La forme, et donc l’architecture d’une plante ornementale en potcomme le rosier buisson détermine sa qualité visuelle et peut êtrecontrôlée via la création variétale et/ou l’utilisation de techniquesculturales comme l’application de facteurs environnementaux.Cependant, ces méthodes sont appliquées empiriquement etprennent rarement en compte l’interaction Génotype x Environnement(GxE). Dans un premier temps, cette étude a montré que, parmiles trois techniques culturales testées sur cinq à huit cultivarsde rosier buisson de formes contrastées, la restriction hydrique modifiait fortement l’architecture avec un effet compactant. Une forteinteraction GxE a également été montrée avec trois réponses architecturales,de faible à forte, pouvant s’expliquer en partie par desconcentrations différentes en cytokinines et acide salicylique entregénotypes.Dans un deuxième temps, l’analyse génétique par cartographiede l’architecture du rosier à partir de deux populationsconnectées en ségrégation et remontantes a montré que la plupartdes caractères architecturaux étudiés étaient contrôlés par un ouplusieurs QTLs à effets faibles dont certains étaient infl uencés parl’environnement et/ou par le fond génétique. L’introgression detels caractères dans d’autres fonds génétiques par exemple seradonc vraisemblablement diffi cile. Cette étude a souligné l’importancede prendre en compte les interactions GxE et QTLxE pourmieux raisonner les programmes de création/sélection, mais aussipour l’utilisation des techniques culturales dans le but de contrôler l / The shape and therefore the architecture of a potted ornamentalplant such as bush rose determines its visual quality. It can becontrolled by plant breeding and/or cultivation techniques suchas the environmental factor application. However, these methodsare used empirically and rarely take into account the Genotypex Environment interaction (GxE). Firstly, among three cultivationtechniques evaluated on fi ve to eight rose bush cultivars withcontrasted shapes, water restriction highly modifi ed the architectureleading to more compact plants. A high GxE interaction was revealedwith three architectural responses ranging from low to high. Theywere partly explained by different cytokinins and salicylic acidconcentrations between genotypes.Secondly, the genetic analysisby mapping of the bush rose architecture based on two connectedrepeat-blooming populations in segregation showed that most ofthe architectural traits were controlled by one or several QTLs withlow effects. Some of them were infl uenced by the environmentand/or by the genetic background. The introgression of such traitsin different genetic backgrounds for example will likely be diffi cult.This study underlined the importance of taking into considerationthe GxE and QTLxE interactions to better orientate breedingprograms but also to better use cultivation techniques in order to control plant architecture.

L’adaptation d’un champignon pathogène à son milieu, ainsi que l’évolution et la structuration des populations qui en découlent, sont fortement influencés par ses traits d’histoire de vie qui conditionnent sa fitness. C’est ce que nous avons illustré chez Melampsora larici-populina, l’agent de la rouille du peuplier. Ainsi, nous avons mis en évidence que le volume des spores du champignon évolue de manière répétable au cours des épidémies annuelles dans la vallée de la Durance, et ce sous l’effet de la sélection naturelle, signe que ce trait intervient directement dans le processus adaptatif du champignon. Par conséquent, les contraintes génétiques conditionnant le potentiel adaptatif du champignon en lien avec les traits d’histoire de vie ont été étudiées en laboratoire, au sein d’une descendance S1 issue de l’autofécondation d’une souche de référence. Les résultats obtenus suggèrent que M. larici-populina présente un potentiel adaptatif élevé. Enfin, une carte génétique à haute résolution du champignon, comprenant 18 chromosomes, a été construite afin d’étudier le déterminisme génétique de ces traits d'histoire de vie. Un locus de virulence ainsi que des QTL intervenant dans l’expression de la taille des lésions ont pu être détectés et positionnés avec précision sur cette carte. Ce travail a mis en évidence le rôle des traits quantitatifs dans l’adaptation et la structuration des populations de M. larici-populina en réponse aux pressions de sélection du milieu, en lui conférant un potentiel adaptatif élevée, essence de l’adaptation des organismes. Il ouvre également de nombreuses perspectives de recherche visant à identifier les bases génétiques de l’adaptation de ce champignon pathogène à son hôte, éléments indispensables à l’élaboration de stratégies de lutte durables / Adaptation of a phytopathogenic fungus to its environment, as well as the resulting evolution and structuration of its populations, are strongly influenced by its life history traits which condition its fitness. This is illustrated here with the poplar rust fungus Melampsora larici-populina. Hence, we showed that spore volume repeatedly evolved through natural selection, during annual epidemics in the Durance River valley, showing the implication of this trait in the fungus adaptive processes. Consequently, genetic constraints conditioning the adaptive potential of the fungus, in connection with life history traits, were studied in laboratory, over a progeny resulting from a selfing of a reference strain. Results suggest that M. larici-populina has a high adaptive potential. Finally, a high resolution genetic map of the fungus, comprising 18 chromosomes, has been built in order to study genetic determinism of these traits. One locus of virulence and three QTL involved in the expression of the lesion size were detected and accurately mapped on this map. This work emphasizes the role of quantitative traits in adaptation and structuration of M. larici-populina populations in response to the environmental selective pressures, by conferring an adaptive potential, the basis of organisms’ adaptation. It also opens many opportunities to identify the genetic bases of adaptation of this fungus, these elements being essential for the development of sustainable strategies of disease control

Les allèles en ségrégation des deux génomes Elaeis ont été tracés dans un pseudo backcross interspécifique Elaeis (E. oleifera x E. guineensis) x E. guineensis. Dix-neuf QTL de proportion d'acides gras de l'huile de palme par rapport à 16 QTL des mêmes caractères d'un croisement intraspécifique E. guineensis ont mis en évidence des QTL communs ou spécifiques aux deux espèces. Aucune corrélation n'existe entre proportions d'acides gras et le rendement en huile de palme. Le déterminisme génétique et les principaux gènes associés aux acides gras du mésocarpe ont été étudiés, à l'aide de banques d'ADNc pleine longueur et des extraits d'ARNm de mésocarpe de fruits en développement des espèces Elaeis chacune représentée par quatre fonds génétiques. L'expression de 113 gènes Elaeis clés ou de facteurs putatifs de régulation des voies de synthèse de novo des acides gras et des triacylglycérols fut caractérisée au niveau de l'espèce par analyse in silico de profils de transcription et par analyse Real Time RT-qPCR. Les gènes ont été cartographiés sur le pseudo backcross avec 180 marqueurs SNP intra-géniques. Quarante-huit gènes étaient exprimés différemment entre espèces dont 94% plus exprimés chez E. guineensis. Le facteur de transcription EgAP2-2 (WRI1-like) influence le début de la synthèsede novo des acide gras par action principale sur les gènes MAT et KAS III, parait indépendant de l'expression d'autres gènes et non différentiel entre espèces. Les variations en C16:0 et C18:0 entre espèces s'expliquent par niveau d'expression allélique et l'activité enzymatique relative des isoformes présentes dans le génome de FATB (2), KAS II (1) et SAD (3). / An Elaeis interspecific pseudo-backcross of first generation (E. oleifera x E. guineensis) x E. guineensis allowed tracing segregating alleles from both Elaeis genomes. Nineteen quantitative trait loci (QTLs) associated to palm oil fatty acid proportions compared to 16 QTLs of same traits in an intra-specific oil palm cross evidenced common or specific QTLs in E. guineensis and E. oleifera. No correlation was found in oil palm between mesocarp fatty acid proportions and yieldtraits. The genetic determinism of main fatty acid proportions was confirmed. Genes related to palm oil fatty acids were investigated using full-length cDNA libraries and mRNA extracts from the mesocarp of developing fruits in each Elaeis species represented by four genetic pools. Expression of 113 key Elaeis genes or putative regulation factors of de novo fatty acid and triacylglycerol pathways were characterized at species level by in silico transcript profiling and Real Time RT-qPCR analysis. Genes were mapped on the pseudo-backcross using 180 intra-gene SNP markers. Forty-eight genes were differentially expressed between Elaeis species, with 94% over expressed in E. guineensis. The EgAP2-2 (WRI1-like) transcription factor might influence the start of the de novo fatty acid pathway by main action only on the MAT and KAS III genes, as independent in expression from other genes and not differential between species. Between species variations in C16:0 and C18:0 can be deciphered by relative expression levels and enzyme activities of the isoforms in the genome of FATB (2), KAS II (1) and SAD (3). An oil palm producing more oleic acid in proportion than pure E. oleifera is feasible.

No description available.

Excess of fat deposition is a negative factor for poultry production, which affects feed efficiency and consequently the costs of meat production. The incorporation of genomic tools in poultry breeding programs may help to accelerate the selection for increased production efficiency. In this context, we genotyped approximately 2,000 42 days-old chickens from two different populations (Brazilian F2 Chicken Resource population and TT broiler Reference Population) using a high-density SNP array (600K, Affymetrix) to estimate genomic heritability of fatness-related traits, to identify genomic regions and positional candidate genes (PCGs) associated with these traits. We performed genome-wide association (GWAS) analysis using GenSel software (Bayesian approach) to identify 1 Mb genomic windows associated with abdominal fat, skin and carcass fat content traits. The search for PCGs were made within each genomic windows associated considering their Gene Ontology (GO) terms and also the literature information. We also integrated into this study NGS-SNPs data from both populations and selection signature regions identified in Brazilian F2 Chicken Resource population to refine the list of PCGs. The genomic heritability values for fatness-related traits were from moderate to high (greater than 0.30). We identified quantitative trait loci (QTL) for abdominal fat, skin and carcass fat content traits harboring several PCGs involved in biological processes of fat deposition. We identified several NGS-SNPs annotated in potential functional regions in our PCGs and some of those were predicted as deleterious and high impact mutations. Besides that, some genes overlapped with selection signature regions in Brazilian F2 Chicken Resource population. Important candidate genes for fat deposition were identified, providing new insights to achieve a better understanding of the genetic control of fat deposition in chickens. / O excesso de deposição de gordura é um fator negativo para a produção de aves, o que afeta a eficiência alimentar e consequentemente os custos da produção de carne. A incorporação das ferramentas genômicas em programas de melhoramento de aves pode ajudar a acelerar a seleção para aumentar a eficiência da produção. Neste contexto, genotipamos cerca de 2.000 aves de 42 dias de duas populações diferentes (população F2 experimental brasileira e população de corte referência TT) usando um chip de SNPs de alta densidade (600K, Affymetrix) para estimar a herdabilidade genômica de características relacionadas à deposição de gordura, para identificar regiões genômicas e genes candidatos posicionais (PCGs) associados a essas características. Realizamos análises de associação genômica ampla (GWAS) usando o programa GenSel (abordagem Bayesiana) para identificar janelas genômicas de 1 Mb associadas com características de gordura abdominal, pele e conteúdo de gordura na carcaça. A busca por PCGs foi feita dentro de cada janela genômica associada, considerando os Gene Ontology (GO) terms e também a informação da literatura. Integramos neste estudo NGS-SNPs identificados em animais parentais de ambas as populações, e além disso, regiões de assinaturas de seleção identificadas na população F2 experimental brasileira para refinar a lista de PCGs. Os valores de herdabilidade genômica para as características relacionadas à gordura foram de moderado a alto (maior que 0,30). Identificamos QTL para características de gordura abdominal, pele e conteúdo de gordura na carcaça contendo PCGs envolvidos em processos biológicos de deposição de gordura. Identificamos vários NGS-SNPs anotados em regiões potencialmente funcionais em nossos PCGs e alguns desses foram preditos como mutações deletérias e de alto impacto. Além disso, alguns genes se sobrepuseram com regiões de assinatura de seleção na população F2 experimental brasileira. Foram identificados importantes genes candidatos para a deposição de gordura, fornecendo novos insights para alcançar uma melhor compreensão do controle genético da deposição de gordura em frangos.

Ziel der vorliegenden Arbeit war die Identifizierung genetischer Faktoren, die das Plasmaproteom regulieren. Die Untersuchungen wurden im Modellsystem einer F2-Kreuzung zweier Inzucht-Mausstämme (FVB.LDLR-/-, C57BL/6.LDLR-/-) durchgeführt, die sich in ihrer Atheroskleroseausprägung unterscheiden. Von jedem der 453 Tiere der F2-Generation wurden Plasmaproteomprofile mittels Massenspektrometrie (MALDI-TOF) generiert. Diese Spektren wurden in zwei unabhängigen Datenanalysen ausgewertet und eine Kopplungsanalyse (QTL-Analyse, quantitative trait loci) der Phänotypen mit jeweils 192 genetischen Markern in jedem der F2-Tiere durchgeführt. So wurden die Datensätze von Proteom und Genom miteinander kombiniert, um Genorte, die mit unterschiedlich regulierten Proteinen in Verbindung stehen, zu identifizieren. Dieser Ansatz ist bisher in der Literatur nicht beschrieben worden. In der vorliegenden Arbeit wird sowohl die Methodik der statistischen Auswertung als auch die weitere Analyse der generierten Daten beschrieben. Es wurden zahlreiche hochsignifikante Kopplungssignale gefunden, von denen zwei durch die Identifizierung von Proteinen verifiziert werden konnten. Es handelt sich hierbei um das Apo-A2 des HDL auf Chromosom 1 und Hämoglobin subunit alpha auf Chromosom 11. Eine Kolokalisation der gefundenen Proteine mit Loci der Atherosklerosedisposition konnte nicht identifiziert werden. Dieser Ansatz zeigt erstmals, dass eine hypothesenfreie Verbindung proteomischer und genomischer Daten möglich ist und zur Identifizierung genetisch regulierter Plasmaproteine beitragen kann.

No description available.

Doctor of Philosophy / Department of Agronomy / Allan K. Fritz / Heat stress is one of the major environmental constraints for wheat production worldwide. High temperature during grain filling in wheat leads to a significant reduction in yield. In this research, three different projects were completed. The first project was to study cytoplasmic effects on heat tolerance in wheat, where ten different alloplasmic lines of wheat were backcrossed with four different wheat varieties: „Karl 92‟, „Ventnor‟, „U1275‟ and „Jagger‟. The nuclear genome of the alloplasmic lines was substituted by backcrossing six times using the recurrent parents as males. During the fifth and/or fourth backcross, reciprocal crosses were made to develop NILs (Near Isogenic Lines) for cytoplasm. Sixty-eight NILs and their parents were evaluated in growth chambers for post-anthesis heat tolerance. Plants were grown in the greenhouse and placed under heat stress for 14 days starting at 10 days after anthesis. Growth chambers were maintained at 35°/30°C for heat stress and the greenhouse was maintained at 20°/15°C as the optimum temperature. Effects of high temperature on chlorophyll content and Fv/Fm (a chlorophyll fluorescence measuring parameter) were found to be significant. Cytoplasms 1, 4, 5, 8, 9 and10 provided greater tolerance in one or more nuclear backgrounds. These results indicated that cytoplasmic effects can contribute to heat tolerance of wheat. The second project focused on identification of quantitative trait loci (QTL) for thylakoid membrane damage (TMD), SPAD chlorophyll content (SCC) and plasma membrane damage (PMD), as these traits are found to be associated with resistance to heat stress and contributes to relatively stable yield under high temperature. A RIL (Recombinant Inbred line) population of a cross between winter wheat cultivars „Ventnor‟ and „Karl 92‟ was evaluated using two different temperature regimes (20°/15°C, 36°/30°C) imposed at ten days after anthesis. The aforementioned traits were evaluated and associated with various molecular markers (SSR, AFLP and SNP). The putative QTL associated are localized on chromosomes 6A, 7A, 1B, 2B and 1D and have the potential to be used in marker assisted selection for improving heat tolerance in wheat. In the third project, a transgenic approach to increase grain fill during high temperatures was investigated. Grain fill is reduced at temperatures above 25°C in wheat partly due to the inactivity of soluble starch synthase. We isolated a soluble starch synthase gene from rice that has the potential to overcome this deficiency during high temperatures and placed it behind both a constitutive promoter and an endosperm-specific promoter. Transgene expression and the effects of the transgene expression on grain yield-related traits for four generations (T0, T1, T2 and T3) were monitored. The results demonstrated that even after four generations, the transgene was still expressed at high levels, and transgenic plants produced grains of greater seed weight than Bobwhite control plants under the same environmental conditions. Thousand-seed weight under high temperatures increased 21-34% in T2 and T3 transgenic plants when compared to the non-transgenic control plants. In addition, the duration of photosynthesis was longer in transgenic wheat than in non-transgenic controls. Our study demonstrated that expression of rice soluble starch synthase gene in wheat can improve wheat yield under heat stress conditions.

Master of Science / Department of Agronomy / Jianming Yu / Tan spot, caused by Pyrenophora tritici-repentis (Ptr), is an economically important foliar disease worldwide. Race 1 of the fungus, which produces the necrosis toxin Ptr ToxA and the chlorosis toxin Ptr ToxC, is the most prevalent race in the Great Plains of the United States. The purposes of this study are to 1) identify and map novel quantitative trait loci (QTL) involved in resistance to tan spot race 1 in common wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) and 2) explore the inverse gene-for-gene interaction in the wheat-P. tritici-repentis pathosystem. A population of 288 F2:6 recombinant inbred lines (RILs) developed from the cross between Chinese landrace WSB (resistant) and Ning7840 (highly susceptible) was firstly used to identify genomic regions harboring novel sources of resistance. Two QTLs associated with resistance to chlorosis were mapped to the short arm of chromosome 1A and 2B in the WSB/Ning7840 population. No interaction was found between the two QTL. To further explore the specific wheat-ToxC model, three other populations were developed based on two susceptible parents, Ning7840 and Wheaton. QTL analysis revealed that common QTL were detected in populations shared with the same susceptible parents. The observations suggested that susceptibility rather than resistance for tan spot chlorosis is specific and presented evidence for the inverse gene-for-gene theory in the WSB-ToxC pathosystem. Leaf rust, caused by Puccinia triticina Eriks., is another important foliar disease of common wheat worldwide. The rust-resistance genes Lr41 and Lr42 from T. tauschii accessions TA2460 (Lr41) and TA2450 (Lr42) have been used as sources of rust resistance in breeding programs. Molecular markers linked to these genes are essential tools for gene pyramiding. Two BC3F2:6 mapping populations were evaluated for leaf rust resistance at both seedling and adult plant stages and analyzed with simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers. Both genetic and physical mapping confirmed that markers linked to Lr41 and Lr42 were on chromosome arm 2DS and 1DS, respectively. Marker analysis in a diverse set of wheat germplasm indicated that tightly linked markers for Lr41 and Lr42 can be used for marker-assisted selection (MAS) in breeding programs.

Master of Science / Department of Agronomy / Jianming Yu / Tannin, a second metabolic product in sorghum, has been directly related to resistance to insects and birds. Tannin also impacts sorghum nutritional value. Previous studies have shown tannin content has a positive correlation with early season cold tolerance, an important agronomic trait. Sorghum contains condensed tannins in testa layer below the pericarp. The testa layer tannin is controlled by two complementary genes B1 and B2: tannins are present when both genes are dominant but absent when only one or none of these two is dominant. The purpose of this research is to identify and map QTLs associated with the presence of condensed tannins, analyze interaction of QTLs, and provide a potential path to dissect the more complex trait of early season cold tolerance in future studies. A population of 109 F6:7 recombinant inbred lines (RILs) developed from the cross of a high tannin sorghum Shan Qui Red (SQR) and non-tannin line Tx430 was used in the mapping study. Two QTLs related to condense tannin presence in testa layer were mapped to chromosome 2 and 4, respectively. Strong epistatic interaction of these two QTLs was detected. The two QTLs together with their interaction explained 74% of the phenotypic variation. Sorghum grain quality traits, including kernel size, kernel hardness, protein and starch content, are complex traits which are directly related to sorghum nutritional value and market value. Association mapping is a promising method for complex quantitative traits analysis and dissection in plant science. Sorghum grain quality trait association analysis research is purposed to analyze large amount of grain quality data based on a diversity panel. A sorghum bicolor panel of 300 lines including germplasm derived from sorghum conversion program and elite commercial lines were established and served as diversity population for the association study. Phenotypic data of grain quality traits were collected by single kernel characterization system (SKCS) and near infrared reflectance spectroscopy (NIRS). Data analysis proved high diversity within the SB panel. A correlation between tannin presence and kernel hardness was also observed. Quality traits showed high consistence across years and environments.