QTL mapping for grain number per spikelet in wheat using a high-density genetic map

Grain number per spikelet (GNS) is a key determinant of grain yield in wheat.A recombinant inbred line population comprising 300 lines was developed from a cross between a high GNS variety H461 and Chinese Spring from which the reference genome assembly of bread wheat was obtained.Both parents and the recombinant inbred lines were genotyped using the wheat 55K single nucleotide polymorphism(SNP) array.A high-density genetic map containing 21,197 SNPs was obtained.These markers covered each of the 21 chromosomes with a total linkage distance of 3792.71 c M.Locations of these markers in this linkage map were highly consistent with their physical locations in the genome assembly of Chinese Spring.The two parents and the whole RIL population were assessed for GNS in two consecutive years at two different locations.Based on multi-environment phenotype data and best liner unbiased prediction values,three quantitative trait loci (QTL) for GNS were identified.One of them located on chromosomes 2B and the other two on 2D.Phenotypic variation explained by these loci varied from 3.07%to26.57%.One of these QTL,QGns.sicau-2D-2,was identified in each of all trials conducted.Based on the best linear unbiased prediction values,this locus explained 19.59%–26.57%of phenotypic variation.A KASP(Kompetitive Allele-Specific PCR) marker closely linked with this locus was generated and used to validate the effects of this locus in three different genetic backgrounds.The identified QTL and the KASP marker developed for it will be highly valuable in fine-mapping the locus and in exploiting it for markerassisted selection in wheat breeding programs.

Mycobacteriaceae Phenome Atlas(MPA):A Standardized Atlas for the Mycobacteriaceae Phenome Based on Heterogeneous Sources

The bacterial family Mycobacteriaceae includes pathogenic and nonpathogenic bacteria,and systematic research on their genome and phenome can give comprehensive perspectives for exploring their disease mechanism.In this study,the pheno-types of Mycobacteriaceae were inferred from available phenomic data,and 82 microbial phenotypic traits were recruited as data elements of the microbial phenome.This Mycobacteriaceae phenome contains five categories and 20 subcategories of polyphasic phenotypes,and three categories and eight subcategories of functional phenotypes,all of which are complemen-tary to the existing data standards of microbial phenotypes.The phenomic data of Mycobacteriaceae strains were compiled by literature mining,third-party database integration,and bioinformatics annotation.The phenotypes were searchable and comparable from the website of the Mycobacteriaceae Phenome Atlas(MPA,https://www.biosi no.org/mpa/).A topological data analysis of MPA revealed the co-evolution between Mycobacterium tuberculosis and virulence factors,and uncovered potential pathogenicity-associated phenotypes.Two hundred and sixty potential pathogen-enriched pathways were found by Fisher's exact test.The application of MPA may provide novel insights into the pathogenicity mechanism and antimicrobial targets of Mycobacteriaceae.