Identification of main effect and epistatic QTLs controlling initial flowering date in cultivated peanut(Arachis hypogaea L.)

Initial flowering date(IFD)is closely related to mature period of peanut pods.In present study,a population of recombinant inbred lines(RIL)derived from the cross between Silihong(female parent)and Jinonghei 3(male parent)was used to map QTLs associated with IFD.The RIL population and its two parental cultivars were planted in two locations of Hebei Province,China from 2015 to 2018(eight environments).Based on a high-density genetic linkage map(including 2996 SNP and 330 SSR markers)previously constructed in our laboratory,QTLs were analyzed using phenotypic data and the best linear unbiased prediction(BLUP)value of initial flowering date by inclusive composite interval mapping(ICIM)method.Interaction effects between every two QTLs and between individual QTL and environment were also analyzed.In cultivated peanut,IFD was affected by genotypic factor and environments simultaneously,and its broad sense heritability(h2)was estimated as 86.8%。Using the IFD phenotypic data from the eight environments,a total of 19 QTLs for IFD were detected,and the phenotypic variation explained(PVE)by each QTL ranged from 1.15 to 21.82%.Especially,five of them were also detected by the BLUP value of IFD.In addition,12 additive QTLs and 35 pairs of epistatic QTLs(62 loci involved)were identifed by the joint analysis of IFD across eight environments.Three QTLs(qIFDB04.1,qIFDB07.1 and qIFDB08.1)located on chromosome B04,B07 and B08 were identified as main-effect QTL for IFD,which had the most potential to be used in peanut breeding.This study would be helpful for the early-maturity and adaptability breeding in cultivated peanut.

Existence of homologous sequences corresponding to cDNA of the ver gene in diverse higher plant species

The presence of DNA homologues corresponding to verc203 (vernalization-related cDNA clone) was investigated by molecular hybridization techniques. The genes were detected in 16 plant species that cover 12 subclasses of the Takhtajan system of angiosperms classification including diverse model species. The results of Southern blot analysis showed a low copy number of this gene existed in rice, wheat, barley and Arabidopsis. The hybridization result of PCR products demonstrated the conservation of the gene corresponding to ver203 in diverse plants. The phylogenetic tree of the ver203 gene in tested plants was supported by evolution relationship of species. The ver203 gene expressed in a vernalized plumule winter wheat, instead of the root. And the endosperm before the treatment was essential for the ver203 expression during vernalization in wheat. In Arabidopsis thaliana, the pattern of expression showed that the gene corresponding to ver203 was expressed at low temperature for 14 days. Gibberellin(GA3) may accelerate the expression of ver203 gene in Arabidopsis exposed to low temperature. However, it could not replace vernalization treatment to initiate the gene expression.