Wang Changjin, Yu Yulin, Liu Jie, Rizwan Ahmad, Abbas Zain, Yu Haibing, Cheng Xinxin
College of Agriculture, Anhui Science and Technology University, Chuzhou 233100, China.
Engineering Technology Institute of Maize Breeding in Anhui Province, Chuzhou 233100, China.
Biology (Basel). 2025 May 21;14(5):580. doi: 10.3390/biology14050580.
Sweet corn is highly susceptible to low temperatures, especially during seed germination, which severely affects plant growth and crop yield. This study used 100 sweet corn micro-core germplasms to evaluate two key germination traits under cold stress: seed storage material utilization efficiency (SRUE) and mobilization weight (WMSR). To investigate the genetic basis of cold germination in sweet corn, we selected the BLINK model for GWAS due to its ability to minimize false positives. A total of nine SNPs were found to be significantly associated with cold germination. These SNPs explained between 9.8% and 17.2% of the phenotypic variance (PVE). Within the confidence interval, 63 functionally annotated genes were identified. Fourteen candidate genes associated with cold germination were identified through GO functional analysis and the functional expression of homologous genes. A literature analysis indicated that these genes are primarily involved in seed germination, cold tolerance, and responses to other abiotic stresses. These findings enhance our understanding of the genetic and molecular mechanisms underlying cold germination, establishing a theoretical foundation for breeding cold-tolerant sweet corn varieties.
甜玉米对低温高度敏感，尤其是在种子萌发期间，这严重影响植株生长和作物产量。本研究使用100份甜玉米微核心种质，评估了冷胁迫下的两个关键萌发性状：种子储存物质利用效率（SRUE）和动员重量（WMSR）。为了探究甜玉米冷萌发的遗传基础，我们选择BLINK模型进行全基因组关联研究（GWAS），因为它能够最大限度地减少假阳性。共发现9个单核苷酸多态性（SNP）与冷萌发显著相关。这些SNP解释了9.8%至17.2%的表型变异（PVE）。在置信区间内，鉴定出63个具有功能注释的基因。通过基因本体（GO）功能分析和同源基因的功能表达，鉴定出14个与冷萌发相关的候选基因。文献分析表明，这些基因主要参与种子萌发、耐寒性以及对其他非生物胁迫的响应。这些发现增进了我们对冷萌发潜在遗传和分子机制的理解，为培育耐寒甜玉米品种奠定了理论基础。
