Genome-wide association analysis of resistance to frogeye leaf spot China race 7 in soybean based on high-throughput sequencing

Key messageFLS is a disease that causes severe yield reduction in soybean. In this study, four genes (Glyma.16G176800, Glyma.16G177300, Glyma.16G177400 and Glyma.16G182300) were tentatively confirmed to play an important role in the resistance of soybean to FLS race 7.Frogeye leaf spot (FLS) causes severe yield loss in soybean and has been found in several countries worldwide. Therefore, it is necessary to select and utilize FLS-resistant varieties for the management of FLS. In the present study, 335 representative soybean materials were assessed for partial resistance to FLS race 7. Quantitative trait nucleotide (QTN) and FLS race 7 candidate genes were identified using genome-wide association analysis (GWAS) based on a site-specific amplified fragment sequencing (SLAF-seq) approach. A total of 23,156 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were used to evaluate the level of linkage disequilibrium with a minor allele frequency >= 5 and deletion data < 3%. These SNPs covered about 947.01 MBP, nearly 86.09% of the entire soybean genome. In addition, a compressed mixed linear model was utilized to identify association signals for partial resistance to FLS race 7. A total of 15 QTNs associated with resistance were found to be novel for FLS race 7 resistance. A total of 217 candidate genes located in the 200-kb genomic region of these peak SNPs were identified. Based on gene association analysis, qRT-PCR, haplotype analysis and virus-induced gene silencing (VIGS) systems were used to further verify candidate genes Glyma.16G176800, Glyma.16G177300, Glyma.16G177400 and Glyma.16G182300. This indicates that these four candidate genes may participate in FLS race 7 resistance responses.