Transcriptome and association mapping revealed functional genes respond to drought stress in Populus

Drought frequency and severity are exacerbated by global climate change, which could compromise forest ecosystems. However, there have been minimal efforts to systematically investigate the genetic basis of the response to drought stress in perennial trees. Here, we implemented a systems genetics approach that combines co-expression analysis, association genetics, and expression quantitative trait nucleotide (eQTN) mapping to construct an allelic genetic regulatory network comprising four key regulators (PtoeIF-2B, PtoABF3, PtoPSB33, and PtoLHCA4) under drought stress conditions. Furthermore, Hap_01PtoeIF-2B, a superior haplotype associated with the net photosynthesis, was revealed through allelic frequency and haplotype analysis. In total, 75 candidate genes related to drought stress were identified through transcriptome analyses of five Populus cultivars (P. tremula x P. alba, P. nigra, P. simonii, P. trichocarpa, and P. tomentosa). Through association mapping, we detected 92 unique SNPs from 38 genes and 104 epistatic gene pairs that were associated with six drought-related traits by association mapping. eQTN mapping unravels drought stress-related gene loci that were significantly associated with the expression levels of candidate genes for drought stress. In summary, we have developed an integrated strategy for dissecting a complex genetic network, which facilitates an integrated population genomics approach that can assess the effects of environmental threats.