Pod dehiscence is a key trait in legumes due to its relevance for seed dispersal and yield losses. Although transcriptional networks controlling dehiscence have been well explored in cereal crops and models, such as Arabidopsis, our knowledge on molecular control of the trait in legumes is relatively limited. In chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.), the identification of major and minor genes controlling pod dehiscence is very important when wild genotypes are used to introgress germplasm in cultivated ones. In this study, we characterized phenotypically a RIL population from an interspecific cross and used a candidate gene approach to identify orthologous to dehiscence-related genes. The segregation pattern in the RIL population suggests that the trait is under oligogenic control. Through genome mapping and sequencing, we developed DNA markers and identified the PDH1 gene as an important regulator of pod shattering in chickpea. Our results may help the exploitation of wild germplasm resources in chickpea breeding programs and shed light on the relationships between the molecular and phenotypic variations in this important legume species.

荚果开裂是豆类的一个关键特性，因为它与种子散布和产量损失有关。尽管控制裂裂的转录网络已在谷物作物和模型（如拟南芥）中得到了很好的探索，但我们对豆科植物性状的分子控制知识还是相对有限的。鹰嘴豆（Acerinum）L.），当使用野生基因型渗入栽培种的种质时，识别控制荚果裂开的主要和次要基因非常重要。在这项研究中，我们从种间杂交的表型上表征了RIL种群，并使用了候选基因方法来鉴定与裂殖相关基因的直系同源。RIL群体的隔离模式表明该性状处于寡聚控制之下。通过基因组作图和测序，我们开发了DNA标记，并将PDH1基因鉴定为鹰嘴豆荚裂的重要调控因子。我们的结果可能有助于鹰嘴豆育种计划中野生种质资源的开发，并阐明这一重要豆科植物物种的分子和表型变异之间的关系。