Browsing by Person "Zhang, Yufeng"

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Genetic dissection of drought tolerance in maize through GWAS of agronomic traits, stress tolerance indices, and phenotypic plasticity
(2025) Li, Ronglan; Li, Dongdong; Guo, Yuhang; Wang, Yueli; Zhang, Yufeng; Li, Le; Yang, Xiaosong; Chen, Shaojiang; Würschum, Tobias; Liu, Wenxin; Li, Ronglan; Sanya Institute of China Agricultural University, China Agricultural University, Sanya 572025, China; Li, Dongdong; State Key Laboratory of Maize Bio-Breeding, National Maize Improvement Center, College of Agronomy and Biotechnology, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China; Guo, Yuhang; State Key Laboratory of Maize Bio-Breeding, National Maize Improvement Center, College of Agronomy and Biotechnology, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China; Wang, Yueli; State Key Laboratory of Maize Bio-Breeding, National Maize Improvement Center, College of Agronomy and Biotechnology, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China; Zhang, Yufeng; Sanya Institute of China Agricultural University, China Agricultural University, Sanya 572025, China; Li, Le; Sanya Institute of China Agricultural University, China Agricultural University, Sanya 572025, China; Yang, Xiaosong; State Key Laboratory of Maize Bio-Breeding, National Maize Improvement Center, College of Agronomy and Biotechnology, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China; Chen, Shaojiang; Sanya Institute of China Agricultural University, China Agricultural University, Sanya 572025, China; Würschum, Tobias; Institute of Plant Breeding, Seed Science and Population Genetics, University of Hohenheim, 70599 Stuttgart, Germany; Liu, Wenxin; Sanya Institute of China Agricultural University, China Agricultural University, Sanya 572025, China; Han, De-Guo
Drought severely limits crop yield every year, making it critical to clarify the genetic basis of drought tolerance for breeding of improved varieties. As drought tolerance is a complex quantitative trait, we analyzed three phenotypic groups: (1) agronomic traits under well-watered (WW) and water-deficit (WD) conditions, (2) stress tolerance indices of these traits, and (3) phenotypic plasticity, using a multi-parent doubled haploid (DH) population assessed in multi-environment trials. Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) identified 130, 171, and 71 quantitative trait loci (QTL) for the three groups of phenotypes, respectively. Only one QTL was shared among all trait groups, 25 between stress indices and agronomic traits, while the majority of QTL were specific to their group. Functional annotation of candidate genes revealed distinct pathways of the three phenotypic groups. Candidate genes under WD conditions were enriched for stress response and epigenetic regulation, while under WW conditions for protein synthesis and transport, RNA metabolism, and developmental regulation. Stress tolerance indices were enriched for transport of amino/organic acids, epigenetic regulation, and stress response, whereas plasticity showed enrichment for environmental adaptability. Transcriptome analysis of 26 potential candidate genes showed tissue-specific drought responses in leaves, ears, and tassels. Collectively, these results indicated both shared and independent genetic mechanisms underlying drought tolerance, providing novel insights into the complex phenotypes related to drought tolerance and guiding further strategies for molecular breeding in maize.
Meta-quantitative trait loci analysis and candidate gene mining for drought tolerance-associated traits in maize (Zea mays L.)
(2024) Li, Ronglan; Wang, Yueli; Li, Dongdong; Guo, Yuhang; Zhou, Zhipeng; Zhang, Mi; Zhang, Yufeng; Würschum, Tobias; Liu, Wenxin
Drought is one of the major abiotic stresses with a severe negative impact on maize production globally. Understanding the genetic architecture of drought tolerance in maize is a crucial step towards the breeding of drought-tolerant varieties and a targeted exploitation of genetic resources. In this study, 511 quantitative trait loci (QTL) related to grain yield components, flowering time, and plant morphology under drought conditions, as well as drought tolerance index were collected from 27 published studies and then projected on the IBM2 2008 Neighbors reference map for meta-analysis. In total, 83 meta-QTL (MQTL) associated with drought tolerance in maize were identified, of which 20 were determined as core MQTL. The average confidence interval of MQTL was strongly reduced compared to that of the previously published QTL. Nearly half of the MQTL were confirmed by co-localized marker-trait associations from genome-wide association studies. Based on the alignment of rice proteins related to drought tolerance, 63 orthologous genes were identified near the maize MQTL. Furthermore, 583 candidate genes were identified within the 20 core MQTL regions and maize–rice homologous genes. Based on KEGG analysis of candidate genes, plant hormone signaling pathways were found to be significantly enriched. The signaling pathways can have direct or indirect effects on drought tolerance and also interact with other pathways. In conclusion, this study provides novel insights into the genetic and molecular mechanisms of drought tolerance in maize towards a more targeted improvement of this important trait in breeding.