Freezing tolerance is likely to be an important adaptation for both natural populations and crop cultivars like winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.). In the United States, winter wheat represents 80% of the total wheat production. Understanding the genetic basis of freezing tolerance in wheat furthers our knowledge of abiotic stress tolerance in plants and may inform breeding programs aimed at adjusting the level of freezing tolerance for a given region. We examined freezing tolerance in a 267-line panel of elite soft red winter wheat that has previously been used for genome-wide association study (GWAS) on agronomically important traits. We were specifically interested in determining the extent of genetic variation for freezing tolerance within the panel, what the genetic basis of that variation is, and if there are correlations between freezing tolerance and other agronomically important traits. We found significant variation in freezing tolerance among the lines, measured as survival through three total days at −8 °C. We performed a GWAS on freezing tolerance and identified 13 candidate loci, with nearby candidate genes involved in different functions potentially associated with freezing tolerance. In addition, we found significant correlations between freezing tolerance and seven previously published yield related traits. In summary, we found considerable variation in freezing tolerance in this panel that is associated with yield related traits. Thus, these lines may be useful for breeding programs seeking to optimize freezing tolerance for present and future climatic conditions.

中文翻译：

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软红冬小麦抗冻性全基因组关联分析

耐冻性可能是自然种群和作物品种如冬小麦 ( Triticum aestivum ) 的重要适应性。L.)。在美国，冬小麦占小麦总产量的 80%。了解小麦耐冻性的遗传基础进一步加深了我们对植物非生物胁迫耐受性的了解，并可能为旨在调整特定地区耐冻性水平的育种计划提供信息。我们检查了 267 系优质软红冬小麦的抗冻性，该小麦先前已用于农艺学上重要性状的全基因组关联研究 (GWAS)。我们特别感兴趣的是确定小组中耐寒性的遗传变异程度，这种变异的遗传基础是什么，以及耐寒性与其他重要的农艺性状之间是否存在相关性。我们发现各系之间的耐冻性存在显着差异，测量为在-8°C下总共三天的存活率。我们对冷冻耐受性进行了 GWAS，并确定了 13 个候选基因座，附近的候选基因参与了可能与冷冻耐受性相关的不同功能。此外，我们发现耐寒性与先前发表的七种产量相关性状之间存在显着相关性。总之，我们在该组中发现与产量相关性状相关的耐冻性存在相当大的差异。因此，这些品系可能对寻求优化当前和未来气候条件的抗冻性的育种计划有用。我们发现耐寒性与先前发表的七种产量相关性状之间存在显着相关性。总之，我们在该组中发现与产量相关性状相关的耐冻性存在相当大的差异。因此，这些品系可能对寻求优化当前和未来气候条件的抗冻性的育种计划有用。我们发现耐寒性与先前发表的七种产量相关性状之间存在显着相关性。总之，我们在该组中发现与产量相关性状相关的耐冻性存在相当大的差异。因此，这些品系可能对寻求优化当前和未来气候条件的抗冻性的育种计划有用。