Exploiting natural variation to dissect metabolic traits and yield components

FUSARI, CORINA M.

Potsdam

Jornada; Max Planck Institute days; 2021

Max Planck Institute of Molecular Plant Physiology

Understanding the highly coordinate regulation of plant metabolism components, is key to identify genetic factors involved in growth, metabolism responses to stress and, ultimately, reproduction and yield. Whilst earlier studies had reported the mapping of QTL for metabolite levels, we have achieved the first large scale study to identify QTL for enzyme activities. We were able to distinguish between two kinds of genetic polymorphisms that influence enzyme activity. In addition, we identified genes acting as regulatory hubs, being involved in the coordinate regulation of several metabolic components at once. One of them, ACD6, associated with 10 metabolic traits, is a well-characterized protein involved in defence responses and hybrid necrosis in Arabidopsis. This points to a close interdependence between metabolism and pathogen defence. Further findings and perspectives from this study and recent results on lipid-metabolism regulation under stress will be discussed.