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Genome wide association mapping of epi-cuticular wax genes in Sorghum bicolor

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Abstract

Sorghum accumulates epi-cuticular wax (EW) in leaves, sheaths, and culms. EW reduces the transpirational and nontranspirational (nonstomatal) water loss and protects the plant from severe drought stress in addition to imparting resistance against insect pests. Results presented here are from the analysis of EW content of 387 diverse sorghum accessions and its genome-wide association study (GWAS). EW content in sorghum leaves ranged from 0.1 to 29.7 mg cm−2 with a mean value of 5.1 mg cm−2. GWAS using 265,487 single nucleotide polymorphisms identified thirty-seven putative genes associated (P < 9.89E−06) with EW biosynthesis and transport in sorghum. Major EW biosynthetic genes identified included 3-Oxoacyl-[acyl-carrier-protein (ACP)] synthase III, an Ankyrin repeat protein, a bHLH-MYC, and an R2R3-MYB transcription factor. Genes involved in EW regulation or transport included an ABC transporter, a Lipid exporter ABCA1, a Multidrug resistance protein, Inositol 1, 3, 4-trisphosphate 5/6-kinase, and a Cytochrome P450. This GWA study thus demonstrates the potential for genetic manipulation of EW content in sorghum for better adaptation to biotic and abiotic stress.

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Acknowledgements

We thank GRIN and Dr. Wilfred Vermerris (University of Florida) for providing the sorghum mapping panels SAP and MNC respectively. We thank Qixian Tan for sample collection, wax extraction and data recording. We thank Dr. Gregory Wayne Roth for his advice during field experiments. We acknowledge the assistance of Jin Cui, Debamalya Chatterjee, Iffa Gaffoor, Kameron Wittmeyer and Bin Liu for field sample collection and phenotyping. We thank Scott Harkcom, Penn State Agronomy farm manager for facilitating field preparation and assistance with crop management.

Funding

This work was supported by a USDA/NIFA Awards 2011-67009-30017, 2019-70006-30442, and AES Awards PEN04430 and PEN04613 to SC.

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  1. Department of Plant Science, Penn State University, University Park, PA, USA

    Dinakaran Elango, Weiya Xue & Surinder Chopra

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  1. Dinakaran Elango
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DE and WX designed experiments, collected and analyzed data, and wrote the manuscript; SC obtained funding, designed experiments, wrote, and edited the manuscript.

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Correspondence to Surinder Chopra.

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Elango, D., Xue, W. & Chopra, S. Genome wide association mapping of epi-cuticular wax genes in Sorghum bicolor. Physiol Mol Biol Plants 26, 1727–1737 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12298-020-00848-5

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