Plant height (PH) of soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merr.) is an important and complex architecture trait significantly related to soybean yield. A natural population of 185 elite soybean accessions was used to identify QTN (quantitative trait nucleotide) and candidate genes of PH through genome‐wide association study (GWAS). A total of 33,149 SNPs were identified based on the Specific Locus Amplified Fragment Sequencing (SLAF‐seq). Finally, 14 signals associated with PH through GWAS were detected, including seven novel SNPs and seven known ones which were overlapped or located in the linked regions of known QTL. Numbers of functional genes located in the 200‐kb genomic region of each peak SNP were found. Furthermore, a total of 103 SNPs based on 28 genes were scanned. Among them, six novel genes containing cis‐acting elements involved in gibberellin or auxin responsiveness were predicted significantly related with PH according to transcript abundance analysis. The identified loci with beneficial alleles and the candidate genes might be useful for studying the molecular mechanisms of soybean PH and further for improving the potential yield of soybean.

中文翻译：

---

通过全基因组关联研究鉴定大豆（Glycine max）株高的基因座和候选基因

大豆的株高（PH）（大豆（L.）Merr。）是与大豆产量显着相关的重要且复杂的结构特征。通过全基因组关联研究（GWAS），使用185个大豆优良种质的自然种群来鉴定QTN（定量性状核苷酸）和PH的候选基因。根据特定基因座扩增片段测序（SLAF-seq），总共鉴定出33,149个SNP。最终，通过GWAS检测到与PH相关的14个信号，包括七个新的SNP和七个已知的SNP，它们重叠或位于已知QTL的链接区域中。发现每个峰值SNP的200kb基因组区域中的功能基因数量。此外，共扫描了基于28个基因的103个SNP。其中，根据转录本丰度分析，预测有6个含有顺式作用元件的新基因与赤霉素或植物生长素的反应性有关，而这些基因与PH显着相关。鉴定出的具有有益等位基因和候选基因的基因座可能对研究大豆PH的分子机制以及进一步提高大豆的潜在产量有用。