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ARS Home » Northeast Area » Beltsville, Maryland (BARC) » Beltsville Agricultural Research Center » Soybean Genomics & Improvement Laboratory » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #305390
Title: Identification and validation of quantitative trait loci for seed yield, oil and protein contents in two recombinant inbred populations of soybean

Author
item WANG, XIANZHI - South Dakota State University
item JIANG, GUO-LIANG - South Dakota State University
item GREEN, MARCIE - South Dakota State University
item Scott, Roy
item Song, Qijian
item HYTEN, DAVID - Pioneer Hi-Bred International
item Cregan, Perry

Submitted to: Molecular Genetics and Genomics
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 5/6/2014
Publication Date: 5/27/2014
Citation: Wang, X., Jiang, G., Green, M., Scott, R.A., Song, Q., Hyten, D.L., Cregan, P.B. 2014. Identification and validation of quantitative trait loci for seed yield, oil and protein contents in two recombinant inbred populations of soybean . Molecular Genetics and Genomics. DOI: 10.1007/s00438-014-0865-x.

Interpretive Summary: Soybean seeds contain high levels of oil and protein and are the important sources of vegetable oil and plant protein for human consumption and livestock feed. Increased seed yield, oil and protein content are important objectives of soybean breeding. Identification and validation of genes that control seed yield and seed oil and protein content will help more effectively and efficiently improve yield potential and nutritional quality in soybean. The objectives of this study were to identify regions on the soybean chromosomes that contain genes associated with seed yield, oil and protein in two soybean populations evaluated for yield and seed protein and oil in multiple environments. The two populations were also analyzed with a set of genetic markers and the analysis of the seed yield and seed protein and oil contents along with the genetic marker data were used to identify twelve chromosome regions with genetic factors impacting seed yield and sixteen and eleven regions with genetic factors impacting seed protein content and oil content, respectively. A number of these genetic factors provided verification of previously reported genes at similar positions on the soybean chromosomes. The genetic factors identified in this research may be of use by soybean breeders to develop higher yield and better quality soybean cultivars.

Technical Abstract: Soybean seeds contain high levels of oil and protein, and are the important sources of vegetable oil and plant protein for human consumption and livestock feed. Increased seed yield, oil and protein contents are the main objectives of soybean breeding. Identification and validation of quantitative trait loci (QTLs) for seed yield, oil and protein contents will help more effectively and efficiently improve yield potential and nutritional quality in soybean. The objectives of this study were to identify and validate QTLs associated with seed yield, oil and protein contents in two recombinant inbred (RI) populations, and to evaluate the consistency of QTLs across different environments, studies and genetic backgrounds. Both the mapping population (SD02-4-59 × A02-381100) and validation population (SD02-911 × SD00-1501) were phenotyped for the three traits in multiple environments. Genetic analysis indicated that oil and protein contents showed high heritabilities while yield exhibited a lower heritability in both populations. Based on a linkage map constructed previously with the mapping population and using composite interval mapping (CIM) and/or interval mapping (IM) analysis, twelve QTLs for seed yield, sixteen QTLs for oil content and eleven QTLs for protein content were consistently detected in multiple environments and/or the average data over all environments. Of the QTLs detected in the mapping population, five QTLs for seed yield, eight QTLs for oil content and five QTLs for protein content were confirmed in at least one environment and the average data by single marker analysis (SMA) in the validation population. Compared with the other studies, seven QTLs for seed yield, eight QTLs for oil content and nine QTLs for protein content further verified the previously reported QTLs. These QTLs might be useful for breeding higher yield and better quality soybean cultivars.