Plant & Animal Genomes XV Conference

January 13-17, 2007
Town & Country Convention Center
San Diego, CA

Using Arabidopsis thaliana As A Model Species For The Discovery Of Genetic Variation

Detlef Weigel^1,2

¹  Max Planck Institute for Developmental Biology, 72076 Tuebingen, Germany

²  Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA

The extensive genetic variation in wild and domesticatedd populations offers tremendous opportunities for smart breeding. We are using the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana to determine how the genes and polymorphisms underlying genetic variation are best discovered. The control of flowering time, a mechanistically relatively well understood trait, serves as the main experimental test bed for these studies.
I will report on different approaches that we have been using, including RNA and DNA microarrays, QTL mapping in Recombinant Inbred Line and F2 populations, and the progress we have made in identifying the genes responsible for natural genetic variation.