Exploring the genetic characteristics of 93-11 and Nipponbare recombination inbred lines based on the GoldenGate SNP assay

Understanding genetic characteristics in rice populations will facilitate exploring evolutionary mechanisms and gene cloning. Numerous molecular markers have been utilized in linkage map construction and quantitative trait locus (QTL) mappings. However, segregation-distorted markers were rarely considered, which prevented understanding genetic characteristics in many populations. In this study, we designed a 384-marker GoldenGate SNP array to genotype 283 recombination inbred lines (RILs) derived from 93-11 and Nipponbare Oryza sativa crosses. Using 294 markers that were highly polymorphic between parents, a linkage map with a total genetic distance of 1,583.2 cM was constructed, including 231 segregation-distorted markers. This linkage map was consistent with maps generated by other methods in previous studies. In total, 85 significant quantitative trait loci (QTLs) with phenotypic variation explained (PVE) values≥5% were identified. Among them, 34 QTLs were overlapped with reported genes/QTLs relevant to corresponding traits, and 17 QTLs were overlapped with reported sterility-related genes/QTLs. Our study provides evidence that segregation-distorted markers can be used in linkage map construction and QTL mapping. Moreover, genetic information resulting from this study will help us to understand recombination events and segregation distortion. Furthermore, this study will facilitate gene cloning and understanding mechanism of inter-subspecies hybrid sterility and correlations with important agronomic traits in rice.