fGWAS: An R package for genome-wide association analysis with longitudinal phenotypes

Genome-wide association study of multiyear dynamic growth traits in hybrid Liriodendron identifies robust genetic loci associated with growth trajectories

The genetic factors underlying growth traits differ over time points or stages. However, most current studies of phenotypes at single time points do not capture all loci or explain the genetic differences underlying growth trajectories. Hybrid Liriodendron exhibits obvious heterosis and is widely cultivated, although its complex genetic mechanism underlying growth traits remains unknown. A genome-wide association study (GWAS) is an effective method for elucidating the genetic architecture by identifying genetic loci underlying complex quantitative traits. In the present study, using a GWAS, we identified robust loci associated with growth trajectories in hybrid Liriodendron populations. We selected 233 hybrid progenies derived from 25 crosses for resequencing, and measured their tree height (H) and diameter at breast height (DBH) for 11 consecutive years; 192 972 high-quality single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were obtained. The dynamics of the multiyear single-trait GWAS showed that year-specific SNPs predominated, and only five robust SNPs for DBH were identified in at least three different years. Multitrait GWAS analysis with model parameters as latent variables also revealed 62 SNPs for H and 52 for DBH associated with the growth trajectory, displaying different biomass accumulation patterns, among which four SNPs exerted pleiotropic effects. All identified SNPs also exhibited temporal variations in effect sizes and inheritance patterns potentially related to different growth and developmental stages. The haplotypes resulting from these significant SNPs might pyramid favorable loci, benefitting the selection of superior genotypes. The present study provides insights into the genetic architecture of dynamic growth traits and lays a basis for future molecular-assisted breeding.

SCEBE: an efficient and scalable algorithm for genome-wide association studies on longitudinal outcomes with mixed-effects modeling

Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) using longitudinal phenotypes collected over time is appealing due to the improvement of power. However, computation burden has been a challenge because of the complex algorithms for modeling the longitudinal data. Approximation methods based on empirical Bayesian estimates (EBEs) from mixed-effects modeling have been developed to expedite the analysis. However, our analysis demonstrated that bias in both association test and estimation for the existing EBE-based methods remains an issue. We propose an incredibly fast and unbiased method (simultaneous correction for EBE, SCEBE) that can correct the bias in the naive EBE approach and provide unbiased P-values and estimates of effect size. Through application to Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative data with 6 414 695 single nucleotide polymorphisms, we demonstrated that SCEBE can efficiently perform large-scale GWAS with longitudinal outcomes, providing nearly 10 000 times improvement of computational efficiency and shortening the computation time from months to minutes. The SCEBE package and the example datasets are available at https://github.com/Myuan2019/SCEBE.

Mapping Covariation Quantitative Trait Loci That Control Organ Growth and Whole-Plant Biomass

Covariation between organ growth and biomass accumulation plays an important role in plants. Plant to capture optimal fitness in nature, which depend coordinate and interact for distinct organs such as leaves, stems, and roots. Although many studies have focused on plant growth or biomass allocation, detailed information on the genetic mechanism of coordinated variation is lacking. Here, we expand a new mapping model based on functional mapping to detect covariation quantitative trait loci (QTLs) that govern development of plant organs and whole biomass, which, via a series of hypothesis tests, allows quantification of how QTLs regulate covariation between organ growth and biomass accumulation. The model was implemented to analyze leaf number data and the whole dry weight of recombinant inbred lines (RILs) of Arabidopsis. Two key QTLs related to growth and biomass allocation that reside within biologically meaningful genes, CRA1 and HIPP25, are characterized. These two genes may control covariation between two traits. The new model will enable the elucidation of the genetic architecture underlying growth and biomass accumulation, which may enhance our understanding of fitness development in plants.