Mapping the Ozone Tolerance Trait in Arabidopsis thaliana

Abstract

Ozone is a secondary pollutant in the troposphere where plants, animals and human beings reside. Ozone has harmful effects on plant growth and metabolism. In sensitive plant species it causes visible injury such as necrosis and chlorosis of leaves leading to reduction in photosynthesis and that ultimately manifests as yield losses. The major goal of this study is to identify Quantitative Trait Loci (QTL) responsible for ozone resistance in Arabidopsis thaliana. For this study, we used a Recombinant Inbred Line (RIL) population of 150 lines derived from a cross between ecotypes Landsberg erecta (ozone resistant parent) and Wassilewskija (ozone sensitive parent). This project involves physiology, genetics, molecular biology and statistical genomics. The physiological analysis involved scoring the RIL population for the ozone response phenotype. A genetic linkage map for the Ler x Ws cross was constructed using nine polymorphic morphological traits and Simple Sequence Length Polymorphic (SSLPs) markers. R/QTL statistical software was used for identifying ozone resistance QTLs.