Genetic mapping with testcrossing associations and F populations reveals the importance of heterosis in chilling tolerance at maize seedling stage.

Maize seedlings are sensitive to low temperatures, and genetic mapping for chilling tolerance at the seedling stage with genetically diverse populations would facilitate the genetic improvement of this important trait. In this study, quantitative trait loci (QTL) mapping for four chilling tolerance-related traits at the seedling stage was conducted via a genome-wide association study (GWAS) with 338 testcrosses. A total of 32 significant loci and 36 stress tolerance-related candidate genes were identified, though none of them have been revealed by QTL mapping using maize inbred lines in previous reports. Moreover, expression of ten of the candidate genes was induced by chilling stress in a maize hybrid, though only a few of these genes were upregulated in its tolerant parent. These implied that heterosis might be involved in maize chilling tolerance. To further evaluate the importance of heterosis in chilling tolerance at the seedling stage, genetic mapping for chilling tolerance was conducted using an F population derived from the two inbred lines used for the gene expression assay. Of the seven QTL revealed, six loci showed partial dominance or over-dominance effects. Results from this study demonstrate that heterosis plays an important role in chilling tolerance in maize seedlings.