Sugarcane (Saccharum spp.) is an important crop for food and energy security. Identifying SNPs and genes associated with sugarcane yield and related traits is crucial for developing high - yielding sugarcane cultivars through molecular breeding. Here, we measured nine phenotypic traits across 160 sugarcane genotypes and employed multiple statistical models (namely MLM, CMLM, MLMM, FarmCPU and SUPER) in GWAS to identify stable and pleiotropic loci. A total of 200 SNPs corresponding to 137 QTLs were detected to be significantly associated with nine traits using multiple statistical models, among which 18 QTLs were consistently identified by two or more models. Notably, the SNP S9A_47793177 on chromosome 9A showed the strongest association with phenotypic variation in aboveground biomass, with a phenotypic explanation rate of 70.54%. Additionally, several QTLs significantly associated with tillering - related traits were identified, suggesting that these QTLs may play crucial roles in the regulation of tillering. The QTLs and SNPs identified in this study provide a significant foundation for molecular marker - assisted breeding in sugarcane. This advancement can significantly enhance the efficiency of genetic improvement for sugarcane yield and tillering - related traits.
L. Zhang, C. Xu, J. Li et al.· Plant biology· 0 citations
1. Egg production is a primary economic driver in the poultry industry, determining the total yield of commercial layers. However, the complex polygenic mechanism remains largely elusive. This study investigated the phase-specific genetic mechanisms of egg production using a high-precision genomic approach.2. A genome-wide association study (GWAS) was conducted on a layer population (n = 3,587). Egg numbers were recorded across four distinct production phases: onset to 300 days, 301 to 560 days, 561 to 651 days and the cumulative onset to 651 days period. Following whole-genome SNP genotyping, GWAS signals were integrated with functional enrichment analyses to prioritise key loci and candidate genes associated with egg‑number traits.3. A total of 425 significant SNP were identified across the evaluated phases. Functional annotation revealed significant enrichment in 47 GO terms and four KEGG pathways, primarily involved in cell cycle regulation, cytoskeleton assembly and reproductive development. MAP2K3, TRIM37 and ACTR3were highlighted as compelling candidate genes. Potential genetic markers were identified, including rs14072717 within MAP2K3, a cluster of nine SNP within the ACTR3 locus and three variants within TRIM37.4. These findings elucidated the dynamic genetic regulation of egg production throughout the laying cycle and highlight MAP2K3, TRIM37 and ACTR3 as genomic targets. These markers provide a foundation for marker-assisted selection to enhance egg yield and production persistency in poultry.
Y. Ni, S. Huang, T. Bai et al.· British Poultry Science· 0 citations
