Molecular identification and characterisation of loci causing heterosis in Arabidopsis thaliana

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The proposed project aims at the elucidation of the molecular basis of heterosis (the superior performance of hybrids as compared to their parents) in the plant model system Arabidopsis thaliana. To this end, two divergent accessions, C24 and Col, will be studied, the F1 hybrids of which were shown to exhibit hybrid vigour. Through the analysis of the two parent lines, their F1 hybrids, ca. 400 derived genotyped recombinant inbred lines (RILs) and their testcross hybrids, heterotic quantitative trait loci (hQTL) will be identified that affect growth (biomass, leaf area) at early stages of plant development. Gene expression profiling experiments will be performed in this program (such as the analysis of biomass and leaf area at later stages of development, protein profiles, metabolite profiles and physiological and developmental processes during seedling etablishmend) that use the same genetic material in order to gain in-depth insight into the molecular processes associated with heterosis.