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Mapping QTLs with epistatic effects and QTL × treatment interactions for salt tolerance at seedling stage of wheat

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Abstract

Quantitative trait loci (QTLs) with additive (a), additive × additive (aa) epistatic effects, and their treatmental interactions (at and aat) were studied under salt stress and normal conditions at seedling stage of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.). A set of 182 recombinant inbred lines (RILs) derived from cross Xiaoyan 54 × Jing 411 were used. A total of 29 additive QTLs and 17 epistasis were detected for 12 traits examined, among which eight and seven, respectively, were identified to have QTL × treatment effects. Physiological traits rather than biomass traits were more likely to be involved in QTL × treatment interactions. Ten intervals on chromosomes 1A, 1D, 2A (two), 2D, 3B, 4B, 5A, 5B and 7D showed overlapping QTLs for different traits; some of them represent a single locus affecting different traits and/or the same trait under both treatments. Eleven pairs of QTLs were detected on seemingly homoeologous positions of six chromosome groups of wheat, showing synteny among the A, B and D genomes. Ten pairs were detected in which each pair was contributed by the same parent, indicating a strong genetic plasticity of the QTLs. The results are helpful for understanding the genetic basis of salt tolerance in wheat and provide useful information for genetic improvement of salt tolerance in wheat by marker-assisted selection.

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Abbreviations

CHL:

Chlorophyll content (SPAD value)

MAS:

Marker-assisted selection

N:

Normal water treatment

QTL:

Quantitative trait locus

Q × E :

QTL × environment

Q × T :

QTL × treatment

a :

Additive

aa :

Additive × additive

at :

Additive × treatment

aat :

Epistasis × treatment

RDW:

Root dry weight

RIL:

Recombinant inbred line

RKC:

Root K+ concentration

RKN:

Root K+/Na+ concentration ratio

RL:

Root length

RNC:

Root Na+ concentration

S:

Salt stress treatment

SDW:

Shoot dry weight

SH:

Shoot height

SII:

Salt injury index

SKC:

Shoot K+ concentration

SKN:

Shoot K+/Na+ concentration ratio

SNC:

Shoot Na+ concentration

TDW:

Total dry weight

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Acknowledgments

This research was financially supported by National Basic Research Program of China (No. 2011CB100100) and the Knowledge Innovation Program of Chinese Academy of Sciences (No. KSCX2-EW-J-5).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Key Laboratory of Agricultural Water Resources, Center for Agricultural Resources Research, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shijiazhuang, 050021, China

    Yun-Feng Xu, Diao-Guo An & Hong-Xing Xu

  2. State Key Laboratory of Plant Cell and Chromosome Engineering, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China

    Dong-Cheng Liu, Ai-Min Zhang & Bin Li

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  1. Yun-Feng Xu
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  2. Diao-Guo An
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  3. Dong-Cheng Liu
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  5. Hong-Xing Xu
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Correspondence to Diao-Guo An.

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Xu, YF., An, DG., Liu, DC. et al. Mapping QTLs with epistatic effects and QTL × treatment interactions for salt tolerance at seedling stage of wheat. Euphytica 186, 233–245 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10681-012-0647-7

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