Genetic association studies and quantitative trait loci (QTL) analysis serve
as indispensable tools for identifying genes and genomic regions associated with
various traits. The rapid development of genomics and its application in plant breeding
has profoundly impacted the field, fostering discoveries and revolutionizing breeding
strategies. For a better understanding of plant physiology, complete information on
biochemical pathways is imperative across different organizational levels,
encompassing simple to intricate networks that regulate trait expression. Over the past
decades, the emergence of metabolomics as a vital branch of “omics” has played a
pivotal role in determining and quantifying metabolites governing cellular processes.
The combination of metabolomics and post-genomic approaches has recently allowed
proficient examination of genetic and phenotypic associations in cultivated crops. A
novel and powerful methodology, Metabolomic Quantitative Trait Locus (mQTL)
mapping, has emerged as an approach to unravel the genetic components and loci
contributing to the variability in metabolic profiles. This chapter provides an in-depth
exploration of mQTL mapping in both medicinal and crop plants, elucidating its
significance in unraveling the intricate interplay between genetics and metabolic
pathways.
Keywords: GC-MS, Metabolomics, Metabolites, mQTL, NGS.
