A Novel Beta-Glucosidase Gene for Plant Type Was Identified by Genome-Wide Association Study and Gene Co-Expression Analysis in Widespread Bermudagrass.

Bermudagrass ( spp.) is one of the most widely distributed warm-season grasses globally. The growth habits and plant type of bermudagrass are strongly associated with the applied purpose of the landscape, livestock, and eco-remediation. Therefore, persistent efforts are made to investigate the genetic basis of plant type and growth habits of bermudagrass. Here, we dissect the genetic diversity of 91 wild bermudagrass resources by genome-wide association studies (GWAS) combined with weighted gene co-expression analysis (WGCNA). This work is based on the RNA-seq data and the genome of African bermudagrass ( Burtt Davy). Sixteen reliable single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in transcribed regions were identified to be associated with the plant height and IAA content in diverse bermudagrass by GWAS. The integration of the results from WGCNA indicates that () is a candidate gene underlying a G/A SNP signal. Furthermore, both qRT-PCR and correlation coefficient analyses indicate that might play a comprehensive role in plant height and IAA biosynthesis and signal. In addition, we observe lower plant height in Arabidopsis mutants (homologs of ). It uncovers the breeding selection history of different plant types from diverse bermudagrass and provides new insights into the molecular function of both in plant types and in IAA biosynthetic pathways.