Guo Suying, Zhao Rengui, Lan Jinhao
College of Agronomy, Jilin Agricultural University, Changchun 130118, China.
College of Agronomy, Qingdao Agricultural University, Qingdao 266109, China.
Int J Mol Sci. 2025 Aug 1;26(15):7431. doi: 10.3390/ijms26157431.
This study measured eight key phenotypic traits across 259 fresh maize inbred lines, including plant height and spike length. A total of 82 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) significantly associated with these phenotypes were identified by applying a mixed linear model to calculate the best linear unbiased prediction (BLUP) values and integrating genome-wide genotypic data through genome-wide association analysis (GWAS). A further analysis of significant SNPs contributed to the identification of 63 candidate genes with functional annotations. Notably, 11 major candidate genes were identified from multi-trait association loci, all of which exhibited highly significant P-values (<0.0001) and explained between 7.21% and 12.78% of phenotypic variation. These 11 genes, located on chromosomes 1, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 9, were functionally involved in signaling, metabolic regulation, structural maintenance, and stress response, and are likely to play crucial roles in the growth and physiological processes of fresh maize inbred lines. The functional genes identified in this study have significant implications for the development of molecular markers, the optimization of breeding strategies, and the enhancement of quality in fresh maize.
本研究测定了259个鲜食玉米自交系的八个关键表型性状，包括株高和穗长。通过应用混合线性模型计算最佳线性无偏预测（BLUP）值，并通过全基因组关联分析（GWAS）整合全基因组基因型数据，共鉴定出82个与这些表型显著相关的单核苷酸多态性（SNP）。对显著SNP的进一步分析有助于鉴定63个具有功能注释的候选基因。值得注意的是，从多性状关联位点鉴定出11个主要候选基因，所有这些基因均表现出高度显著的P值（<0.0001），并解释了7.21%至12.78%的表型变异。这11个基因位于第1、3、4、5、6和9号染色体上，在功能上参与信号传导、代谢调控、结构维持和应激反应，可能在鲜食玉米自交系的生长和生理过程中发挥关键作用。本研究中鉴定出的功能基因对分子标记的开发、育种策略的优化以及鲜食玉米品质的提高具有重要意义。
