Identification, validation, and candidate gene analysis of major QTL for cadmium tolerance in common wheat

https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10681-025-03559-8

Euphytica, Volume 221, article number106, (2025)

Xinjian Zhou,Zhiqiang Wang,Xudong Chen,Wanlin Zhou,Haojie Li,Fangkun Wu,Hong Zhou,Yu Lin,Caixia Li &Yaxi Liu

Abstract

Cadmium (Cd) is a toxic heavy metal that poses significant threats to wheat production and productivity, leading to stunted growth, discolored leaves, and diminished biomass and yield. Therefore, identification of Cd tolerance quantitative trait loci (QTL) in wheat is crucial for breeding Cd tolerant wheat, thereby ensuring stable and productive yields. In this study, a recombinant inbred lines population comprising 300 F8lines derived from a cross between H461 and Chinese Spring was used to measure the root fresh weight under Cd stress and control conditions in multiple trials, and further evaluate the Cd tolerance indexes and identify QTL for Cd tolerance. Five QTL were identified and one major QTL (QCd.sicau-1D) was identified in four different trials and BLUP, which explained 10.02% to 13.51% phenotypic variation. A Kompetitive Allele-Specific PCR (KASP) marker forQCd.sicau-1Dwas developed and used to validate the effect of this locus in different genetic backgrounds. Based on candidate gene functional annotation within the QTL region and expression patterns,TraesCS1D02G293900 and TraesCS1D02G294000 were identified as candidate genes responsible for QCd.sicau-1D. Overall, our results provided essential information for cloning QCd.sicau-1D in wheat.