Genome-wide and candidate gene association studies identify BnPAP17 as conferring the utilization of organic phosphorus in oilseed rape

Phosphorus(P)is essential for living plants,and P deficiency is one of the key factors limiting the yield in rapeseed production worldwide.As the most important organ for plants,root morphology traits(RMTs)play a key role in P absorption.To investigate the genetic variability of RMT under low P availability,we dissected the genetic structure of RMTs by genome-wide association studies(GWAS),linkage mapping and candidate gene association studies(CGAS).A total of 52 suggestive loci were associated with RMTs under P stress conditions in 405 oilseed rape accessions.The purple acid phosphatase gene BnPAP17 was found to control the lateral root number(LRN)and root dry weight(RDW)under low P stress.The expression of BnPAP17 was increased in shoot tissue in P-efficient cultivars compared to root tissue and P-inefficient cultivars in response to low P stress.Moreover,the haplotype of BnPAP17Hap3 was detected for the selective breeding of P efficiency in oilseed rape.Over-expression of the BnPAP17Hap3 could promote the shoot and root growth with enhanced tolerance to low P stress and organic phosphorus(Po)utilization in oilseed rape.Collectively,these findings increase our understanding of the mechanisms underlying BnPAP17-mediated low P stress tolerance in oilseed rape.