An Integrated Meta-QTL and Transcriptome Analysis Provides Candidate Genes Associated with Drought Tolerance in Rice Seedlings.

ABSTRACT: Drought stress, intensified by climate change, poses a significant threat to global rice security. To identify stable quantitative trait loci (QTL) associated with drought tolerance in rice under different genetic backgrounds and environmental conditions, this study combined 901 drought-tolerant QTLs reported in 52 independent studies published between 2000 and 2023, which were subsequently meta-analyzed and condensed into 77 meta-QTLs (MQTLs). Among them, 23 MQTLs were validated in seven independent genome-wide association studies (GWAS) on drought tolerance in rice, each conducted using different natural populations. The confidence intervals (CIs) of the MQTLs were substantially narrowed, with the reduction factor ranging from 2.44 to 20.40 relative to the original QTLs. To further explo

SUBMITTER: Jin Y 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12693912 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature