SPP 1149: Heterosis in Plants

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The goal of the Priority Programme is to investigate the causes and optimal exploitation of heterosis in higher plants. Basic mechanisms for occurrence of heterosis are to be investigated with modern tools from genomic research in Arabidopsis and important crops at the molecular and physiological level. In addition, biomathematical and computer models shall be developed at different system levels to investigate the complex behaviour of gene networks for the occurrence of heterosis and to derive strategies for optimal exploitation of heterosis in plant breeding. Specific topics are: -- analysis of the phenomenon of heterosis at the molecular level for growth-relevant traits; -- confirmation of experimental results obtained with model plants for related and unrelated crop species; -- investigation of plant physiological process with fundamental importance for understanding the molecular basis of heterosis; -- integration of quantitative genetic and molecular research approaches for explaining heterosis; -- development of new bioinformatic tools for a comprehensive data analysis of the results from the various biological levels as well as integrative models for explanation of heterosis; -- development of breeding strategies and prediction methods for optimal exploitation of heterosis in plant breeding.The programme is primarily targeted towards basic questions with regard to the phenomenon of heterosis in higher plants using advanced tools from genome analysis. However, application-oriented questions for exploitation of heterosis in plant breeding shall also be addressed. For this end, the currently available tools shall be extended and new molecular as well as biometric and bioinformatic tools shall be implemented.