Preprint Article Version 1 Preserved in Portico This version is not peer-reviewed

GWAS in a Collection of Bulgarian Old and Modern Bread Wheat Accessions Uncovers Novel Genomic Loci for Grain Protein Content and Thousand Kernel Weight

Tania Kartseva
,
Vladimir Aleksandrov
ORCID logo ,
Ahmad M. Alqudah
ORCID logo ,
Mian Abdur Rehman Arif
ORCID logo ,
Konstantina Kocheva
ORCID logo ,
Dilyana Doneva
ORCID logo ,
Katelina Prokopova
,
Andreas Börner
ORCID logo ,
Svetlana Misheva
* ORCID logo
Version 1 : Received: 19 February 2024 / Approved: 19 February 2024 / Online: 19 February 2024 (15:26:36 CET)

A peer-reviewed article of this Preprint also exists.

Kartseva, T.; Aleksandrov, V.; Alqudah, A.M.; Arif, M.A.R.; Kocheva, K.; Doneva, D.; Prokopova, K.; Börner, A.; Misheva, S. GWAS in a Collection of Bulgarian Old and Modern Bread Wheat Accessions Uncovers Novel Genomic Loci for Grain Protein Content and Thousand Kernel Weight. Plants 2024, 13, 1084. Kartseva, T.; Aleksandrov, V.; Alqudah, A.M.; Arif, M.A.R.; Kocheva, K.; Doneva, D.; Prokopova, K.; Börner, A.; Misheva, S. GWAS in a Collection of Bulgarian Old and Modern Bread Wheat Accessions Uncovers Novel Genomic Loci for Grain Protein Content and Thousand Kernel Weight. Plants 2024, 13, 1084.

Abstract

Genetic enhancement of grain production and quality is a priority in wheat breeding projects. In this study, we assessed two key agronomic traits - grain protein content (GPC) and thousand kernel weight (TKW) - across 179 Bulgarian contemporary and historic varieties, and landraces in three growing seasons. Significant phenotypic variation existed for both traits among genotypes and seasons, and no discernible difference was evident between the old and modern accessions. To understand the genetic basis of the traits, we conducted a genome-wide association study with MLM using phenotypic data from the crop seasons, best linear unbiased estimators, genotypic data from the 25K Infinium iSelect array, and a Bonferroni-adjusted p-value. As a result, 776 significant quantitative trait nucleotides (QTNs) organized into quantitative trait loci were discovered, including 25 loci associated with GPC, and 35 loci linked to TKW. Additionally, 14 environmentally stable QTNs were identified for TKW. Certain loci on chromosomes 2A, 3A, and 6B favorably in-fluenced GPC, while the locus on chromosome 6D impacted TKW positively. These loci may reflect novel associations to the two traits. Annotations for proteins involved in the remobilization of carbon and nitrogen from vegetative tissues to developing grain during senescence, as well as in the following buildup of resources required for seed germination, have been found for selected pu-tative candidate genes. These include genes coding for 11S globulin seed storage protein, glutamine synthetase, metalloendopeptidase, components of the ubiquitin/proteasome system, sucrose transporter, alpha-amylase, NAC and bZIP transcription factors. Our findings highlight promising genomic regions for targeted breeding programs aimed at improving grain yield and protein content.

Keywords

association mapping, candidate genes, grain protein content, TKW, grain quality, grain yield, Triticum aestivum L.

Subject

Biology and Life Sciences, Agricultural Science and Agronomy

Copyright: This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

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