en.Wedoany.com Reported - The Agricultural Genomics Technology Research and Application Innovation Team at the Agricultural Genomics Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, has developed a new method for polyploid genome-wide association analysis, addressing the challenges of genetic analysis in complex polyploid genomes. The relevant research findings were published in Nature Genetics.

Polyploid genomes contain multiple sets of highly similar homologous chromosomes. Traditional genome-wide association analysis requires precise alignment of sequencing fragments to a reference genome before identifying individual genotypes. However, due to the high similarity of homologous chromosomes, fragments are often misaligned, leading to distorted analytical results.

To address this issue, the research team proposed a new method for polyploid genome-wide association analysis that does not rely on reference sequence alignment. This method bypasses the cumbersome assembly process by "counting" gene fragments to identify key genes associated with traits. The technique has been validated in diploid rice, tetraploid alfalfa, hexaploid sweet potato, and polyploid cultivated sugarcane, and has successfully identified key genes controlling sugar accumulation and tillering in complex wild sugarcane populations. This study provides a powerful tool for precision design breeding of polyploid crops, potentially accelerating the selection and breeding of superior varieties.

This research was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China and the Agricultural Science and Technology Innovation Program of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences.