Identification and mapping of stable QTLs for seed oil and protein content in soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.]

Authors: HUANG, JINGHUA - South China Agricultural University; MA, QIBIN - South China Agricultural University; CAI, ZHANDONG - South China Agricultural University; XIA, QIUJU - Bgi Shenzhen; Li, Shuxian; CHU, LI - South China Agricultural University; LIAN, TENGXIANG - South China Agricultural University; NIAN, HAI - South China Agricultural University; CHENG, YANBO - South China Agricultural University

Submitted to: Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 5/14/2020
Publication Date: 6/10/2020
Citation: Huang, J., Ma, Q., Cai, Z., Xia, Q., Li, S., Chu, L., Lian, T., Nian, H., Cheng, Y. 2020. Identification and mapping of stable QTLs for seed oil and protein content in soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.]. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry. 68:6448-6460. https://dx.doi.org/10.1021/acs.jafc.0c01271.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jafc.0c01271

Interpretive Summary: Soybean is an economically important agricultural crop. The soybean seed protein and oil are valuable for human consumption and industrial applications. Thus, the improvement of oil and protein content in soybean not only could contribute to crop quality but also effectively promote the entire soybean industry all over the world. However, soybean protein and oil content are controlled by multiple genes. This research aimed to identify groups of the genes, called “the quantitative trait loci (QTL)” that are associated with the protein and oil content. This study evaluated genes in a group of 196 soybean lines developed from a cross between the varieties Huachun 2 and Wayao. Using modern molecular technology, a total of 18 stable QTL that were associated with oil and protein content were identified, one of them (qOil-11-1) was a novel QTL, and three (qOil-5-1, qOil-10-1 and qOil-14-1) were strong and stable QTLs. Our results may contribute towards gene identification and marker-assisted selection for breeding high quality soybean in the future.

Technical Abstract: This research aimed to identify the quantitative trait loci (QTL) and candidate genes associated with protein and oil content in soybean. A total of 196 F7:8–10 recombinant inbred lines (RILs) derived from Huachun 2 × Wayao were used to evaluate these target traits. Using high-throughput genome-wide sequencing technology, a high-density genetic linkage map was constructed, which contained 3,412 recombination bin markers distributed on 20 chromosomes (Chr.) and spanned 5,400.4 cM with an average distance of 1.58 cM between markers. A total of 18 stable QTL located on 11 of the 20 soybean chromosomes were associated with oil and protein content, one of them (qOil-11-1) was identified for the first time as a novel QTL, and three (qOil-5-1, qOil-10-1 and qOil-14-1) were strong and stable QTLs. Fifteen differentially expressed genes within the three major QTLs were shown to be highly expressed during seed development. Our results may contribute towards gene mining and marker-assisted selection for breeding high quality soybean in the future.