Genome-wide association study of powdery mildew resistance in cultivated soybean from Northeast China.

Powdery mildew (PMD), caused by the pathogen Microsphaera diffusa, leads to substantial yield decreases in susceptible soybean under favorable environmental conditions. Effective prevention of soybean PMD damage can be achieved by identifying resistance genes and developing resistant cultivars. In this study, we genotyped 331 soybean germplasm accessions, primarily from Northeast China, using the SoySNP50K BeadChip, and evaluated their resistance to PMD in a greenhouse setting. To identify marker-trait associations while effectively controlling for population structure, we conducted genome-wide association studies utilizing factored spectrally transformed linear mixed models, mixed linear models, efficient mixed-model association eXpedited, and compressed mixed linear models. The results revealed seven single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) loci strongly associated with PMD resistance in soybean. Among these, one SNP was localized on chromosome (Chr) 14, and six SNPs with low linkage disequilibrium were localized near or in the region of previously mapped genes on Chr 16. In the reference genome of Williams82, we discovered 96 genes within the candidate region, including 17 resistance (R)-like genes, which were identified as potential candidate genes for PMD resistance. In addition, we performed quantitative real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction analysis to evaluate the gene expression levels in highly resistant and susceptible genotypes, focusing on leaf tissues collected at different times after M. diffusa inoculation. Among the examined genes, three R-like genes, including Glyma.16G210800, Glyma.16G212300, and Glyma.16G213900, were identified as strong candidates associated with PMD resistance. This discovery can significantly enhance our understanding of soybean resistance to PMD. Furthermore, the significant SNPs strongly associated with resistance can serve as valuable markers for genetic improvement in breeding M. diffusa-resistant soybean cultivars.