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Abstract

Panicle length represents a key yield-related trait in sorghum (Sorghum bicolor L. Moench). Elucidating the genetic basis of panicle length and identifying key regulatory genes are of great significance for high-yield molecular breeding in sorghum. In this study, two sorghum maintainer lines with significantly different panicle lengths, 01-26B and 7009B, were used as parents to construct an F2 segregating population, and phenotypic investigation and genetic analysis of panicle length were conducted. The results showed that panicle length in the F2 population exhibited a continuous distribution with obvious transgressive segregation, indicating that this trait is controlled by multiple genes and conforms to the characteristics of quantitative inheritance. Based on individuals with extreme panicle length phenotypes in the F₂ population, long-panicle and short-panicle bulks were constructed, and bulked segregant analysis sequencing (BSA-seq) was performed on the two parents and the bulks. At the 95% confidence level, a total of 14 key SNP loci significantly associated with panicle length were identified, which were distributed on chromosomes 3, 6, 7, 9, and 10. Among them, a nonsynonymous mutation located at 8,814,444 bp on chromosome 7 was identified in the exon region of the gene LOC8071181, which encodes an ECERIFERUM 26-like protein involved in the elongation of very long-chain fatty acids. It is speculated that this gene may indirectly regulate panicle rachis development by affecting wax biosynthesis or cell membrane stability. This study provides a theoretical basis and valuable genetic resources for elucidating the genetic mechanism of panicle length and for marker-assisted breeding in sorghum.

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