New Tools for Genetic Analysis in Arabidopsis thaliana

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This project will produce a novel, enhanced set of tools (Traffic Lines) that will increase the speed and lower the cost of performing genetic analysis in the model plant, Arabidopsis thaliana. As a community resource, these lines will facilitate the research of a large number of investigators studying a wide range of biological problems in this important model organism, and will also be useful for teaching basic concepts in genetics at a high school or college level. The project will provide training for a postdoctoral fellow and undergraduate students.Traffic Lines (TLs) are genetic stocks of Arabidopsis thaliana that contain linked seed-specific transgenes expressing green or red fluorescent proteins. TLs facilitate genetic mapping by enabling investigators to identify recombinants in a region of interest using dry seeds, without the need for molecular analysis. The lines make it possible to identify individuals homozygous for recombinant chromosomes in a segregating population, increasing the reliability with which the phenotypes of these recombinants can be assessed. The lines also will be useful for maintaining recessive lethal alleles. 150 TLs covering the entire Arabidopsis genome in 1 mB intervals will be generated in the Columbia ecotype by recombining closely-linked pNAP::eGFP and pNAP::dsRED insertions onto a single chromosome. Ten TLs covering larger regions of the genome will also be generated in Landsberg erecta. Stocks useful for a high school or college laboratory exercise in genetic recombination will also be generated.This project is funded by the Genetic Mechanisms Program in the Division of Molecular and Cellular Biosciences.