AUTHOR=Wan Heping , Chen Lunlin , Guo Jianbin , Li Qun , Wen Jing , Yi Bin , Ma Chaozhi , Tu Jinxing , Fu Tingdong , Shen Jinxiong 

TITLE=Genome-Wide Association Study Reveals the Genetic Architecture Underlying Salt Tolerance-Related Traits in Rapeseed (Brassica napus L.)

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Plant Science

VOLUME=8

YEAR=2017

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/plant-science/articles/10.3389/fpls.2017.00593

DOI=10.3389/fpls.2017.00593

ISSN=1664-462X

ABSTRACT=<p>Soil salinity is a serious threat to agriculture sustainability worldwide. Salt tolerance at the seedling stage is crucial for plant establishment and high yield in saline soils; however, little information is available on rapeseed (<italic>Brassica napus</italic> L.) salt tolerance. We evaluated salt tolerance in different rapeseed accessions and conducted a genome-wide association study (GWAS) to identify salt tolerance-related quantitative trait loci (QTL). A natural population comprising 368 <italic>B</italic>. <italic>napus</italic> cultivars and inbred lines was genotyped with a <italic>Brassica</italic> 60K Illumina Infinium SNP array. The results revealed that 75 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) distributed across 14 chromosomes were associated with four salt tolerance-related traits. These SNPs integrated into 25 QTLs that explained 4.21–9.23% of the phenotypic variation in the cultivars. Additionally, 38 possible candidate genes were identified in genomic regions associated with salt tolerance indices. These genes fell into several functional groups that are associated with plant salt tolerance, including transcription factors, aquaporins, transporters, and enzymes. Thus, salt tolerance in rapeseed involves complex molecular mechanisms. Our results provide valuable information for studying the genetic control of salt tolerance in <italic>B. napus</italic> seedlings and may facilitate marker-based breeding for rapeseed salt tolerance.</p>