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The genetic architecture of freezing tolerance varies across the range of Arabidopsis thaliana
Author(s) -
Horton Matthew W.,
Willems Glenda,
Sasaki Eriko,
Koornneef Maarten,
Nordborg Magnus
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
plant, cell and environment
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.646
H-Index - 200
eISSN - 1365-3040
pISSN - 0140-7791
DOI - 10.1111/pce.12812
Subject(s) - biology , adaptation (eye) , genetic architecture , arabidopsis thaliana , candidate gene , freezing tolerance , range (aeronautics) , trait , arabidopsis , gene , evolutionary biology , phenotype , genetics , materials science , neuroscience , computer science , mutant , programming language , composite material
Abstract The capacity to tolerate freezing temperatures limits the geographical distribution of many plants, including several species of agricultural importance. However, the genes involved in freezing tolerance remain largely unknown. Here, we describe the variation in constitutive freezing tolerance that occurs among worldwide accessions of Arabidopsis thaliana . We found that although plants from high latitudes tend to be more freezing tolerant than plants from low latitudes, the environmental factors that shape cold adaptation differ across the species range. Consistent with this, we found that the genetic architecture of freezing tolerance also differs across its range. Conventional genome‐wide association studies helped identify a priori and other promising candidate genes. However, simultaneously modelling climate variables and freezing tolerance together pinpointed other excellent a priori candidate genes. This suggests that if the selective factor underlying phenotypic variation is known, multi‐trait mixed models may aid in identifying the genes that underlie adaptation.