Integration of genome-wide association study, linkage analysis, and population transcriptome analysis to reveal the TaFMO1-5B modulating seminal root growth in bread wheat

Abstract

Bread wheat, one of the keystone crops for global food security, is challenged by climate change and resource shortage. The root system plays a vital role in water and nutrient absorption, making it essential for meeting the growing global demand. Here, using an association-mapping population composed of 406 accessions, we identified QTrl.Rs-5B modulating seminal root development with a genome-wide association study and validated its genetic effects with two F5 segregation populations. Transcriptome-wide association study prioritized TaFMO1-5B, a gene encoding the flavin-containing monooxygenases, as the causal gene for QTrl.Rs-5B, whose expression levels correlate negatively with the phenotyping variations among our population.