Candidate Gene Association Mapping of Oil and Fatty Acid Content in Soybean Seeds

Soybean (Glycine max) is an important oil crop worldwide, and soybean oil has been one of the most consumed vegetable oil. Therefore improving soybean oil content and quality is desirable in soybean breeding. To identify and map the QTL and candidate genes underlying the oil and fatty acid content in soybean seeds, candidate genes involved in lipid biosynthesis were chosen from gene ontology analyses and transcript profiling of soybean developing seeds. Markers for these candidate genes were developed. A population of 400 soybean cultivars was used for association mapping. This population was grown in the field in Jiangpu experimental station in 2012 and 2013. The oil contents in the seeds of all samples were determined by near infrared spectroscopy, and the fatty acid profiles were measured using gas chromatography of total fatty acid methyl esters of extracted oil. Association mapping was conducted using two-year data and candidate genes and QTL underlying oil and fatty acid content in soybean seeds were identified.