Linking genes with ecological strategies in Arabidopsis thaliana.

Margarita Takou,Anja Linstädter,George Coupland,Juliette De Meaux,Stanislav Kopriva,Benedict Wieters

doi:10.1093/jxb/ery447

Abstract

Arabidopsis thaliana is the most prominent model system in plant molecular biology and genetics. Although its ecology was initially neglected, collections of various genotypes revealed a complex population structure, with high levels of genetic diversity and substantial levels of phenotypic variation. This helped identify the genes and gene pathways mediating phenotypic change. Population genetics studies further demonstrated that this variation generally contributes to local adaptation. Here, we review evidence showing that traits affecting plant life history, growth rate, and stress reactions are not only locally adapted, they also often co-vary. Co-variation between these traits indicates that they evolve as trait syndromes, and reveals the ecological diversification that took place within A. thaliana. We argue that examining traits and the gene that control them within the context of global summary schemes that describe major ecological strategies will contribute to resolve important questions in both molecular biology and ecology.

Highlights

Arabidopsis thaliana is the most prominent model system in plant molecular biology and genetics
We argue that examining traits and the gene that control them within the context of global summary schemes that describe major ecological strategies will contribute to resolve important questions in both molecular biology and ecology
The unrivaled genomic resources available for these populations have helped demonstrate that the last glacial period determined the current distribution of genetic variation.After the last glacial maximum, populations have spread towards Northern latitudes, experiencing

Summary

Introduction

Arabidopsis thaliana is the most prominent model system in plant molecular biology and genetics. Minimum winter temperature and precipitation, were the main climatic factors that acted as selective pressures on flowering time and their underpinning genes in a set of Iberian A. thaliana genotypes (Méndez-Vigo et al, 2011).This suggests that extreme deviation from seasonal averages may be important drivers of the allelic combination of life history variants adjusting development to the optimal growth season throughout the species range.

Results

Conclusion