QTL analysis of moderate drought response in a rye Recombinant Inbred Line (RIL) population shows co-localization of QTLs for morphological and physiological traits

The study aimed to identify the loci responsible for some morphological traits, induced by drought in a recombinant inbred line (RIL) population of rye and to find out their connections with loci for other traits, using high density, consensus, genetic map. Twenty-five QTLs engaged in the response to drought (drought index, DI) of four morphological traits were detected. Thirteen QTLs induced by drought stress co-localized with QTLs for morphology, leaf rolling, pre-harvest sprouting (PHS), alpha-amylase activity and heading earliness. XrPt507374 from 3R was found to be the most validated marker, as the nearest one to the LOD peak of QTLs for five different traits: TGW-DI, plant height, spike length, spike compactness and PHS. Three genes were considered putative candidate genes for drought response on the basis of sequence alignment of DArTs linked to QTLs from 5R: DEAD-box ATP-dependent RNA helicase, thaumatin-like protein precursor (TLP) and transcription initiation factor TFIID.