High-Density SNP-Based Association Mapping of Seed Traits in Fenugreek Reveals Homology with Clover

Fenugreek as a self-pollinated plant is ideal for genome-wide association mapping where traits can be marked by their association with natural mutations. However, fenugreek is poorly investigated at the genomic level due to the lack of information regarding its genome. To fill this gap, we genotyped...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Mustafa M. H. Abd El-Wahab, Maha Aljabri, Mohamed S. Sarhan, Gamal Osman, Shichen Wang, Mahmoud Mabrouk, Hattem M. El-Shabrawi, Ahmed M. M. Gabr, Ahmed M. Abd El-Haliem, Donal M. O'Sullivan, Mohamed El-Soda
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2020-08-01
Series:Genes
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Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4425/11/8/893
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Summary:Fenugreek as a self-pollinated plant is ideal for genome-wide association mapping where traits can be marked by their association with natural mutations. However, fenugreek is poorly investigated at the genomic level due to the lack of information regarding its genome. To fill this gap, we genotyped a collection of 112 genotypes with 153,881 SNPs using double digest restriction site-associated DNA sequencing. We used 38,142 polymorphic SNPs to prove the suitability of the population for association mapping. One significant SNP was associated with both seed length and seed width, and another SNP was associated with seed color. Due to the lack of a comprehensive genetic map, it is neither possible to align the newly developed markers to chromosomes nor to predict the underlying genes. Therefore, systematic targeting of those markers to homologous genomes of other legumes can overcome those problems. A BLAST search using the genomic fenugreek sequence flanking the identified SNPs showed high homology with several members of the Trifolieae tribe indicating the potential of translational approaches to improving our understanding of the fenugreek genome. Using such a comprehensively-genotyped fenugreek population is the first step towards identifying genes underlying complex traits and to underpin fenugreek marker-assisted breeding programs.
ISSN:2073-4425