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Title: Quantitative trait loci affecting oil content, oil composition, and other agronomically important traits in Oat (Avena sativa L.)

Author
item HIZBAI, BINAM - Agriculture And Agri-Food Canada
item GARDNER, KYLE - Agriculture And Agri-Food Canada
item WIGHT, CHARLENE - Agriculture And Agri-Food Canada
item DANDA, ROHIT - University Of Saskatchewan
item MOLNAR, STEPHEN - Agriculture And Agri-Food Canada
item JOHNSON, DOUGLAS - University Of Ottawa
item FREGEAU-REID, JUDITH - Agriculture And Agri-Food Canada
item YAN, WEIKEI - Agriculture And Agri-Food Canada
item ROSSNAGEL, BRIAN - University Of Saskatchewan
item Holland, Jim - Jim
item TINKER, NICHOLAS - Agriculture And Agri-Food Canada

Submitted to: The Plant Genome
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 10/1/2012
Publication Date: 12/12/2012
Citation: Hizbai, B., Gardner, K., Wight, C., Danda, R., Molnar, S., Johnson, D., Fregeau-Reid, J., Yan, W., Rossnagel, B., Holland, J.B., Tinker, N. 2012. Quantitative trait loci affecting oil content, oil composition, and other agronomically important traits in Oat (Avena sativa L.). The Plant Genome. 5:164-175.

Interpretive Summary: An important component of grain quality in oat is the oil content of the grain. The total amount of oil in the grain is an important indicator of its feed energy value. The ratio of unsaturated fats to saturated fats of the oil also determines its properties as a heart-healthy food for people. We investigated the genetic determination of these traits by crossing a higher oil oat variety to a lower oil oat variety and studying the inheritance of oil content and fatty acid profiles in the progeny of the cross. Progeny lines were genotyped with DNA markers and evaluated in the field for grain oil content and fatty acid contents. We found a number of genomic regions significantly associated with these traits. Some regions affected most of the oil traits, suggesting they contain genes that play important roles in the production of oils in oat grain.

Technical Abstract: Groat oil content and composition are important determinants of oat quality. We investigated these traits in a population of 146 recombinant inbred lines from a cross between 'Dal' (high oil) and 'Exeter' (low oil). A linkage map consisting of 475 DArT markers spanning 1271.8 cM across 40 linkage groups was constructed. QTL analysis for groat oil content and composition was conducted using grain samples grown at Aberdeen, ID in 1997. QTL analysis for multiple agronomic traits was also conducted using data collected from hill plots and field plots in Ottawa, ON in 2010. Using simple and composite interval mapping methods, QTLs for oil content, palmitic acid (16:0), stearic acid (18:0), oleic acid (18:1), linoleic acid (18:2) and linolenic acid (18:3) were dentified. Two of the loci associated with oil content were associated with all of the fatty acids examined in this study, and most oil-related QTL showed similar patterns of effect on the fatty acid profile. These results suggest the presence of pleiotropic effects on oil-related traits through influences at specific nodes of the oil synthesis pathway. In addition, 12 QTL-associated markers (likely representing nine unique regions) were associated with plant height, heading date, lodging, and protein content.