A MAGIC Population-Based Genome-Wide Association Study Reveals Functional Association of GhRBB1_A07 Gene with Superior Fiber Quality in Cotton

An Upland cotton multi-parent advanced generation inter-cross (MAGIC) population was developed through random-mating of 11 diverse cultivars for five generations. In this study,  fiber quality data obtained from four environments and 6,071 SNP markers generated via genotyping by sequencing and 223 microsatellite markers of 547 recombinant inbred lines of the MAGIC population were used to conduct a genome wide association study (GWAS). By employing a mixed linear model, GWAS enabled us to identify markers significantly associated with fiber quantitative trait loci (QTL). We identified and validated one QTL cluster associated with four fiber quality traits: short fiber content, strength, length and uniformity, on chromosome A07. We further identified candidate genes related to fiber quality attributes in this region. Gene expression and amino acid substitution analysis suggested that a regeneration of bulb biogenesis 1 (GhRBB1_A07) gene is a candidate for superior fiber quality in Upland cotton. The DNA marker CFBid0004 designed from an 18 bp deletion in the coding sequence of GhRBB1_A07 in Acala Ultima is associated with the improved fiber quality in the MAGIC RILs and 105 additional commercial Upland cotton cultivars.