Integrating GWAS and TWAS to elucidate the genetic architecture of maize leaf cuticular conductance

The cuticle, a hydrophobic layer of cutin and waxes synthesized by plant epidermal cells, is the major barrier to water loss when stomata are closed. Dissecting the genetic architecture of natural variation for maize (Zea mays L.) leaf cuticular conductance (gc) is important for identifying genes relevant to improving crop productivity in drought-prone environments. To this end, we performed an integrated genome- and transcriptome-wide association studies (GWAS and TWAS) to identify candidate genes putatively regulating variation in leaf gc. Of the 22 plausible candidate genes identified, 4 were predicted to be involved in cuticle precursor biosynthesis and export, 2 in cell wall modification, 9 in intracellular membrane trafficking, and 7 in the regulation of cuticle development. A gene encoding an INCREASED SALT TOLERANCE1-LIKE1 (ISTL1) protein putatively involved in intracellular protein and membrane trafficking was identified in GWAS and TWAS as the strongest candidate causal gene. A set of maize nested near-isogenic lines that harbor the ISTL1 genomic region from eight donor parents were evaluated for gc, confirming the association between gc and ISTL1 in a haplotype-based association analysis. The findings of this study provide insights into the role of regulatory variation in the development of the maize leaf cuticle and will ultimately assist breeders to develop drought-tolerant maize for target environments.