MOLECULAR GENETIC ANALYSIS OF ALUMINUM TOLERANCE IN ARABIDOPSIS THALIANA

Authors: HOEKENGA, OWEN - BOYCE THOMPSON INSTITUTE; Kochian, Leon; HOWELL, STEPHEN - BOYCE THOMPSON INSTITUTE

Submitted to: American Society of Plant Physiologists Meeting
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 6/15/1999
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Aluminum is the third most abundant element in the earth's crust and toxic to plants if solubilized in acid soils. Aluminum toxicity diminishes crop yield on approximately 30% of the world's arable land, primarily by inhibiting root growth and nutrient/water acquisition. Breeding crops with tolerance to aluminum has been a productive and active avenue of research. However, the underlying genetic and physiological bases for aluminum tolerance are not well understood. Previous work in our lab investigated the bases for aluminum tolerance in Arabidopsis thaliana. We demonstrated that differences exist between ecotypes (Columbia [Col], Wassilewskija, and Landsberg erecta [Ler]) with respect to aluminum tolerance. Also, chemical mutagenesis experiments identified at least ten loci (aluminum sensitive (als) and aluminum resistant (alr)) that alter aluminum tolerance if mutated. Recent research expands on these molecular genetic approaches, utilizing quantitative trait locus (QTL) mapping and transposon tagging. W report the results of QTL mapping in the Col x Ler recombinant inbred population to identify loci responsible for the differences between ecotypes. We also discuss progress towards transposon mutagenesis to generate new alleles of the previously identified als and alr loci. The latter experiments will facilitate cloning of these genes and further characterization of the physiological mechanisms responsible for aluminum tolerance.