Molecular and ecological analysis of Arabis alpina perennial life-history traits along environmental gradients ("A. alpina perenniality")

该项目的总体目标是评估多年生相关性状的变异在适应不同环境中是否重要，并阐明该性状变异的遗传基础，以阿拉比斯高山为模式物种。开花植物表现出一年生或多年生的生命策略。一年生植物的生命周期在一年之内完成，从种子发芽、营养生长、开花、结籽到衰老。相比之下，多年生植物可以存活很多年，开花后通常会恢复到营养生长，因此生命周期分为营养发育和开花时期。我们最近发现，拟南芥PEP1基因是拟南芥FLC基因的同源基因，它编码一个抑制因子，在植物暴露于春化环境之前阻止开花，春化之后限制开花的持续时间。这个合作项目的目的是深入了解高山桤木的多年生生活策略是如何随着环境梯度而变化的，并测试这是否与PEP1基因的等位基因变异有关。因此，我们的目标是评估生活史和多年生相关性状在整个欧洲本土分布范围内的自然表型变异，包括各种不同的环境，并将其与PEP1的自然等位基因变异联系起来，以评估其与季节开花、开花持续时间和跨物种生活史的相关性。此外，我们的目的是评估表型和PEP1序列变异的适应性意义。为了实现这些目标，该策略包括三种主要方法：i)土著群体的表型评分，ii) PEP1的分子分析和iii)互惠移植实验。CRP将涉及三个实验室、一个联合伙伴和一个合作伙伴。伙伴的地理分布反映了目标物种的欧洲本土范围。

The overall aim of this project is to evaluate whether variation in perenniality related traits is important in the adaptation to different environments and to shed light on the genetic basis of variation in this trait, using Arabis alpina as a model species. Flowering plants exhibit annual or perennial life-strategies. The life cycle of annual plants is completed within one year, during which they germinate from seed, grow vegetatively, flower, produce seeds and senesce. In contrast perennials can live for many years, and after flowering often revert to vegetative growth so that the life cycle is divided into periods of vegetative development and flowering. We have recently shown that the A. alpina PEP1 gene, an orthologue of the Arabidopsis gene FLC, encodes a repressor which prevents flowering until the plant has been exposed to vernalization, and after vernalization restricts the duration of flowering. The purpose of this collaborative project is to gain insight into how the perennial life-strategy of A. alpina varies along environmental gradients and to test whether this is associated with allelic variation at the PEP1 gene. We therefore aim to assess the natural phenotypic variation of life-history and perenniality related traits throughout the native European distribution range, encompassing various different environments and to link it to the natural allelic variation of PEP1 in order evaluate its relevance for seasonal flowering, duration of flowering and iteroparous life-history. Furthermore, we aim to evaluate the adaptive significance of both the phenotypic and PEP1 sequence variation. To reach these aims the strategy encompasses three major approaches: i) phenotypic scoring of indigenous populations, ii) molecular analysis of PEP1 and iii) reciprocal transplantation experiments. The CRP will involve three laboratories, one associated partner and one co-operating partner. The geographical distribution of the partners reflects the native European range of the target species.