The critical stages of grapevine breeding projects involve the identification and exploration of drought-tolerant cultivars, as well as the optimization of plant material selection, to effectively maintain grape production under drought stress. The results of the present study revealed significant differences among all physiological, biochemical, and anatomical responses to moderate drought stress in 20 grapevine cultivars. Drought stress resulted in a significant decrease in relative water content (15

Gliomas are primary brain lesions involving cerebral structures without well-defined boundaries and constitute the most prevalent central nervous system (CNS) neoplasms. Among gliomas, glioblastoma (GB) is a glioma of the highest grade and is associated with a grim prognosis. We examined how clinical variables and molecular profiles may have affected overall survival (OS) over the past ten years. A retrospective study was conducted at Sina Hospital in Tehran, Iran and examined patients with confirmed glioma diagnoses between 2012 and 2020. We evaluated the correlation between OS in GB patients and sociodemographic as well as clinical factors and molecular profiling based on IDH1, O-6-Methylguanine-DNA Methyltransferase (MGMT), TERTp, and epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) amplification (EGFR-amp) status. Kaplan–Meier and multivariate Cox regression models were used to assess patient survival. A total of 178 patients were enrolled in the study. The median OS was 20 months, with a 2-year survival rate of 61.0%. Among the 127 patients with available IDH measurements, 100 (78.7%) exhibited mutated IDH1 (IDH1-mut) tumors. Of the 127 patients with assessed MGMT promoter methylation (MGMTp-met), 89 (70.1%) had MGMT methylated tumors. Mutant TERTp (TERTp-mut) was detected in 20 out of 127 cases (15.7%), while wildtype TERTp (wildtype TERTp-wt) was observed in 107 cases (84.3%). Analyses using multivariable models revealed that age at histological grade (p < 0.0001), adjuvant radiotherapy (p < 0.018), IDH1 status (p < 0.043), and TERT-p status (p < 0.014) were independently associated with OS. Our study demonstrates that patients with higher tumor histological grades who had received adjuvant radiotherapy exhibited IDH1-mut or presented with TERTp-wt experienced improved OS. Besides, an interesting finding showed an association between methylation of MGMTp and TERTp status with tumor location.

The complex trait of yield is controlled by several quantitative trait loci (QTLs). Given the global water deficit issue, the development of rice varieties suitable for non-flooded cultivation holds significant importance in breeding programs. The powerful approach of Meta-QTL (MQTL) analysis can be used for the genetic dissection of complicated quantitative traits. In the current study, a comprehensive MQTL analysis was conducted to identify consistent QTL regions associated with drought tolerance and yield-related traits under water deficit conditions in rice. In total, 1087 QTLs from 134 rice populations, published between 2000 to 2021, were utilized in the analysis. Distinct MQTL analysis of the relevant traits resulted in the identification of 213 stable MQTLs. The confidence interval (CI) for the detected MQTLs was between 0.12 and 19.7 cM. The average CI of the identified MQTLs (4.68 cM) was 2.74 times narrower compared to the average CI of the initial QTLs. Interestingly, 63 MQTLs coincided with SNP peak positions detected by genome-wide association studies for yield and drought tolerance-associated traits under water deficit conditions in rice. Considering the genes located both in the QTL-overview peaks and the SNP peak positions, 19 novel candidate genes were introduced, which are associated with drought response index, plant height, panicle number, biomass, and grain yield. Moreover, an inclusive MQTL analysis was performed on all the traits to obtain “Breeding MQTLs”. This analysis resulted in the identification of 96 MQTLs with a CI ranging from 0.01 to 9.0 cM. The mean CI of the obtained MQTLs (2.33 cM) was 4.66 times less than the mean CI of the original QTLs. Thirteen MQTLs fulfilling the criteria of having more than 10 initial QTLs, CI < 1 cM, and an average phenotypic variance explained greater than 10%, were designated as “Breeding MQTLs”. These findings hold promise for assisting breeders in enhancing rice yield under drought stress conditions.

Objective The most prevalent central nervous system (CNS) neoplasm arising from glial cells is glioma, which diffusely invades brain tissue. Among gliomas, Glioblastoma (GBM) is a glioma of the highest grade and associated with a grim prognosis, with a median overall survival of 15 months with and 3-4 months without therapy. We examined how clinical variables and molecular profiles may have affected overall survival (OS) at Sina Hospital in Tehran over the past ten years. Methods A retrospective study was conducted at Sina Hospital in Tehran, Iran, and examined patients ≥ 11 years with confirmed glioma diagnoses between 2012 and 2020. We evaluated the correlation between OS in GBM patients and sociodemographic as well as clinical factors, including age, gender, extent of tumor resection, tumor location, chemo/radiotherapy, and molecular profiling based on IDH1, MGMT, TERT, and EGFR status. Kaplan-Meier and multivariate Cox regression models were used to assess patient survival. Results Following a comprehensive evaluation of medical records, 186 patients were enrolled in the study. The median OS was 20 months, with a 2-year survival rate of 62.5%. Among the 132 patients with available IDH measurements, 105 (79.5%) exhibited IDH1 wild-type tumors. Of the 132 patients with assessed MGMT methylation, 94 (71.2%) had MGMT methylated tumors. TERT promoter methylation was detected in 112 out of 132 cases (84.8%), while no methylation was observed in 20 cases (15.2%). Analyses using multivariable models revealed that age at histological grade ( P < 0.0001), adjuvant radiotherapy ( P < 0.014), IDH1 status ( P < 0.026), and TERT promoter status ( P < 0.030) were independently associated with OS. Conclusion The findings of this study demonstrate that patients with higher tumor histological grades who had received adjuvant radiotherapy, exhibited IDH1 mutations, or presented with TERT promoter mutations, experienced improved OS. The median survival time was 20 months, with 15.6% and 46.9% of patients surviving at 12 and 24 months, respectively. ### Competing Interest Statement The authors have declared no competing interest. ### Funding Statement This study did not receive any funding. ### Author Declarations I confirm all relevant ethical guidelines have been followed, and any necessary IRB and/or ethics committee approvals have been obtained. Yes The details of the IRB/oversight body that provided approval or exemption for the research described are given below: The Ethics and Research Committee of Tehran University of Medical Science, Neurosurgical Department of Sina Hospital (IR.TUMS.SINAHOSPITAL.REC.1399.111) approved this study. I confirm that all necessary patient/participant consent has been obtained and the appropriate institutional forms have been archived, and that any patient/participant/sample identifiers included were not known to anyone (e.g., hospital staff, patients or participants themselves) outside the research group so cannot be used to identify individuals. Yes I understand that all clinical trials and any other prospective interventional studies must be registered with an ICMJE-approved registry, such as ClinicalTrials.gov. I confirm that any such study reported in the manuscript has been registered and the trial registration ID is provided (note: if posting a prospective study registered retrospectively, please provide a statement in the trial ID field explaining why the study was not registered in advance). Yes I have followed all appropriate research reporting guidelines, such as any relevant EQUATOR Network research reporting checklist(s) and other pertinent material, if applicable. Yes The authors confirm that the data supporting the findings of this study are available within the article.

Whole-genome QTL mining and meta-analysis in tomato for resistance to bacterial and fungal diseases identified 73 meta-QTL regions with significantly refined/reduced confidence intervals. Tomato production is affected by a range of biotic stressors, causing yield losses and quality reductions. While sources of genetic resistance to many tomato diseases have been identified and characterized, stability of the resistance genes or quantitative trait loci (QTLs) across the resources has not been determined. Here, we examined 491 QTLs previously reported for resistance to tomato diseases in 40 independent studies and 54 unique mapping populations. We identified 29 meta-QTLs (MQTLs) for resistance to bacterial pathogens and 44 MQTLs for resistance to fungal pathogens, and were able to reduce the average confidence interval (CI) of the QTLs by 4.1-fold and 6.7-fold, respectively, compared to the average CI of the original QTLs. The corresponding physical length of the CIs of MQTLs ranged from 56 kb to 6.37 Mb, with a median of 921 kb, of which 27

Extended Abstract Introduction and Objective: Fusarium head blight disease is one of the most important and destructive diseases of wheat in hot and humid climates, which, in addition to reducing yield, causes the accumulation of mycotoxins in the grain, which is dangerous for humans and animals. Passive resistance against Fusarium includes many morphological and phenological traits such as plant height, flowering time, heading time, number of spikes and spike density, which help to escape the disease or create a kind of resistance to Fusarium head rot disease. The purpose of this study was to compare the studied genotypes with respect to Fusarium head blight disease and to estimate the simple and canonical correlation between morphological traits and disease resistance traits. Materials and Methods: In order to evaluate 92 improved and native genotypes of Iranian bread wheat against Fusarium head blight in two crop years (2019-2022), experiments were conducted in the form of a randomized complete block design in the farm of Gorgan University of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources. Morphological traits measured included plant height (PH), spike length (SL), and number of seeds per spike (TSS), and agronomic traits measured included heading time (DTH) and flowering time (DTF). Disease traits were: disease incidence (INC), disease severity (SEV), Fusarium damaged kernels (FDK), FHBdx index and ISK. Results: For all disease-related traits and morphophenological traits, a significant difference (p<0.001) was observed between genotypes. According to the result of correlation analysis, there was a positive and significant correlation (p<0.001) between DTH, DTF and PH traits with traits related to Fusarium head blight of wheat. The analysis of canonical correlation between the variables of disease-related traits and morphophenological traits showed a significant canonical correlation (0.687), which explains 81% of the total variance. According to the results of cluster analysis based on morphophenological traits and traits related to FHB disease, the investigated genotypes were classified into five separate group, the genotypes of the first group had a lower average among the other groups and the average of all genotypes in terms of all traits related to FHB disease and at the same time, compared to other groups, they were earlier. Conclusion: Rizhav, Chamran, Darya, Arta, Neishabur and Gonbad cultivars showed the highest resistance to Fusarium disease in the study and can still be used as parental cultivars to improve new wheat cultivars resistant to Fusarium Head Blight disease. Also, among the landrace, three genotypes, Larg Karaj, Parand Saveh, and Malayer, showed acceptable resistance, which indicates that some landrace cultivars are also relatively resistant to Fusarium head blight disease, and it may be possible if they have complementary gene loci of specific genes. Resistance to this disease can probably be used for breeding purposes and programs for resistance to Fusarium disease, which needs further investigation in future studies.

We report here the discovery of high-confidence MQTL regions and of putative candidate genes associated with seed weight in B. napus using a highly dense consensus genetic map and by comparing various large-scale multiomics datasets. Seed weight (SW) is a direct determinant of seed yield in Brassica napus and is controlled by many loci. To unravel the main genomic regions associated with this complex trait, we used 13 available genetic maps to construct a consensus and highly dense map, comprising 40,401 polymorphic markers and 9191 genetic bins, harboring a cumulative length of 3047.8 cM. Then, we performed a meta-analysis using 639 projected SW quantitative trait loci (QTLs) obtained from studies conducted since 1999, enabling the identification of 57 meta-QTLS (MQTLs). The confidence intervals of our MQTLs were 9.8 and 4.3 times lower than the average CIs of the original QTLs for the A and C subgenomes, respectively, resulting in the detection of some key genes and several putative novel candidate genes associated with SW. By comparing the genes identified in MQTL intervals with multiomics datasets and coexpression analyses of common genes, we defined a more reliable and shorter list of putative candidate genes potentially involved in the regulation of seed maturation and SW. As an example, we provide a list of promising genes with high expression levels in seeds and embryos (e.g., BnaA03g04230D, BnaC03g08840D, BnaA10g29580D and BnaA03g27410D) that can be more finely studied through functional genetics experiments or that may be useful for MQTL-assisted breeding for SW. The high-density genetic consensus map and the single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) physical map generated from the latest B. napus cv. Darmor-bzh v10 assembly will be a valuable resource for further mapping and map-based cloning of other important traits.

Drought stress is one of the most significant limiting factors limiting crop productions. Foxtail millet ( Setaria italica ) is among the most drought-tolerant crop plants, with a high degree of collinearity with other staple cereals. The present study used a meta-analysis approach to identify genomic regions and candidate genes associated with drought tolerance and yield-related traits in foxtail millet. A meta-analysis employing all 448 collected original quantitative trait loci (QTL) identified 41 meta-QTL (MQTL) on the nine foxtail millet chromosomes. The confidence interval (CI) of the identified MQTL was determined to be 0.31–14.47 cM (5.23 cM average), which was 3.5 times narrower than the mean CI of the original QTL. Based on the available RNA-seq and microarray data, 1631 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were detected in 41 MQTL. Furthermore, through synteny analysis, 8, 4, and 2 ortho-MQTL were recognized within co-linear regions of foxtail millet with rice ( Oryza sativa ), barley ( Hordeum vulgare ), and maize ( Zea mays ), respectively. To detect the most significant genome regions involved in the genetic control of drought tolerance and yield maintenance in foxtail millet, 10 MQTL with physical intervals of less than 1 Mb and seven hotspot regions with a high QTL-overview index were identified. Several candidate genes involved in foxtail millet sensing and signaling, transcription regulation, ROS inhibition, and adaptation to abiotic stress were detected by seeking drought-responsive genes in MQTL regions with a CI < 1 Mb. We hope that the achieved results would aid in developing new high-yielding drought-tolerant genotypes.

A growing demand in oilseed use for food, feed and fuel has caused added pressure on rapeseed breeders to improve higher-quality cultivars. To gain a better understanding of the genetics of oil, fatty acids, sterols, protein and amino acids contents in Brassica napus, 2138 QTLs in 16 populations were collected from 22 studies published since 2000. The physical position of 1567 initial QTLs could be found in the physical map of Darmor-bzh that finally revealed 294 QTL overlapping regions from different populations potentially associated with seed quality traits, distributed unequally in most of the chromosomes. We detected enrichment regions with more than 10 initial QTLs in some traits, which could provide clues in discovering varied or protected areas. Additionally, 111 overlapping QTLs regions were found, controlling at least two traits. These regions with broad pleiotropic effects or tight linkages might have merit in improving B. napus in targeting more than one desirable trait simultaneously. Furthermore, to validate our findings, candidate genes were subjected to three types of gene set analyses: KEGG pathway and interaction networks for Arabidopsis thaliana genes, and expression enrichment analysis for candidate genes of B. napus. The results indicated key known genes, novel genes, and genes with unknown functions in the overlapping regions that were involved in different biological processes of quality traits, such as highly expressed genes in seed, including BnaA08g13680D, BnaA08g13750D, BnaA08g13730D, BnaA08g14030D, BnaA08g14060D, BnaA08g12340D and BnaC05g42910D, which were observed in overlapping QTLs of multiple traits. Further validation also depicted that 107 overlapping QTLs were co-located with 366 SNP peak positions reported based on the genome-wide association studies (GWAS) for quality traits in rapeseed. Our results will serve as a resource for future researches in functional gene analysis, genetic engineering and breeding programs.

Background: As we know, around 28% of ills who had benign fibrocystic mastopathy mostly have shown antibodies of anti-TPO as well as around 80% of them that have shown the thyroid hypertrophy issue. The Assessment of thyroid peroxidase (TPO) as the main antigen agent of the thyroid microsomal fraction has enabled the progress of a sensitive and specific assay for the detection of the corresponding autoantibodies and other digestive fractions. Aim: Effect of gender, climate, and age on the ATPO, TSH, T3 and T4 rates were assessed as a goal. Materials and Methods: We evaluated the diagnostic validity of the anti-TPO, TSH, T3, and T4 assays and their relationships in 500 laboratory cases from Isfahan province with various types of thyroid and diabetes diseases and in controls. Age factor in the various levels of T3, T4, ATPO and TSH items is studied in the following research, which demonstrates a reduced rate in T4 factor of the 1st decade. Results: In the present study, patients with high TSH levels had high TPO tests. Patients with high levels of ATPO usually had high TSH, and in patients with low thyroid status, high TSH and high ATPO, TSH levels were normalized with levothyroxine tablets. Those with a high ATP content and normal TSH levels may have hypothyroidism in the future. Conclusion: We concluded that you should check the thyroid test every 6 months. This could be concluded from the following research that gender, age, race, and area all demonstrate some remarkable impacts on the levels of T4, T3, TSH, and ATPO.

Applying an integrated meta-analysis approach led to identification of meta-QTLs/ candidate genes associated with rice root system architecture, which can be used in MQTL-assisted breeding/ genetic engineering of root traits. Root system architecture (RSA) is an important factor for facilitating water and nutrient uptake from deep soils and adaptation to drought stress conditions. In the present research, an integrated meta-analysis approach was employed to find candidate genes and genomic regions involved in rice RSA traits. A whole-genome meta-analysis was performed for 425 initial QTLs reported in 34 independent experiments controlling RSA traits under control and drought stress conditions in the previous twenty years. Sixty-four consensus meta-QTLs (MQTLs) were detected, unevenly distributed on twelve rice chromosomes. The confidence interval (CI) of the identified MQTLs was obtained as 0.11–14.23 cM with an average of 3.79 cM, which was 3.88 times narrower than the mean CI of the original QTLs. Interestingly, 52 MQTLs were co-located with SNP peak positions reported in rice genome-wide association studies (GWAS) for root morphological traits. The genes located in these RSA-related MQTLs were detected and explored to find the drought-responsive genes in the rice root based on the RNA-seq and microarray data. Multiple RSA and drought tolerance-associated genes were found in the MQTLs including the genes involved in auxin biosynthesis or signaling (e.g. YUCCA, WOX, AUX/IAA, ARF), root angle (DRO1-related genes), lateral root development (e.g. DSR, WRKY), root diameter (e.g. OsNAC5), plant cell wall (e.g. EXPA), and lignification (e.g. C4H, PAL, PRX and CAD). The genes located within both the SNP peak positions and the QTL-overview peaks for RSA are suggested as novel candidate genes for further functional analysis. The promising candidate genes and MQTLs can be used as basis for genetic engineering and MQTL-assisted breeding of root phenotypes to improve yield potential, stability and performance in a water-stressed environment.

One of the most important requirements for cultivar identification in Vitis species is rapid and consistent genotyping using DNA-based markers. Genetic characterization and diversity of grapevine cultivars using molecular markers have been the subject of many studies. The Iranian grapevine biodiversity is one of the most important in the Middle East. In the present work, fourteen nuclear microsatellite markers were used to assess the genetic diversity and relationships among 25 local grapevine accessions collected from vine-growing areas of Qazvin province (Iran). A total of 81 distinct alleles were produced with amplified product sizes ranging from 91 to 432 bp. The number of observed alleles for each locus ranged from 2 (ISV3) to 9 (VVS3 and VVMD6), with the overall average of 5.79 allele per locus. The observed heterozygosity (Ho) ranged from 0.53 (ISV3) to 0.72 (VVSMD25), while the expected heterozygosity (He) varied between 0.49 (ISV3) and 0.87 (VVSMD25). The polymorphism information content (PIC) ranged between 0.50 for VVS3 and ISV3 to 0.87 for VVSMD25. However, Shannon's information index (I) was found to be highest (2.13) in VVSMD25 locus, while the VVS3 locus had the lowest value with an average of 0.75 among SSR markers. According to Jaccard's similarity coefficient and UPGMA algorithm, cluster analysis assigned the accessions into five groups. Despite similar names, the results revealed that the accessions belonged to different groups. The obtained PCoA scatter plots further strongly supported their UPGMA dendrogram results. Beside VVMD, VVS series of markers were also used in the present study and the results showed that these series of microsatellite markers were as efficient as VVMD series in terms of discrimination and polymorphism for studying grapevine cultivars. Among all the microsatellite loci, VVSMD25 (PID = 0.03, PIC = 0.87) was found to be the most informative among the accessions.

Two of the important traits for wheat yield are tiller and fertile tiller number, both of which have been thought to increase cereal yield in favorable and unfavorable environments. A total of 6,349 single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers from the 15 K wheat Infinium array were employed for genome-wide association study (GWAS) of tillering number traits, generating a physical distance of 14,041.6 Mb based on the IWGSC wheat genome sequence. GWAS analysis using Fixed and random model Circulating Probability Unification (FarmCPU) identified a total of 47 significant marker-trait associations (MTAs) for total tiller number (TTN) and fertile tiller number (FTN) in Iranian bread wheat under different water regimes. After applying a 5% false discovery rate (FDR) threshold, a total of 13 and 11 MTAs distributed on 10 chromosomes were found to be significantly associated with TTN and FTN, respectively. Linked single nucleotide polymorphisms for IWB39005 (2A) and IWB44377 (7A) were highly significantly associated (FDR < 0.01) with TTN and FTN traits. Moreover, to validate GWAS results, meta-analysis was performed and 30 meta-QTL regions were identified on 11 chromosomes. The integration of GWAS and meta-QTLs revealed that tillering trait in wheat is a complex trait which is conditioned by the combined effects of minor changes in multiple genes. The information provided by this study can enrich the currently available candidate genes and genetic resources pools, offering evidence for subsequent analysis of genetic adaptation of wheat to different climatic conditions of Iran and other countries.

Genetic diversity among 25 accessions of Crocus L. (Iridaceae) representing 5 accession of cultivated C. sativus, and 20 accessions belonging to wild species namely, C. speciosus, C. cancellatus, C. haussknechtii, C. michelsonii, and two unknown accessions, obtained from different geographical locations of Iran were studied using 7 ISSR and 10 RAPD primers. Out of 78 bands generated from 7 ISSR primers, 71 were polymorphic (90.2%), whereas out of 94 bands generated from 10 RAPD primers 83 were polymorphic (88.3%). The average PIC value obtained with ISSR and RAPD markers was 0.366 and 0.324, respectively. Marker index (ISSR=3.71; RAPD=2.68) and resolving power (ISSR=5.31; RAPD=4.12) indicated that the ISSR markers were relatively more efficient than RAPD assay in respect of revealing the genetic diversity of Crocus species. Based on percentage of polymorphic bands; resolving power; polymorphic information content; and Marker Index, the A1 (ISSR) and OPB-12 (RAPD) primers were the most informative ones. Clusters obtained from ISSR, RAPD and a combination of both data sets did match the actual taxonomic classification. The mantel test between two Jaccard's similarity matrices gave r=0.862, showing very good fit correlation in between ISSR and RAPD based similarities. The analysis of molecular variance showed that the total polymorphism was largely because of within-group variance (ISSRs 57%; RAPDs 64%; Combined RAPDs+ISSRs 60%). Principal coordinates analysis of the pooled data of both the markers, also supports their UPGMA dendrogram. The results will help in future genetic improvement programme of Crocus species.

Water deficit is one of the most important abiotic factors limiting growth, which adversely affect growth and crop production. In order to study the relationship between kernel size and phenological characteristics on grain yield, local bread wheat genotypes along with four varieties were evaluated in randomized complete block design with three replications under irrigation and water deficit stress conditions. Phenological characteristics including day to heading, day to flowering, day to maturity and grain filling duration, and kernel size traits including kernel length, kernel width, kernel thickness and kernel length/width ratio were measured. Analysis of variance revealed significant differences among genotypes for the studied traits. Results showed drought led to decreased grain yield ( . ), thousand grain weight ( . ), spike weight ( . ), peduncle weight ( . ), grain filling duration ( . ), kernel width ( . ) and increased kernel length/width ratio as compared with irrigated condition. Stepwise regression analysis revealed that under irrigated condition, spike weight, spike length and plant height justified the majority of grain yield variation, whiles under drought stressed condition grain filling duration and kernel width showed the highest impact on grain yield variation. Factors analysis identified four factors which explained . of the total variation. On the basis of these results, it is concluded that criteria such as grain filling duration, kernel width, peduncle weight and thousand grain weight could be considered as effective criteria for selecting to improve grain yield in water-limited environments.

In order to evaluate several agro-morphological traits in 30 bread wheat genotypes, an experiment, based on randomized complete block design with three replications, was carried out under drought-stress and normal irrigation conditions in two locations.The traits, including grain yield, biological yield, harvest index, spike features, and peduncle characters were evaluated.The result of the combined ANOVA revealed that location and genotype effects were significant for all of the traits.Stress had a significant difference for all of the traits, except for spike density and spikelet per spike.The simple correlation results for each condition were significantly different, indicating that the relationships among traits were significantly influenced by drought stress and location.Factor analysis, based on principal component analysis and varimax rotation in the Shahed field under irrigation regimes showed that four significant factors accounted for about 78.2% and 77.7% of the total variation among characters for normal irrigation and drought stress conditions, respectively.The cumulative variation at the NIGEB field was 62.7% for four factors under normal irrigation, and 84.8% for five factors under drought stress conditions.With respect to the achieved results, characters such as plant height, peduncle length, spike density, 1000-grain weight, harvest index, and biological yield had the highest communality and, consequently, provide a high relative contribution to wheat grain yield, and can be used as selective criteria in bread wheat breeding programs.

Root architecture is an important bread wheat phenomenon that highly influences its production and adaptation to environmental stresses, in particular drought stress.Several QTL studies have been conducted to ascertain chromosomal regions associated with root morphology resulting in identification of various loci depending on evaluated population types and experimental conditions.In order to identify the most consistent and reliable QTLs involved in various root morphological traits in bread wheat, a meta-QTL (MQTL) analysis was performed using 106 QTLs derived from 12 different populations under both normal and drought stress conditions.Among them, 125 QTLs related to root traits were successfully projected onto the reference map and further metaanalysis was focused on chromosomes of homeologous groups 2 and 3 with most assigned QTLs.Consequently, a total of seven MQTLs were identified on chromosomes 2A, 2B, 3A and 3B originated from 2 to 17 initial QTLs with a confidence interval (CI) of 5.3-6.6 to 39.5-55.0cM.Three MQTLs located on 2A, 3A and 3B derived from 7 to 17 QTLs related to different root morphological traits pointed out the most important chromosomal regions.A reduction in the average 95% confidence interval from 20.8 cM to 6.4 cM was observed when comparing the individual QTL to the MQTL.Further analysis on investigation of candidate genes located in these genomic regions resulted in identification of some genes mainly associated with lignin catabolic process, potassium transporters and leucine-rich repeats receptor-like kinases (LRR-RLKs).These results provid fundamental information on most important genomic regions and candidate genes related to root morphology in bread wheat.