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Title: A comparative meta-analysis of QTL between intraspecific Gossypium hirsutum interspecific populations and Gossypium hirsutum x Gossypium barbadense populations

Author
item SAID, JOSEPH - New Mexico State University
item SONG, MINGZHOU - New Mexico State University
item Fang, David
item ZHANG, JINFA - New Mexico State University

Submitted to: Molecular Genetics and Genomics
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 11/20/2014
Publication Date: 12/12/2014
Citation: Said, J.I., Song, M., Fang, D.D., Zhang, J. 2014. A comparative meta-analysis of QTL between intraspecific Gossypium hirsutum interspecific populations and Gossypium hirsutum x Gossypium barbadense populations. Molecular Genetics and Genomics. DOI 10.1007/s00438-014-0963-9.

Interpretive Summary: Identification of molecular markers associated with quantitative trait loci (QTL) controlling important agronomic traits such as yield or fiber quality is important to improve cotton cultivars via marker-assisted selection strategy. During the past two decades, cotton researchers around the world identified more than 3000 trait QTLs using many different plant materials. A lot of similarities and discrepancies exist among the published results, which makes utilization of these markers very difficult in practical breeding. In this research, 626 QTL from 24 publications on upland cotton (Gossypium hirsutum) intraspecific and 1034 QTL from 25 publications on G. hirsutum x Pima cotton (G. barbadense) interspecific populations were used to create a QTL cluster and hotspot comparison analysis between the two types of populations. While the ratio of QTL between the two population types was uneven, clear differences in hotspot type and placement were observed between population types. Yet on other chromosomes clusters and hotspots were virtually the same between the two populations. This shows that there are some universal QTL cluster and hotspot regions in tetraploid Gossypium which remain consistent and some regions which differ between population types. This study has identified some universal tetraploid Gossypium clusters and hotspots, and some which differ and may explain subtle differences between the populations. This study elucidates the similarities and differences between G. hirsutum and G. hirsutum x G. barbadense population QTL clusters and hotspots for the first time and provides a resource to cotton breeding programs.

Technical Abstract: Recent Meta-analysis of quantitative trait loci (QTL) in tetraploid cotton (Gossypium spp.) has identified regions of the genome with high concentrations of various trait QTL called clusters, and specific trait QTL called hotspots. The Meta-analysis included all population types of Gossypium mixing both G. hirsutum intraspecific and interspecific populations. This study used 626 QTL from 24 publications on G. hirsutum intraspecific and 1034 QTL from 25 publications on G. hirsutum x G. barbadense interspecific populations to create a QTL cluster and hotspot comparison analysis between the two types of populations. While the ratio of QTL between the two population types was uneven clear differences in hotspot type and placement were observed between population types. Yet on other chromosomes clusters and hotspots were virtually the same between the two populations. This shows that there are some universal QTL cluster and hotspot regions in tetraploid Gossypium which remain consistent and some regions which differ between population types. This study has identified some universal tetraploid Gossypium clusters and hotspots, and some which differ and may explain subtle differences between the populations. This study elucidates the similarities and differences between G. hirsutum and G. hirsutum x G. barbadense population QTL clusters and hotspots for the first time and provides a resource to cotton breeding programs.