A major vernalization-independent QTL for tiller angle on chromosome arm 2BL in bread wheat
Jiajun Liu,
Jieguang Zhou,
Huaping Tang,
Yang Tu,
Yang Mu,
Lulu Gou,
Qiantao Jiang,
Yaxi Liu,
Guoyue Chen,
Jirui Wang,
Pengfei Qi,
Wei Li,
Yunfeng Jiang,
Zehong Yan,
Houyang Kang,
Yuming Wei,
Xiujin Lan,
Youliang Zheng,
Jian Ma
Affiliations
Jiajun Liu
State Key Laboratory of Crop Gene Exploration and Utilization in Southwest China, Triticeae Research Institute, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, Sichuan, China
Jieguang Zhou
State Key Laboratory of Crop Gene Exploration and Utilization in Southwest China, Triticeae Research Institute, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, Sichuan, China
Huaping Tang
State Key Laboratory of Crop Gene Exploration and Utilization in Southwest China, Triticeae Research Institute, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, Sichuan, China
Yang Tu
State Key Laboratory of Crop Gene Exploration and Utilization in Southwest China, Triticeae Research Institute, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, Sichuan, China
Yang Mu
State Key Laboratory of Crop Gene Exploration and Utilization in Southwest China, Triticeae Research Institute, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, Sichuan, China
Lulu Gou
State Key Laboratory of Crop Gene Exploration and Utilization in Southwest China, Triticeae Research Institute, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, Sichuan, China
Qiantao Jiang
State Key Laboratory of Crop Gene Exploration and Utilization in Southwest China, Triticeae Research Institute, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, Sichuan, China
Yaxi Liu
State Key Laboratory of Crop Gene Exploration and Utilization in Southwest China, Triticeae Research Institute, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, Sichuan, China
Guoyue Chen
State Key Laboratory of Crop Gene Exploration and Utilization in Southwest China, Triticeae Research Institute, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, Sichuan, China
Jirui Wang
State Key Laboratory of Crop Gene Exploration and Utilization in Southwest China, Triticeae Research Institute, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, Sichuan, China
Pengfei Qi
State Key Laboratory of Crop Gene Exploration and Utilization in Southwest China, Triticeae Research Institute, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, Sichuan, China
Wei Li
College of Agronomy, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, Sichuan, China
Yunfeng Jiang
State Key Laboratory of Crop Gene Exploration and Utilization in Southwest China, Triticeae Research Institute, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, Sichuan, China
Zehong Yan
State Key Laboratory of Crop Gene Exploration and Utilization in Southwest China, Triticeae Research Institute, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, Sichuan, China
Houyang Kang
State Key Laboratory of Crop Gene Exploration and Utilization in Southwest China, Triticeae Research Institute, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, Sichuan, China
Yuming Wei
State Key Laboratory of Crop Gene Exploration and Utilization in Southwest China, Triticeae Research Institute, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, Sichuan, China
Xiujin Lan
State Key Laboratory of Crop Gene Exploration and Utilization in Southwest China, Triticeae Research Institute, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, Sichuan, China
Youliang Zheng
State Key Laboratory of Crop Gene Exploration and Utilization in Southwest China, Triticeae Research Institute, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, Sichuan, China; Corresponding authors.
Jian Ma
State Key Laboratory of Crop Gene Exploration and Utilization in Southwest China, Triticeae Research Institute, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, Sichuan, China; Corresponding authors.
Tiller angle (TA) strongly influences plant architecture and grain yield in cereals. However, the genetic basis of TA in wheat is largely unknown. We identified three TA-related quantitative trait loci (QTL). One of them was QTa.sau-2B-769, a major QTL localized on chromosome arm 2BL. QTa.sau-2B-769 was detected in seven environments, explaining 18.1%–51.1% of phenotypic variance. We developed a linked Kompetitive Allele-Specific Polymerase chain reaction (KASP) marker, KASP-AX-108792274, to further validate this locus in three additional populations in multiple environments. QTa.sau-2B-769 increased TA by up to 24.9% in these populations. There were significant and positive correlations between TA and flag leaf angle (FLANG). However, TA was not correlated with plant height or anthesis date, suggesting that expression of QTa.sau-2B-769 is independent of vernalization. TraesCS2B01G583800, a gene known to be involved in leaf angle regulation, was identified as the most likely candidate gene for QTa.sau-2B-769. These results enrich our understanding of the mechanisms regulating wheat TA at maturity and may support precise mapping and cloning of gene(s) underlying QTa.sau-2B-769.
