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ARS Home » Northeast Area » Ithaca, New York » Robert W. Holley Center for Agriculture & Health » Plant, Soil and Nutrition Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #334290
Title: Genome-wide association mapping of provitamin A carotenoid content in cassava

Author
item ESUMA, WILLIAMS - National Agricultural Research Organization - Uganda
item HERSELMAN, LIEZEL - University Of The Free State
item LABUSCHAGNE, MARYKETINE - University Of The Free State
item RAMU, PUNNA - Cornell University
item LU, FEI - Cornell University
item BAGUMA, YONA - National Agricultural Research Organization - Uganda
item Buckler, Edward - Ed
item KAWUKI, ROBER - National Agricultural Research Organization - Uganda

Submitted to: Euphytica
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 9/5/2016
Publication Date: 9/9/2016
Citation: Esuma, W., Herselman, L., Labuschagne, M., Ramu, P., Lu, F., Baguma, Y., Buckler IV, E.S., Kawuki, R. 2016. Genome-wide association mapping of provitamin A carotenoid content in cassava. Euphytica. DOI: 10.1007/s10681-016-1772-5.

Interpretive Summary: Malnutrition (especially Vitamin A deficiency) is extremely common in tropical regions. To combat the malnutrition, different research groups across the globe are working on increasing the nutritional content of crop species (biofortification). In this study, we have identified the genomic regions controlling Vitamin A carotenoids variation in cassava by genotyping-by-sequencing of 591 cassava clones. These findings enable the cassava breeders to enhance the Vitamin A content in cassava roots through marker-assisted selection (MAS) and reduce the malnutrition, especially in Sub-Saharan Africa where cassava is a major staple crop.

Technical Abstract: Global efforts are underway to develop staple crops with improved levels of provitamin A carotenoids to help combat dietary vitamin A deficiency, which is widespread among resource-poor farmers in the developing world. As a staple crop for more than 500 million people in sub-Saharan Africa, cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz) enriched with provitamin A carotenoids could have immense nutritional impact. To this effort, a genome-wide association study (GWAS) was conducted with the aim of identifying genomic regions controlling variation for carotenoid concentration in cassava as a basis for undertaking systematic genetic improvement for carotenoid content. A high throughput genotyping-by-sequencing platform was used to genotype a diverse association panel of 591 genotypes and identified 179,310 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) distributed across the cassava genome. A genomic region stretching 1.37 Mb on chromosome 1 was identified with four SNPs significantly associated with carotenoid content in cassava. A survey of cassava genome sequence v6.1 positioned these SNPs in the vicinity of Manes.01G124200.1 locus, which is a known gene responsible for increase in accumulation of provitamin A carotenoids in cassava roots. This study provides one of the pioneer insights into the practical application of GWAS for dissecting the genetic basis of nutritional traits in cassava. Findings presented herein offer practical grounds for improving carotenoid content in cassava through marker-assisted breeding and genomic selection.