RILs) deriving from a cross between Chinese landrace ZGMLEL with high GPC (> 20%) and Australian cultivar Schooner was used for linkage and QTL analyses. The genetic linkage map spanned 2353.48 cM in length with an average locus interval of 2.33 cM. GPC was evaluated under six environments for the RIL population and the two parental lines. In total, six environmentally stable QTLs for GPC were detected on chromosomes 2H (1), 4H (1), 6H (1), and 7H (3) and the increasing alleles were derived from ZGMLEL. Notably, the three QTLs on chromosome 7H (QGpc.ZiSc-7H.1, QGpc.ZiSc-7H.2, and QGpc.ZiSc-7H.3) that linked in coupling phase were firstly identified. Moreover, the genetic effects of stable QTLs on chromosomes 2H, 6H and 7H were validated using near isogenic lines (NILs).ConclusionsCollectively, the identified QTLs expanded our knowledge about the genetic basis of GPC in barley and could be selected to develop cultivars with high grain protein concentration.
Highlights
Grain protein concentration (GPC) is a major determinant of quality in barley (Hordeum vulgare L.)
To identify Quantitative trait locus (QTL) for GPC, a Recombinant inbred line (RIL) population including 190 lines derived from a cross between the Chinese landrace ZGMLEL with high GPC (> 20%) and the Australian cultivar Schooner was used for linkage and QTL analyses
The allelic effects of the three populations were in the same direction as the original allele, with alleles from ZGMLEL increasing GPC. These results suggested that the stable QTLs on chromosomes 2H, 6H and 7H had significant effect on GPC, which was in agreement with the detection in RIL population
Summary
Grain protein concentration (GPC) is a major determinant of quality in barley (Hordeum vulgare L.). Breeding barley cultivars with high GPC has practical value for feed and food properties. The aim of the present study was to identify quantitative trait loci (QTLs) for GPC that could be detected under multiple environments. Numerous studies have been conducted on dissecting the genetic basis of GPC, and QTLs have been mapped on all seven barley chromosomes. Several consensus QTLs mapped on chromosomes 2H, 4H, 5H, 6H, and 7H have been repeatedly detected by multiple studies [8,9,10,11,12,13,14,15]. Two QTLs on chromosomes 5HS and 6HS located in the Bmac0096-
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