Overlapping annotated genes in GEA and GPA
While, as noted in the section above, there was no overlap in the exact SNPs identified by GEA and GPA analyses, a few of the associated SNPs were found to be in the same genes. There were 14 genes identified in both the GPA for control traits and the GEA (Table 4). One of these is a ubiquitin-binding gene. Peptidyl-prolyl cis-trans isomerase, involved in protein folding, is known to be heat-induced in wheat (Kurek et al. 1999). Two genes are involved in glycerophospholipid synthesis or metabolism, suggesting some role related to cell membranes. Aspartyl proteases, like the one linked to winter precipitation and the number of stomatal rows, have been linked to the wood formation and to plant growth and development more generally (Cao et al. 2019). Butanoate–CoA ligases are often involved in the secondary compound synthesis (Beuerle & Pichersky 2002) and so could be involved in defenses against biotic antagonists or other stress responses. There were 15 genes identified in both the GPA for trait drought responsiveness and the GEA (Table 5). Most share the same functions as those in Table 4. Moreover, two overlapping genes are directly related to the stress response. Gene wsc1 is involved in cell wall biosynthesis under conditions of stress (Zu et al. 2001; Maddi et al.2012). Gene PAT14 is involved in leaf senescence in response to stresses (Lai et al. 2015; Zeng et al. 2018). However, several of the overlapping genes in each table have unknown functions, and most of these do not match any sequence in the database.