The implications of natural genetic variation in flax for crop development.

该项目通过作物基因改良与农业和粮食安全部门结盟。该项目将调查栽培亚麻，这是一种全球重要的作物，有许多最终用途，包括全球年产量2305千吨亚麻油和303千吨亚麻纤维(数据来自2013年，http://faostat.fao.org/)和亚麻二年生，栽培亚麻的野生祖先)。英国是欧洲最大的亚麻籽生产国，2013年产量为51千吨。因此，该项目将通过创造新知识和提高生产率，为旨在改善英国生活水平和经济增长的工业战略做出贡献。所采取的方法将是通过科学、研究和创新以及发展专门的量化和计算技能。解决的具体挑战将是通过更好地了解这种作物及其野生近缘作物的表现和遗传变异之间的关系来提高亚麻产量。以前的研究表明，亚麻经历了近亲交配抑制，限制了生产力，因为受控杂交会提高新杂交种的产量。野生亚麻蕴藏着大量的自然遗传变异，这些变异是亚麻在驯化过程中丢失的。因此，对新的欧洲野生亚麻样品的研究将使我们能够测试更大范围的近亲繁殖和对近亲繁殖的基因组反应，而不是只在作物中进行。我们将采用受控杂交研究，直接测试野生样本中有益的自然遗传变异转化为栽培品种对农业的影响的可能性。目的：这个项目将测量和比较栽培亚麻和野生亚麻的样本，这些样本在遗传近亲交配的历史上存在差异，以测试近亲交配对健康成分的影响。进化的这一基本方面被认为推动了异交繁殖系统的维持和生命的巨大生物多样性。该项目将有助于BBSRC的研究重点，即通过作物遗传改良可持续地提高农业生产。案例合作伙伴RBGE是一个负责保护和研究植物和真菌生物多样性的国际重要组织。该项目将纳入RBGE的核心科学活动，以生成基线植物学数据，记录和保护植物生物多样性，并更好地了解植物的进化过程。方法：从北欧到南欧的大范围样带收集了栽培和野生亚麻样本。这些样品的后代将在温室里种植。将进行受控授粉实验，以产生代表自交和异交后代的新种子。将对DNA进行采样，并对1000个单核苷酸多态(SNPs)进行限制性内切酶扩增DNA(RADseq)基因分型。对序列数据的分析将提供整个基因组的异交率和近亲繁殖衰退的基于遗传的衡量标准。自交系和异交受控杂交个体随后将一起生长，并测量性能和健康性状(生物量，种子数量)。样本采集信息将与遗传和表型数据结合起来，根据国际商定的植物采集标准存档在RBGE的植物标本馆采集。还将开发RBGE的相关数字记录，以便于访问和使用这些数据。整个基因组中杂合性的个人水平模式将与性能数据结合，并测试与适应度的关联。将进行遗传关联作图，以确定包含导致近亲繁殖抑制和特定表现性状表达的遗传变异的基因组区域。

This project is allied to the agriculture and food security sector via genetic improvement of crops. The project will investigate cultivated flax L. usitatissimum, a globally important crop with many end-uses including an annual global production 2305 Ktonnes of linseed oil and 303 Ktonnes of linen fibre (data from 2013, http://faostat.fao.org/) and Linum bienne, the wild progenitor of cultivated flax. The UK is Europe's leading linseed producer generating 51 ktonnes in 2013. Therefore, this project will contribute to industrial strategy aims to improve UK living standards and economic growth by generating new knowledge and increasing productivity. The approach taken will be through science, research and innovation and developing specialist quantitative and computing skills.The specific challenge addressed will be improving flax yields through better understanding of the relationship between performance and genetic variation in this crop and its wild relatives. Previous research shows that flax experiences inbreeding depression that limits productivity because controlled crosses lead to a boost in yield in new hybrids. Wild flax harbours considerable natural genetic variation that flax lost during domestication. Therefore, the study of a new European wild flax collection will allow us to test a greater range of inbreeding and genomic responses to inbreeding than would be possible in the crop alone. We will apply controlled crossing studied to directly test the transferability of beneficial natural genetic variation in wild samples into cultivars for agricultural impact. Aims: This project will measure and compare samples of cultivated and wild flax that vary in their history of genetic inbreeding to test the impact of inbreeding on components of fitness. This fundamental aspect of evolution is thought to drive the maintenance of outcrossing breeding systems and the huge biodiversity of life. This project will contribute to BBSRC's research priority of sustainably enhancing agricultural production via genetic improvement of crops. The CASE partner, RBGE, is an internationally important organization responsible for the conservation and study of plant and fungal biodiversity. This project will feed into the core scientific activities of RBGE to generate baseline botanical data, to document and conserve plant biodiversity, and better understand evolutionary processes in plants.Methodology: Cultivated and wild flax samples have been collected from a wide transect from north to south Europe. Progenies of these samples will be grown in the glasshouse. Controlled pollination experiments will be performed to generate new seed representing self and outcross progeny. DNA will be sampled and Restriction Amplified DNA (RADseq) genotyping performed for 1000s of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). Analysis of the sequence data will provide genetically-based measures of outcrossing rate and inbreeding depression across the genome. Inbred and outcrossed controlled-cross individuals will then be grown together and performance and fitness traits (biomass, number of seeds) measured. Sample collection information will be combined with genetic and phenotypic data to be archived in the herbarium collection at RBGE according to internationally agreed standards for plant collections. Associated digital records at RBGE will also be developed to facilitate access and use of these data.Individual-level patterns of heterozygosity across the genome will be combined with performance data and tested for associations with fitness. Genetic association mapping will be performed to identify genomic regions that contain genetic variation contributing to expression of inbreeding depression and particular performance traits.