Chromosome substitution lines (CSLs) are tentatively supreme resources to investigate non-allelic genetic interactions. However, the difficulty of generating such lines in most species largely yielded imperfect CSL panels, prohibiting a systematic dissection of epistasis. Here, we present the development and use of a unique and complete panel of CSLs in Arabidopsis thaliana, allowing the full factorial analysis of epistatic interactions.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPlants can express different phenotypic responses following polyploidization, but ploidy-dependent phenotypic variation has so far not been assigned to specific genetic factors. To map such effects, segregating populations at different ploidy levels are required. The availability of an efficient haploid inducer line in allows for the rapid development of large populations of segregating haploid offspring.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPlant breeding applications exploiting meiotic mutant phenotypes (like the increase or decrease of crossover (CO) recombination) have been proposed over the last years. As recessive meiotic mutations in breeding lines may affect fertility or have other pleiotropic effects, transient silencing techniques may be preferred. Reverse breeding is a breeding technique that would benefit from the transient downregulation of CO formation.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPlants are commonly exposed to abiotic and biotic stresses. We used 350 Arabidopsis thaliana accessions grown under controlled conditions. We employed genome-wide association analysis to investigate the genetic architecture and underlying loci involved in genetic variation in resistance to: two specialist insect herbivores, Pieris rapae and Plutella xylostella; and combinations of stresses, i.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe circadian clock is a critical regulator of plant physiology and development, controlling key agricultural traits in crop plants. In addition, natural variation in circadian rhythms is important for local adaptation. However, quantitative modulation of circadian rhythms due to artificial selection has not yet been reported.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe use of genetic resources for the analysis of quantitative traits finds its roots in crop breeding but has seen a rejuvenation in Arabidopsis thaliana thanks to specific tools and genomic approaches. Although widely used in numerous crop and natural species, many approaches were first developed in this reference plant. We will discuss the scientific background and historical use of mapping populations in Arabidopsis and highlight the technological innovations that drove the development of novel strategies.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF