Single- and Multi-Locus GWAS Unravels Novel Genomic Regions Related to Low-Phosphate Stress in Cotton Seedlings

Single- and Multi-Locus GWAS Unravels Novel Genomic Regions Related to Low-Phosphate Stress in Cotton Seedlings

Phosphorus (P) is an essential nutrient for plant growth, and low-phosphorus (LP) stress significantly limits cotton productivity. Here, we conducted single- and multi-locus genome-wide association studies (GWASs) on four LP-related traits using 419 upland cotton (<i>Gossypium hirsutum</i&g...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Xianxu Wei, Siyu Yao, Jiangnuo Di, Jiaxin Guan, Aohan Wang, Jie Yang, Luyao Zhang, Yang Liu, Mengyao Liang, Zhihao Niu, Xuan Zhang, Jiarui Xue, Mengxue Shen, Lin Li, Yao Su, Zhengwen Sun
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2025-06-01
Series:Plants
Subjects:
cotton
low phosphorus
GWAS
candidate genes
molecular breeding
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2223-7747/14/12/1803
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:Phosphorus (P) is an essential nutrient for plant growth, and low-phosphorus (LP) stress significantly limits cotton productivity. Here, we conducted single- and multi-locus genome-wide association studies (GWASs) on four LP-related traits using 419 upland cotton (<i>Gossypium hirsutum</i> L.) accessions genotyped with 2.97 million single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). Phenotypic analysis reveals substantial variation under LP stress, with LP-SDW showing the highest coefficient of variation (33.69%). The GWASs identified thousands of significant SNPs, including pleiotropic loci associated with multiple traits. Chromosomes A08, D09, and D12 harbored novel associated signals. Multi-locus models significantly enhanced detection sensitivity, identifying 123 SNPs undetected by single-locus approaches. Functional annotations prioritized six candidate genes near associated SNPs, including GhM_A08G1315 (remorin protein) and GhM_D06G1152 (carotenoid cleavage dioxygenase), whose LP-induced expression patterns were validated by qRT-PCR. These genes are implicated in membrane signaling, root architecture modulation, and hormone metabolism. Our findings provide novel genetic insights into LP tolerance and establish a foundation for breeding phosphorus-efficient varieties through marker-assisted selection in cotton.
ISSN:2223-7747

Similar Items