Understanding the genomic and environmental basis of cold adaptation is key to understand how plants survive and adapt to different environmental conditions across their natural range. Univariate and multivariate genome-wide association (GWAS) and genotype-environment association (GEA) analyses were used to test associations among genome-wide SNPs obtained from whole-genome resequencing, measures of growth, phenology, emergence, cold hardiness, and range-wide environmental variation in coastal Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii). Results suggest a complex genomic architecture of cold adaptation, in which traits are either highly polygenic or controlled by both large and small effect genes. Newly discovered associations for cold adaptation in Douglas-fir included 130 genes involved in many important biological functions such as primary and secondary metabolism, growth and reproductive development, transcription regulation, stress and signaling, and DNA processes. These genes were related to growth, phenology and cold hardiness and strongly depend on variation in environmental variables such degree days below 0c, precipitation, elevation and distance from the coast. This study is a step forward in our understanding of the complex interconnection between environment and genomics and their role in cold-associated trait variation in boreal tree species, providing a baseline for the species’ predictions under climate change.

中文翻译：

---

利用花旗松性状和环境数据的全基因组关联剖析冷适应的多基因基础

了解冷适应的基因组和环境基础是了解植物如何在其自然范围内生存和适应不同环境条件的关键。使用单变量和多变量全基因组关联（GWAS）和基因型-环境关联（GEA）分析来测试从全基因组重测序、生长、物候、出苗、抗寒性和范围的测量中获得的全基因组SNP之间的关联。沿海花旗松（Pseudotsuga menziesii）的巨大环境变化。结果表明冷适应具有复杂的基因组结构，其中性状要么是高度多基因的，要么是由大小效应基因控制的。新发现的花旗松冷适应关联包括 130 个基因，涉及许多重要的生物功能，如初级和次级代谢、生长和生殖发育、转录调控、应激和信号传导以及 DNA 过程。这些基因与生长、物候和抗寒性相关，并且强烈依赖于环境变量的变化，例如低于 0 摄氏度的天数、降水量、海拔和距海岸的距离。这项研究在我们理解环境和基因组之间复杂的相互关系及其在北方树种与寒冷相关的性状变异中的作用方面向前迈出了一步，为该物种在气候变化下的预测提供了基线。