Genetic control of environmental maternal effects on seed quality in Arabidopsis

Seeds are “genetic time capsules” provisioned by the mother plant and assigned to ensure plant fitness. Upon fertilization, seed development and maturation are fundamental processes controlled by the genetic make-up of the mother plant but also influenced by the environment it experiences. These Genotype x Environment interactions result in substantial phenotypic variation in seed quality traits, such as the uniformity of germination and seed and seedling
vigour. In this project, we aim to identify the genes and pathways involved in the mediation of maternal environmental signals. For this purpose, we used Arabidopsis recombinant inbred lines that we replicated in four different growing environments. The seeds harvested were used for extensive phenotyping. Traditional linkage analysis is then used to identify regions of the
genome (QTLs) responsible for the observed variation. For several seed traits, we identified QTLs that are stable across environments and environment specific ones (QTL x E). In a generalized genetical genomics design, we further investigate the effect of G x E at the molecular level (transcriptome, metabolome). Together, these data provide a system view of changes occurring in seeds as a result of maternal environment and genotype interactions.