Fine Mapping of a Major QTL QWSC.caas-7DS for Stem Water-soluble Carbohydrate Content in Wheat (Triticum aestivum)
FU Lu-Ping1,2#,*, WANG Guang-Liang1,2#, XUE Bo-Yang1,2, ZHU Xue-Yuan1,2, MENG Heng-Yu1,2, LIU Bing-Liang1,2, ZHAO Ren-Hui3, YANG Zi-Bo4, ZHANG Yong4, REN Yan5, 6, LIU Jin-Dong7, Li Tao1,2,*, Li Ji-Hu8,*
1 Key Laboratory of Crop Genomics and Molecular Breeding of Jiangsu Province/Key Laboratory of Plant Functional Genomics of the Ministry of Education/Key Laboratory of Crop Genetics and Physiology of Jiangsu Province/Agricultural College, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, China; 2 Yangzhou University/Collaborative Innovation Center for Modern Industrial Technology of Grain Crops of Jiangsu Province, Yangzhou 225009, China; 3 Institute of Agricultural Sciences of the Lixiahe District in Jiangsu Province/Key Laboratory of Wheat Biology and Genetic Improvement for Middle and Lower Yangtze Valley, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Yangzhou 225007, China; 4 Huaiyin Institute of Agricultural Sciences in Xuhuai Region of Jiangsu Province/Huai'an Key Laboratory for Agricultural Biotechnology, Huai'an 223001, China; 5 State Key Laboratory of High-Efficiency Production of Wheat-Maize Double Cropping, Beijing 100193, China; 6 College of Agronomy, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou 450046, China; 7 Institute of Crop Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agriculture Sciences, Beijing 100081, China; 8 Crop Research Institute, Shandong Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Jinan 250100, China
Abstract：Stem-reserved water-soluble carbohydrates (WSC) serve as a crucial carbon source for grain filling in wheat (Triticum aestivum). Enhancing stem WSC content is a key strategy for achieving high and stable grain yield. The major-effect QTL QWSC.caas-7DS, which regulates stem WSC content at 10 d after flowering (WSC10), was previously identified in the 'Yangmai 16' (YM16)/'Zhongmai 895' (ZM895) doubled haploid (DH) population, with physical interval of 11.7 Mb. To fine-map this QTL, identify the candidate genes, and develop molecular markers, a cross XY015/XY102 was made with 2 DH lines XY015 and XY102 that contrast in genotype at QWSC.caas-7DS but shared identical genotypes at other known WSC loci. Subsequently, F2, F2:3, and F2:4 segregating populations were constructed. Based on whole-genome resequencing data of YM16 and ZM895, 20 kompetitive allele-specific PCR (KASP) markers were successfully developed within the target interval, and a high-density genetic map was constructed using 755 F2 individuals. The homozygous F2:4 lines derived from 35 recombinant F2 plants were used for phenotyping of WSC10 in 3 environments; in combination with the genotypic data of these lines, QWSC.caas-7DS was finely mapped to the 66.44~69.14 Mb interval on chromosome 7DS. Comprehensive analysis of genomic resequencing data of YM16 and ZM895, along with annotations and expression profiles of the genes in the QTL interval, 6 genes were preliminarily presumed as the candidate genes for QWSC.caas-7DS. According to the gene expression profile database, Vrn-D3 (gene ID: TraesCS7D01G111600), one of the candidate genes, showed high expression levels in stem and leaf tissues, and it may regulate stem WSC and thousand-kernel weight (TKW) by modulating carbon balance between source and sink tissues. Vrn-D3 was cloned from YM16 and ZM895, and a G base "insertion/deletion" variation located in the third exon was identified. A molecular marker, Vrn-D3M, was developed for genotyping this variation and was validated in 157 wheat varieties from the Yellow and Huai Valleys Winter Wheat Zone. The results indicated that Vrn-D3M could be effectively used for molecular breeding targeting for improvement of WSC10 and TKW. The findings of this study lay a solid foundation for the final cloning and functional study of QWSC.caas-7DS, and also provide an efficient molecular tool for breeding applications.
付路平, 王广梁, 薛博阳, 朱学元, 孟恒宇, 刘炳亮, 赵仁慧, 杨子博, 张勇, 任妍, 刘金栋, 李韬, 李吉虎. 小麦茎秆水溶性碳水化合物含量主效QTL QWSC.caas-7DS精细定位[J]. 农业生物技术学报, 2026, 34(5): 913-930.
FU Lu-Ping, WANG Guang-Liang, XUE Bo-Yang, ZHU Xue-Yuan, MENG Heng-Yu, LIU Bing-Liang, ZHAO Ren-Hui, YANG Zi-Bo, ZHANG Yong, REN Yan, LIU Jin-Dong, Li Tao, Li Ji-Hu. Fine Mapping of a Major QTL QWSC.caas-7DS for Stem Water-soluble Carbohydrate Content in Wheat (Triticum aestivum). 农业生物技术学报, 2026, 34(5): 913-930.
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