Whole-Genome Sequencing on 220 Alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) Accessions Identified Association of DREB1C Gene with Fall Dormancy Height

Abstract Fall dormancy (FD) is one of the most important traits of alfalfa (Medicago sativa) for cultivar selection to overcome winter stress. Although transcriptomics, proteomics analysis, and QTL mapping have revealed some important genes correlated with FD, the genetic architecture of this trait is still unclear. There are no applicable genes or markers for selection, which hinders progress in the genetic research and molecular breeding for the trait. We conducted whole-genome sequencing (WGS) on 220 alfalfa accessions at 10x depth. Among the 875,023 SNPs, four of them were associated with FD height using GWAS. One SNP located on chromosome 6 is in linkage disequilibrium with dehydration-responsive element-binding protein 1C (DREB1C). Furthermore, seven DREB genes are clustered in this region, one of which has previously been shown to enhance freezing tolerance in the model plant Medicago truncatula. The candidate genes uncovered by our research will benefit the transgenic and CRISPR-Cas9 research of FD in alfalfa. This gene will also be useful for molecular marker development and marker-associated breeding of FD for alfalfa.