Association mapping for kernel XXXX content in almond.

@entity1 @entity2486 @entity3628 @entity37161 @entity9541 @entity5068
Almond kernels are a rich source of @entity9541 , which are important compounds for @entity1 nutrition. The genetic control of @entity37161 content has not yet been documented in almond. Association mapping (AM), also known as linkage disequilibrium (LD), was applied to an almond germplasm collection in order to provide new insight into the genetic control of total and individual @entity5068 contents in kernels. Population structure analysis grouped the accessions into two principal groups, the Mediterranean and the non-Mediterranean. There was a strong subpopulation structure with LD decaying with increasing genetic distance, resulting in lower levels of LD between more distant markers. A significant impact of population structure on LD in the almond cultivar groups was observed. The mean r(2) -value for all intra-chromosomal loci pairs was 0.040, whereas, the r(2) for the inter-chromosomal loci pairs was 0.036. For analysis of association between the markers and phenotypic traits five models were tested. The @entity3628 ( @entity3628 ) approach using co-ancestry values from population structure and kinship estimates (K model) as covariates identified a maximum of 13 significant associations. Most of the associations found appeared to map within the interval where many candidate genes involved in the @entity5068 biosynthesis pathway are predicted in the @entity2486 genome. These findings provide a valuable foundation for quality gene identification and molecular marker assisted breeding in almond.
