许多重要农艺性状如产量、品质、抗逆性等多表现为数量性状, 是由多个基因和环境共同作用的结果, 对其遗传基础的研究比较困难。近年发展起来的以选择牵连效应分析为基础, 通过标记/性状之间的关联分析方法为这些性状的作图和遗传解析提供了新的手段, 也为作物的分子设计育种提供了新的思路, 其与QTL作图结果互相验证、互相补充, 必将促进数量遗传学、应用基因组学和育种学的发展。文章对关联分析的思路、方法、优缺点及应用时应注意的问题进行了比较系统的介绍。

Most agronomic traits such as yield, quality and stress-tolerance of crops are quantitative traits. It is not easy to dissect genetic basis of these traits because they are controlled by multi-genes that are affected by environmental factors. Hitchhiking mapping offers a new method for identifying of loci controlling those traits and assessing their allelic variations. Marker-trait association analysis based on the hitchhiking effects will play an important role in dissection of complex traits. Combination of quantitative trait loci (QTL) mapping with marker-trait association analysis will facilitate dissection of complex traits, resulting in important information and markers for molecular breeding by design in crops. In this review, we presented a brief introduction of hitchhiking effects, marker-trait association analysis and practical considerations.