Multi-environment association study highlights candidate genes for robust agronomic quantitative trait loci in a novel worldwide Capsicum core collection

Louis McLeod, Lorenzo Barchi*, Giorgio Tumino, Pasquale Tripodi, Jérémy Salinier, Christophe Gros, Hatice Filiz Boyaci, Ramazan Ozalp, Yelena Borovsky, Roland Schafleitner, Derek Barchenger, Richard Finkers, Matthijs Brouwer, Nils Stein, Mark Timothy Rabanus-Wallace, Giovanni Giuliano, Roeland Voorrips, Ilan Paran, Véronique Lefebvre*

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticleAcademicpeer-review

12 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Investigating crop diversity through genome-wide association studies (GWAS) on core collections helps in deciphering the genetic determinants of complex quantitative traits. Using the G2P-SOL project world collection of 10 038 wild and cultivated Capsicum accessions from 10 major genebanks, we assembled a core collection of 423 accessions representing the known genetic diversity. Since complex traits are often highly dependent upon environmental variables and genotype-by-environment (G × E) interactions, multi-environment GWAS with a 10 195-marker genotypic matrix were conducted on a highly diverse subset of 350 Capsicum annuum accessions, extensively phenotyped in up to six independent trials from five climatically differing countries. Environment-specific and multi-environment quantitative trait loci (QTLs) were detected for 23 diverse agronomic traits. We identified 97 candidate genes potentially implicated in 53 of the most robust and high-confidence QTLs for fruit flavor, color, size, and shape traits, and for plant productivity, vigor, and earliness traits. Investigating the genetic architecture of agronomic traits in this way will assist the development of genetic markers and pave the way for marker-assisted selection. The G2P-SOL pepper core collection will be available upon request as a unique and universal resource for further exploitation in future gene discovery and marker-assisted breeding efforts by the pepper community.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)1508-1528
JournalPlant Journal
Volume116
Issue number5
Early online date21 Aug 2023
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Dec 2023

Keywords

  • agronomic traits
  • association study
  • candidate genes
  • Capsicum annuum L.
  • core collection
  • multi-environment trials
  • pepper

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