Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40650063›Full record

ArticleInternational journal of molecular sciences2025

Genetic Dissection of Drought Tolerance in Maize Through GWAS of Agronomic Traits, Stress Tolerance Indices, and Phenotypic Plasticity.

Ronglan Li, Dongdong Li, Yuhang Guo, Yueli Wang, Yufeng Zhang, Le Li, Xiaosong Yang, Shaojiang Chen, Tobias Würschum, Wenxin Liu

Abstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in International journal of molecular sciences, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
3citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

3 citing papers in PubMed.

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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

10 authors.

Ronglan LiSanya Institute of China Agricultural University, China Agricultural University, Sanya 572025, China.
Dongdong LiState Key Laboratory of Maize Bio-Breeding, National Maize Improvement Center, College of Agronomy and Biotechnology, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China.ORCID 0000-0001-5698-3972
Yuhang GuoState Key Laboratory of Maize Bio-Breeding, National Maize Improvement Center, College of Agronomy and Biotechnology, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China.ORCID 0000-0002-4078-2006
Yueli WangState Key Laboratory of Maize Bio-Breeding, National Maize Improvement Center, College of Agronomy and Biotechnology, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China.
Yufeng ZhangSanya Institute of China Agricultural University, China Agricultural University, Sanya 572025, China.
Le LiSanya Institute of China Agricultural University, China Agricultural University, Sanya 572025, China.
Xiaosong YangState Key Laboratory of Maize Bio-Breeding, National Maize Improvement Center, College of Agronomy and Biotechnology, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China.
Shaojiang ChenSanya Institute of China Agricultural University, China Agricultural University, Sanya 572025, China.
Tobias WürschumInstitute of Plant Breeding, Seed Science and Population Genetics, University of Hohenheim, 70599 Stuttgart, Germany.ORCID 0000-0002-7397-7731
Wenxin LiuSanya Institute of China Agricultural University, China Agricultural University, Sanya 572025, China.ORCID 0000-0002-5733-1244

Funding

Hainan Provincial Natural Science Foundation of China 321MS067the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG, German Research Foundation) 328017493/GRK 2366the National Key Research and Development Program of China 2022YFD1200802the PhD Scientific Research and Innovation Foundation of Sanya Yazhou Bay Science and Technology City HSPHDSRF-2023-05-007the Science and Technology Innovation Team of Maize Modern Seed Industry in Hebei 21326319D
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Drought severely limits crop yield every year, making it critical to clarify the genetic basis of drought tolerance for breeding of improved varieties. As drought tolerance is a complex quantitative trait, we analyzed three phenotypic groups: (1) agronomic traits under well-watered (WW) and water-deficit (WD) conditions, (2) stress tolerance indices of these traits, and (3) phenotypic plasticity, using a multi-parent doubled haploid (DH) population assessed in multi-environment trials. Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) identified 130, 171, and 71 quantitative trait loci (QTL) for the three groups of phenotypes, respectively. Only one QTL was shared among all trait groups, 25 between stress indices and agronomic traits, while the majority of QTL were specific to their group. Functional annotation of candidate genes revealed distinct pathways of the three phenotypic groups. Candidate genes under WD conditions were enriched for stress response and epigenetic regulation, while under WW conditions for protein synthesis and transport, RNA metabolism, and developmental regulation. Stress tolerance indices were enriched for transport of amino/organic acids, epigenetic regulation, and stress response, whereas plasticity showed enrichment for environmental adaptability. Transcriptome analysis of 26 potential candidate genes showed tissue-specific drought responses in leaves, ears, and tassels. Collectively, these results indicated both shared and independent genetic mechanisms underlying drought tolerance, providing novel insights into the complex phenotypes related to drought tolerance and guiding further strategies for molecular breeding in maize.

Indexed as

Adaptation, PhysiologicalDroughtsGenome-Wide Association StudyStress, PhysiologicalZea maysDrought ResistanceGene Expression Regulation, PlantPhenotypePolymorphism, Single NucleotideQuantitative Trait Lociagronomic traitsdrought tolerancegenome-wide association studymaizephenotypic plasticitystress tolerance indices

Identifiers

PMID40650063
PMCPMC12249902

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.