Genotype networks of 80 quantitative Arabidopsis thaliana phenotypes reveal phenotypic evolvability despite pervasive epistasis.

ABSTRACT: We study the genotype-phenotype maps of 80 quantitative phenotypes in the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana, by representing the genotypes affecting each phenotype as a genotype network. In such a network, each vertex or node corresponds to an individual's genotype at all those genomic loci that affect a given phenotype. Two vertices are connected by an edge if the associated genotypes differ in exactly one nucleotide. The 80 genotype networks we analyze are based on data from genome-wide association studies of 199 A. thaliana accessions. They form connected graphs whose topography differs substantially among phenotypes. We focus our analysis on the incidence of epistasis (non-additive interactions among mutations) because a high incidence of epistasis can reduce the accessibility of evolut

SUBMITTER: Schweizer G 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7447023 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature