[Meta-analysis of insect-resistance QTLs in soybean]

Soybean (Glycine max L.) yield is harmed seriously by pests. Although more and more QTLs for insect-resistance have been developed, the accuracy and validity of these QTLs are not always effective in different populations, for different traits, or by different method of data analysis. It is very important to obtain the real and effective QTL, which would provide great significance for molecular marker assisted selection. In this paper, the information on 81 QTLs related to insect-resistance was collected. All the insect-resistance QTLs were projected on the public genetic linkage map Soymap2 by BioMercator2.1, and a consensus genetic map from different maps with QTLs, genes and other loci was built. A method of meta-analysis was used to deduce the locations of true QTLs with confidence interval of 95%. Twelve and fourteen true QTLs were acquired separately by two ways of individual and integrated meta-analysis, and 6 QTLs showed consensus. All the QTLs were mapped on 9 linkages groups, which were mainly distributed on E, F, H, and M linkages groups as clusters. The QTL intervals were reduced from 15 cM to 3.67 cM in average. Most QTLs were related to resistance to multiple pests besides a soybean pod borer resistance QTL. The results narrowed down the reported QTLs, which provides the basis for QTL fine mapping and gene cloning.