AUTHOR=Hu Ming-Jian , Zhang Hai-Ping , Liu Kai , Cao Jia-Jia , Wang Sheng-Xing , Jiang Hao , Wu Zeng-Yun , Lu Jie , Zhu Xiao F. , Xia Xian-Chun , Sun Gen-Lou , Ma Chuan-Xi , Chang Cheng 

TITLE=Cloning and Characterization of TaTGW-7A Gene Associated with Grain Weight in Wheat via SLAF-seq-BSA

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Plant Science

VOLUME=7

YEAR=2016

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/plant-science/articles/10.3389/fpls.2016.01902

DOI=10.3389/fpls.2016.01902

ISSN=1664-462X

ABSTRACT=<p>Thousand-grain weight (TGW) of wheat (<italic>Triticum aestivum</italic> L.) contributes significantly to grain yield. In the present study, a candidate gene associated with TGW was identified through specific-locus amplified fragment sequencing (SLAF-seq) of DNA bulks of recombinant inbred lines (RIL) derived from the cross between Jing 411 and Hongmangchun 21. The gene was located on chromosome 7A, designated as <italic>TaTGW-7A</italic> with a complete genome sequence and an open reading frame (ORF). A single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) was present in the first exon between two alleles at <italic>TaTGW-7A</italic> locus, resulting in a Val to Ala substitution, corresponding to a change from higher to lower TGW. Cleaved amplified polymorphic sequence (CAPS) (<italic>TGW7A</italic>) and InDel (<italic>TG9</italic>) markers were developed to discriminate the two alleles <italic>TaTGW-7Aa</italic> and <italic>TaTGW-7Ab</italic> for higher and lower TGW, respectively. A major QTL co-segregating with <italic>TaTGW-7A</italic> explained 21.7–27.1% of phenotypic variance for TGW in the RIL population across five environments. The association of <italic>TaTGW-7A</italic> with TGW was further validated in a natural population and Chinese mini-core collections. Quantitative real-time PCR revealed higher transcript levels of <italic>TaTGW-7Aa</italic> than those of <italic>TaTGW-7Ab</italic> during grain development. High frequencies of the superior allele <italic>TaTGW-7Aa</italic> for higher TGW in Chinese mini-core collections (65.0%) and 501 wheat varieties (86.0%) indicated a strong and positive selection of this allele in wheat breeding. The molecular markers <italic>TGW7A</italic> and <italic>TG9</italic> can be used for improvement of TGW in breeding programs.</p>