Genetic variability and genome ‐wide marker association studies for starch traits contributing to low glycaemic index in pearl millet

The manuscript for the first-time reports extent of genetic variation present in pearl millet germplasm for starch traits contributing to low glycaemic index using a random subset of 166 accessions drawn from the world collection of pearl millet germplasm panel (PMiGAP). It also reports candidate genes associated with such starch traits by conducting genome-wide association studies (GWAS), again using the pearl millet global diversity panel (PMiGAP), and 78K SNP variants distributed across the seven chromosomes of pearl millet. The genetic variability for starch traits, and the SNP markers (and candidate genes) associated with such traits, is discussed in the context of breeding low GI pearl millet and other crops for combating rising type 2 diabetes across the world. AbstractPearl millet grains are naturally rich in high quality starch, dietary fibre, polyphenols and important micronutrients. Grains from a random subset of the global diversity panel (PMiGAP) comprising 166 pearl millet accessions were assessed for total starch (TS), rapidly digestible Starch (RDS), slowly digestible starch (SDS) and resistant starch (RS) content based on available glucose percentage after digestion at various time points. Highly significant genetic variations for SDS, RS and other starch traits were evident amongst the PMiGAP accessions leading to the identification of best accessions for use in the future pearl millet-breeding programmes. To identify potential candidate genes associated wit...
Source: Food and Energy Security - Category: Food Science Authors: Tags: ORIGINAL ARTICLE Source Type: research