Genomic basis and evolutionary potential for extreme drought adaptation in Arabidopsis thaliana.

ABSTRACT: As Earth is currently experiencing dramatic climate change, it is of critical interest to understand how species will respond to it. The chance of a species withstanding climate change is likely to depend on the diversity within the species and, particularly, whether there are sub-populations that are already adapted to extreme environments. However, most predictive studies ignore that species comprise genetically diverse individuals. We have identified genetic variants in Arabidopsis thaliana that are associated with survival of an extreme drought event-a major consequence of global warming. Subsequently, we determined how these variants are distributed across the native range of the species. Genetic alleles conferring higher drought survival showed signatures of polygenic adaptation and

SUBMITTER: Exposito-Alonso M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5777624 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature