Insights into the genetic basis of blueberry fruit-related traits using diploid and polyploid models in a GWAS context

Polyploidization is an ancient and recurrent process in plant evolution, impacting the diversification of natural populations and plant breeding strategies. Polyploidization occurs in many important crops; however, its effects on inheritance of many agronomic traits are still poorly understood compared with diploid species. Higher levels of allelic dosage or more complex interactions between alleles could affect the phenotype expression. Hence, the present study aimed to dissect the genetic basis of fruit-related traits in autotetraploid blueberries and identify candidate genes affecting phenotypic variation. We performed a genome-wide association study (GWAS) assuming diploid and tetraploid inheritance, encompassing distinct models of gene action (additive, general, different orders of allelic interaction and the corresponding diploidized models). A total of 1,575 southern highbush blueberry individuals from a breeding population of 117 full-sib families were genotyped using sequence c...

多倍体化（Polyploidization）是植物演化过程中古老且反复出现的事件，深刻影响自然种群的多样化进程与植物育种策略。多倍体化现象广泛存在于诸多重要作物之中，但相较于二倍体（diploid）物种，其对诸多农艺性状遗传规律的调控机制仍有待系统解析。更高水平的等位基因剂量，或是等位基因间更为复杂的互作模式，均可能对表型表达产生影响。鉴于此，本研究旨在解析同源四倍体蓝莓（autotetraploid blueberries）果实相关性状的遗传基础，并筛选出影响表型变异的候选基因。本研究分别基于二倍体与四倍体（tetraploid）遗传模型开展全基因组关联分析（Genome-Wide Association Study, GWAS），涵盖了多种不同的基因作用模式，包括加性模型、通用模型、不同层级的等位基因互作模型，以及对应的二倍体化模型。本研究共对源自117个全同胞家系（full-sib families）育种群体的1575株南高丛蓝莓（southern highbush blueberry）个体进行了测序基因分型……