The Identification of Drought Tolerance Candidate Genes in <i>Oryza sativa</i> L. ssp. <i>Japonica</i> Seedlings through Genome-Wide Association Study and Linkage Mapping
Tao Liu,
Shuangshuang Li,
Haoqiang Du,
Jingnan Cui,
Shanbin Xu,
Jingguo Wang,
Hualong Liu,
Detang Zou,
Wenhe Lu,
Hongliang Zheng
Affiliations
Tao Liu
College of Agriculture, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin 150030, China
Shuangshuang Li
College of Agriculture, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin 150030, China
Haoqiang Du
College of Agriculture, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin 150030, China
Jingnan Cui
College of Agriculture, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin 150030, China
Shanbin Xu
College of Agriculture, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin 150030, China
Jingguo Wang
Key Laboratory of Germplasm Enhancement, Physiology and Ecology of Food Crops in Cold Region, Ministry of Education, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin 150030, China
Hualong Liu
Key Laboratory of Germplasm Enhancement, Physiology and Ecology of Food Crops in Cold Region, Ministry of Education, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin 150030, China
Detang Zou
Key Laboratory of Germplasm Enhancement, Physiology and Ecology of Food Crops in Cold Region, Ministry of Education, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin 150030, China
Wenhe Lu
College of Agriculture, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin 150030, China
Hongliang Zheng
College of Agriculture, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin 150030, China
Drought stress poses a significant threat to rice production, necessitating the identification of genes associated with drought tolerance. This study employed a combination of genome-wide association study (GWAS) and linkage mapping to pinpoint seedling drought tolerance genes in Japonica rice. Using the leaf rolling scale (LRS) as the phenotypic index, we assessed rice drought tolerance under polyethylene glycol-induced drought during the seedling stage. A lead SNP C8_28933410 by GWAS was identified, which was located within qLRS-8-1 identified by linkage mapping on chromosome 8. Combing the LD block analyses and QTL interval, a 138.6 kb overlap interval was considered as the candidate region. Haplotype analysis, qRT-PCR, sequence analysis, and mutant phenotype verification led to the speculation that LOC_Os08g05520 is a candidate gene associated with drought tolerance. Our findings provide a valuable reference for breeders aiming to enhance rice drought tolerance.
