Skip to main content

ORIGINAL RESEARCH article

Front. Plant Sci.
Sec. Photosynthesis and Photobiology
Volume 15 - 2024 | doi: 10.3389/fpls.2024.1467927
This article is part of the Research Topic Regulatory Mechanisms in Photosynthetic Organisms' Stress Adaptation View all articles

Identification of genetic loci and candidate genes regulating photosynthesis and leaf morphology through genome-wide association study in Brassica napus L

Provisionally accepted
Zhen Huang Zhen Huang 1*Keqi Li Keqi Li 1Na Guo Na Guo 2Miao Zhang Miao Zhang 1Yuanyuan Du Yuanyuan Du 1Jiali Xu Jiali Xu 1Shimeng Li Shimeng Li 3Jinxiong Wang Jinxiong Wang 3Rongrong Wang Rongrong Wang 1Xiang Liu Xiang Liu 1Mengfan Qin Mengfan Qin 1Yu Xu Yu Xu 1Yunlin Zhu Yunlin Zhu 1Jia Song Jia Song 1Aixia Xu Aixia Xu 1*
  • 1 Northwest A&F University, Xianyang, China
  • 2 Shanxi Agricultural University, Jinzhong, Shanxi Province, China
  • 3 Institute of Agricultural Research, Tibet Academy of Agricultural and Animal Husbandry Sciences, Lhasa, China

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

    Rapeseed (Brassica napus L.) is a major agricultural crop with diverse applications, particularly in the production of seed oil for both culinary use and biodiesel. However, its photosynthetic efficiency, a pivotal determinant of yield, remains relatively low compared with other C3 plants such as rice and soybean, highlighting the necessity of identifying the genetic loci and genes regulating photosynthesis in rapeseed. In this study, we investigated 5 photosynthesis traits and 5 leaf morphology traits in a natural population of rapeseed. The results showed that the gas-exchange parameters of the dark reactions in photosynthesis exhibited a significant positive correlation with the chlorophyll content, whereas they showed a weaker negative correlation with the leaf area. By genome-wide association study (GWAS), a total of 538 quantitative trait nucleotides (QTNs) were identified as significantly associated with traits related to both leaf morphology and photosynthesis. These QTNs were classified into 84 QTL clusters, of which, 21 clusters exhibited remarkable stability across different traits and environmental conditions. In addition, a total of 3,129 potential candidate genes were identified to be significantly associated with the above-mentioned 10 traits, most of which were shared by certain traits, further indicating the reliability of the findings. By integrating GWAS data with GO enrichment analysis and gene expression analysis, we further identified 8 key candidate genes that are associated with the regulation of photosynthesis, chlorophyll content, leaf area, and leaf petiole angle. Taken together, this study identified key genetic loci and candidate genes with the potential to improve photosynthetic efficiency in rapeseed. These findings provide a theoretical framework for breeding new rapeseed varieties with enhanced photosynthetic capabilities.

    Keywords: rapeseed, Photosynthesis, Leaf morphology, genome wide association study, Quantitative trait nucleotides, candidate genes

    Received: 21 Jul 2024; Accepted: 11 Oct 2024.

    Copyright: © 2024 Huang, Li, Guo, Zhang, Du, Xu, Li, Wang, Wang, Liu, Qin, Xu, Zhu, Song and Xu. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

    * Correspondence:
    Zhen Huang, Northwest A&F University, Xianyang, China
    Aixia Xu, Northwest A&F University, Xianyang, China

    Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.