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Natural variation in Arabidopsis thaliana revealed a genetic network controlling germination under salt stress.

ABSTRACT: Plant responses to environmental stresses are polygenic and complex traits. In this study quantitative genetics using natural variation in Arabidopsis thaliana was used to investigate the genetic architecture of plant responses to salt stress. Eighty seven A. thaliana accessions were screened and showed a large variation for root development and seed germination under 125 and 200 mM NaCl, respectively. Twenty two quantitative trait loci for these traits have been detected by phenotyping two recombinants inbred line populations, Sha x Col and Sha x Ler. Four QTLs controlling germination under salt were detected in the Sha x Col population. Interestingly, only one allelic combination at these four QTLs inhibits germination under salt stress, implying strong epistatic interactions between them. In this interacting context, we confirmed the effect of one QTL by phenotyping selected heterozygous inbred families. We also showed that this QTL is involved in the control of germination under other stress conditions such as KCl, mannitol, cold, glucose and ABA. Our data highlights the presence of a genetic network which consists of four interacting QTLs and controls germination under limiting environmental conditions.

SUBMITTER: Galpaz N

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3004798 | biostudies-literature | 2010

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Natural variation in Arabidopsis thaliana revealed a genetic network controlling germination under salt stress.

Galpaz Navot N Reymond Matthieu M

PloS one 20101220 12

Plant responses to environmental stresses are polygenic and complex traits. In this study quantitative genetics using natural variation in Arabidopsis thaliana was used to investigate the genetic architecture of plant responses to salt stress. Eighty seven A. thaliana accessions were screened and showed a large variation for root development and seed germination under 125 and 200 mM NaCl, respectively. Twenty two quantitative trait loci for these traits have been detected by phenotyping two reco ...[more]

PMID: 21188145

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Project description:BackgroundWater and salt stresses are two important environmental factors that limit the germination of seeds in most ecological environments. Most studies conducted so far to address the genetic basis of the above phenomenon have used stress conditions that are much more extreme than those found in natural environments. Furthermore, although an excess of ions and water restrictions have similar osmotic effects on germination, the common and divergent signalling components mediating the effects of both factors remain unknown.MethodsThe germination of seeds was compared under solutions of NaCl (50 mm) and polyethylene glycol (PEG, -0·6 MPa), that establish mild stress conditions, in 28 Arabidopsis thaliana accessions. Because Bayreuth (Bay) and Shadara (Sha) accessions showed contrasting sensitivity responses to both stresses, a quantitative trait locus (QTL) analysis was carried out using Bay × Sha recombinant inbred lines (RILs) to identify loci involved in the control of germination under mild salt and osmotic stresses.Key resultsTwo loci associated with the salt sensitivity response, named SSR1 and SSR2 QTLs, and four loci for the osmotic sensitivity response, named OSR1-OSR4 QTLs, were mapped. The effects of the SSR1 QTL on toxic salt sensitivity, and the osmotic contribution of OSR1, were confirmed by heterogeneous inbred families (HIFs). Whilst the SSR1 QTL had a significant effect under a wide range of NaCl concentrations, the OSR1 QTL was confirmed only under moderate drought stress. Interestingly the OSR1 QTL also showed pleiotropic effects on biomass accumulation in response to water deficit.ConclusionsThe regulation of germination under moderate salt and osmotic stresses involves the action of independent major loci, revealing the existence of loci specifically associated with the toxic component of salt and not just its osmotic effect. Furthermore, this work demonstrates that novel loci control germination under osmotic stress conditions simulating more realistic ecological environments as found by populations of seeds in nature.

Project description:Arabidopsis ecotypes of Sha and Ler showed differences in tolerance to salinity stress. A previous study indicated that a premature stop codon resulting in a truncated Response to ABA and Salt 1 (RAS1) protein in Sha contributes to the increased salt tolerance relative to Ler ecotype. Sha exhibited higher germination rates and longer roots on MS plate, presumably due to the decreased ABA sensitivity in Sha. More Sha plants also survived in soil after salt treatment with relatively lower electrolyte leakage when compared to Ler. Transcriptome analysis revealed that expression levels of many genes were changed between Sha and Ler ecotypes and by salt treatments. About 500 transcripts were commonly changed by at least one salinity effect and one ecotype effect, and 171 of them were co-regulated by all four comparisons. Transcripts involved in redox, secondary metabolism, auxin metabolism, photosynthesis, cell wall, and protein synthesis were mainly down-regulated by salinity effects, while transposable element genes, microRNA and antisense sequences, histone superfamily genes, and biotic stress related genes were significantly changed by Sha ecotype effects and only slightly by salinity. Several metabolic pathways such as stress, TCA, hormone/lipid/secondary metabolism, redox, development, and GO terms involved in stress, oxidation, and defense response were enriched by both salinity and ecotype effects. Ninety-five highly inducible genes were identified as candidates of RAS1 target genes and the functions involved hormone metabolism, biotic stress, RNA, DNA synthesis, protein metabolism, cell, and microRNA metabolism. All these results indicated that the Sha ecotype was possibly preconditioned to abiotic stress relative to Ler through regulation of signaling pathways and stress responsive gene expression. These comparative transcriptomic and analytical results also confirm the complexity of ABA responses and salt stress tolerance mechanisms, and they suggest additional targets for improving tolerance.

Dataset Information

Natural variation in Arabidopsis thaliana revealed a genetic network controlling germination under salt stress.

Publications

Natural variation in Arabidopsis thaliana revealed a genetic network controlling germination under salt stress.

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