Marker-Trait Association Analysis of Iron and Zinc Concentration in Lentil (Lens culinaris Medik.) Seeds

Lentil (Lens culinaris Medik.) seeds are relatively rich in iron (Fe) and zinc (Zn), making lentil a potential crop to aid in the global battle against human micronutrient deficiency. Understanding the genetic basis for uptake of seed Fe and Zn is required to increase sustainable concentrations of these minerals in seeds. The objectives of this study were to characterize genetic variation in seed Fe and Zn concentration and to identify molecular markers associated with these traits across diverse lentil accessions. A set of 138 cultivated lentil accessions from 34 countries were evaluated in four environments (2 sites x 2 yr) in Saskatchewan, Canada. The collection was genotyped using 1150 single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers that are distributed across the lentil genome. The germplasm tested exhibited a wide range of variation for seed Fe and Zn concentration. The marker-trait association analysis detected two SNP markers tightly linked to seed Fe and one linked to seed Zn concentration (-log10 >= 3 4.36). Additional markers were detected at -log10 >= 3 3.06. A number of putative candidate genes underlying detected loci encode Fe- and Zn-related functions. This study provides insight into the genetics of seed Fe and Zn concentration of lentil and opportunities for marker-assisted selection to improve micronutrient concentration as part of micronutrient biofortification programs.