Map-based cloning and characterization of a QTL (quantitative trait loci) network underlying growth responses to drought in Arabidopsis thaliana

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As drought causes severe yield losses in crop plants worldwide, developing varieties with increased drought tolerance is nowadays a major goal of plant breeding. Although crop plants which are able to survive severe drought have been created by genetic engineering, the need to develop plants with stable growth and productivity when subjected to moderate water deficit has poorly gained attention so far. It has been shown that the model species Arabidopsis thaliana provides extensive natural allelic variation for tolerance to mild drought stress which can be exploited using quantitative genetics tools. In our previous work, we detected and validated a QTL (quantitative trait loci) network which controls growth responses to mild water deficit in Arabidopsis. The aim of the future project is to identify the genes and functional polymorphisms underlying this network. To do so, a positional cloning approach will be combined with gene expression analyses. Furthermore, we intend to clarify if a low growth response is associated with physiological adjustments to water deficit, if we can detect cross-talk between drought and other abiotic stresses affecting plant water status, and if there exists a regional pattern of drought adaptation in A. thaliana. We expect that in the future the knowledge achieved could facilitate in particular the development of markers for breeding rapeseed cultivars less affected by mild drought stress.