Research group Mage : Analysis and modelling of the genotype x environment
interaction
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Principal investigator:
François Tardieu Research Director INRA Tel: 33(0)4 99 61 26 32 Mail: tardieu@supagro.inra.fr |
Presentation We aim at identifying mechanisms of tolerance to water deficit in a large range of climatic scenarios. We analyse for that the genetic variability of plant responses to soil water status, but also temperature, light and evaporative demand. The objective is to identify the effect of alleles on essential plant functions (leaf growth, reproductive growth, transpiration), under a range of environmental conditions. The allelic composition has been approached by quantitative genetics (QTLs in populations of recombinant inbred lines, markers in collections of accessions or near isogenic lines). The effect of some genes are studied by using transgenics, e.g. on the biosynthesis of abscisic acid or on aquaporins. Maize is the main studied species, with a recent programme on rice.
The main methods are
- Temporal analyses of growth rate (leaves and silks) and transpiration of studied genotypes, analysed jointly with changes in environmental conditions and plant status (water, carbon), with temporal definition of 15 minutes to one day. This is carried out in a phenotyping platform (PHENODYN) in the greenhouse and growth chamber, with series of sensors of soil, air and plant status.
- Temporal analyses of plant development, in terms of organ appearance (leaves, reproductive organs, silks) as a function of environmental conditions with a definition of one day.
- Spatial analyses of the studied functions, i.e. tissue expansion, cell division, organ appearance, with kinematic analyses of both the phenotypic values and transcripts.
- Modelling the studied functions for each studied genotype, using the above set of data for (i) identifying the most appropriate formalisms and equations, (ii) calculating genotype-dependent parameters, (iii) testing the models.
- Genetic analysis of the parameters of these models, either in terms of QTLs or of the effect of specific genes in transgenic plants, mutants or insertion lines.
- Models of virtual plants integrating several functions, and tested in field studies in collaboration with other groups.
Scientists in charge of the project are :
François Tardieu, Olivier Turc, Claude Welcker, Christian Fournier.
Significant publications
SADOK W, NAUDIN PH, BOUSSUGE B, MULLER B, WELCKER C, TARDIEU F (2007) Leaf growth rate per unit thermal time follows QTL-dependent daily patterns in hundreds of maize lines under naturally fluctuating conditions. Plant Cell and Environment 30, 135–146
WELCKER C, BOUSSUGE B, BENCIVENI C, RIBAUT JM, TARDIEU F (2007) Are source and sinks strengths genetically linked in maize plants subjected to water deficit ? A QTL study of the responses of leaf growth and Anthesis-Silking Interval to water deficit. Journal of Experimental Botany, 58, 339 - 349
DOSIO GAA, TARDIEU F, TURC O (2006) How does the meristem of sunflower capitulum cope with tissue expansion and floret initiation? A quantitative analysis. New Phytologist 170: 711-722.
More publications >>
People | Permanent staff | |||
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Olivier
Turc |
Claude
Welcker INRA - IE |
Christian
Fournier INRA - IE |
Benoit
Suard INRA - TR |
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| Stephane
Berthezene INRA - AJT |
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| Graduate students and postdocs | |||
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| Boris
Parent Graduate student |
Caroline
Domerg Ingénieur |
Romain
Chapuis Ingénieur |
Christelle Bencivenni Graduate student |