Genetic analysis reveals PDH1 as a candidate gene for control of pod dehiscence in chickpea

Pod dehiscence is a key trait in legumes due to its relevance for seed dispersal and yield losses. Although transcriptional networks controlling dehiscence have been well explored in cereal crops and models, such as Arabidopsis, our knowledge on molecular control of the trait in legumes is relatively limited. In chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.), the identification of major and minor genes controlling pod dehiscence is very important when wild genotypes are used to introgress germplasm in cultivated ones. In this study, we characterized phenotypically a RIL population from an interspecific cross and used a candidate gene approach to identify orthologous to dehiscence-related genes. The segregation pattern in the RIL population suggests that the trait is under oligogenic control. Through genome mapping and sequencing, we developed DNA markers and identified the PDH1 gene as an important regulator of pod shattering in chickpea. Our results may help the exploitation of wild germplasm resources in chickpea breeding programs and shed light on the relationships between the molecular and phenotypic variations in this important legume species.