Identifying QTL Controlling Kernel Color in Barley

摘要

Quantitative trait loci (QTL) analysis for kernel color in barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) was performed using genotypic data from an AFLP-based linkage map and phenotypic data from 167 recombinant inbred lines (RILs) derived from a cross between a black-kernel and drought-tolerant barley parent (Tadmor) and a light-kernel and drought-susceptible parent (Er/Apm). A genetic linkage map was constructed using 27 (out of 34) amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) markers distributed across five linkage groups. A major QTL was detected using composite interval mapping (CIM) with 4.1 LOD score and logistic regression analysis with Pr > χ2 = 0.0079. As this linked QTL explained 77.1 of the phenotypic variation for kernel color in barley, it will provide the basis for gene cloning and marker-assisted selection.