Abstract
Growth is a complex trait influenced by multiple genes that act at different moments during the development of an organism. This makes it difficult to spot its underlying genetic mechanisms. Since plant growth is intimately related to the effective leaf surface area (ELSA), identifying genes controlling this trait will shed light on our understanding of plant growth. To find new genes with a significant contribution to plant growth, here we used the natural variation in Arabidopsis thaliana to perform a genome-wide association study of ELSA. To do this, the projected rosette area of 710 worldwide distributed natural accessions was measured and analyzed using the genome-wide efficient mixed model association algorithm. From this analysis, ten genes were identified having SNPs with a significant association with ELSA. To validate the implication of these genes into A. thaliana growth, six of them were further studied by phenotyping knock-out mutant plants. It was observed that rem1.2, orc1a, ppd1, and mcm4 mutants showed different degrees of reduction in rosette size, thus confirming the role of these genes in plant growth. Our study identified genes already known to be involved in plant growth but also assigned this role, for the first time, to other genes.
Highlights
Growth is a complex trait influenced by multiple genes that act at different moments during the development of an organism
There is certain knowledge on gene regulatory modules that are involved in the cell proliferation leading to size expansion namely, ENHANCER OF DA1 (EOD1), GROWTH REGULATING FACTOR 1 (GRF1), GRF1-INTERACTING FACTOR 1 (GIF1), SWITCH/ SUCROSE NONFERMENTING 3C (SWI3C), GIBBERELLIC ACID INSENSITIVE (GA1), CYTOCHROME P450 78A POLYPEPTIDE 5 (KLU), and PEAPOD 1 and 2 (PPD1, PEAPOD 2 (PPD2))[15]
The projected rosette area of natural accessions grown at 24 °C in 16 h long days were measured 45 days after sowing
Summary
Growth is a complex trait influenced by multiple genes that act at different moments during the development of an organism. The projected rosette area of 710 worldwide distributed natural accessions was measured and analyzed using the genome-wide efficient mixed model association algorithm From this analysis, ten genes were identified having SNPs with a significant association with ELSA. The complex genetic basis of growth necessarily implies that hundreds of variants that control the trait would not be identified in genome-wide association studies (GWAS)[10] This explains why the set of growth-related genes described to have a significant effect in the leaf phenotype and their functional roles remains poorly studied. Plant mass positively correlates with projected and total leaf area during plant development, despite these traits having a linear relationship only during the vegetative growth stage This is because after flowering the relocation of carbon to inflorescence growth plays an important role[22]. These images can be processed in real-time, obtaining area values for the horizontal projection of the leaves, which is the area capable of light interception or the effective leaf surface area (ELSA)[24]
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
