Dissecting the molecular basis of variability for flowering time in Camelina sativa

Abstract

Camelina sativa is an important polyploid oilseed crop with multiple favourable agronomic traits. Capturing the leaf transcriptome of 48 accessions of C. sativa suggests allelic variation for gene expression levels and notably sub-genome dominance, both of which could provide opportunities for crop improvement. Flowering time (FT) is a crucial factor affecting the overall yield of crops. However, our understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying FT regulation in C. sativa are still limited, partly due to its complex allohexaploid genome. In this study, weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA), expression quantitative trait loci (eQTL) analysis and transcriptome-wide association study (TWAS) were employed to explore the FT diversity among 48 C. sativa accessions and dissect the underlying molecular basis. Our results revealed a FT-related co-expressed gene module highly enriched with SOC1 and SOC1-like genes and identified 10 significant FT-associated single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) defining three haplotype groups; thus providing a molecular basis for future genetic improvements in C. sativa breeding.