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ARS Home » Plains Area » College Station, Texas » Southern Plains Agricultural Research Center » Crop Germplasm Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #306610
Title: Association mapping of germinability and seedling vigor in sorghum under controlled low temperature conditions

Author
item UPADHYAYA, HARI - International Crops Research Institute For Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) - India
item WANG, YI-HONG - University Of Louisiana
item SASTRY, DVSSR - International Crops Research Institute For Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) - India
item DWIVEDI, SL - International Crops Research Institute For Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) - India
item PRASAD, P VARA - Kansas State University
item BURRELL, A MILLIE - Texas A&M University
item Klein, Robert - Bob
item MORRIS, GEOFFREY - Kansas State University
item KLEIN, PATRICIA - Texas A&M University

Submitted to: Genome
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 11/19/2015
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary: Major advancements in science hinge on the identification of genes controlling plant and animal traits that are critically important to agriculture. Genes are tiny packets of genetic blueprint material that are found inside the cells of all plants and animals and control all of the physical characteristics of these organisms. Our work focuses on improving major grain and biofuel crops and, with gene sequences, the genetic blueprint will be visible and this information can make improving the plants more efficient. This study details the efforts to use gene mapping resources to pinpoint specific sorghum genes or portions of specific chromosomes controlling cold tolerance in plants. Identifying specific genes or portions of chromosomes that control important physical characteristics will permit more efficient identification and understanding of the function of these genes, and will allow scientists to understand those key features of the genetic blueprint that make sorghum's physical appearance differ from that of other cereals. Information will be primarily used by fellow scientists but the work should ultimately result in better adapted, higher producing crop varieties available to American farmers.

Technical Abstract: In this study, we evaluated the 242 accessions of the mini core collection for seed germination and seedling vigor at 12 degrees centigrade. Genomewide association analysis of the phenotypic data was performed with approximately 280,000 single nucleotide polymorphism markers. Eight loci were associated with low temperature germination and one to seedling vigor. Six of the mapped loci were in the proximity of previously mapped quantitative trait loci linked to early season cold tolerance. To identify genes within these loci that could underlie low temperature tolerance, we screened for genes whose rice homologs were regulated during germination or cold treatment. The two genes that were most regulated in these regions encoded a peroxidase and a group 3 late embryogenesis abundant protein. Both have been shown to play roles in germination and stress tolerance and may provide a starting point for molecular tools to genetically improve early season cold tolerance in sorghum.