SPP 1149:  Heterosis in Plants

The goal of the Priority Programme is to investigate the causes and optimal exploitation of heterosis in higher plants. Basic mechanisms for occurrence of heterosis are to be investigated with modern tools from genomic research in Arabidopsis and important crops at the molecular and physiological level. In addition, biomathematical and computer models shall be developed at different system levels to investigate the complex behaviour of gene networks for the occurrence of heterosis and to derive strategies for optimal exploitation of heterosis in plant breeding. Specific topics are: -- analysis of the phenomenon of heterosis at the molecular level for growth-relevant traits; -- confirmation of experimental results obtained with model plants for related and unrelated crop species; -- investigation of plant physiological process with fundamental importance for understanding the molecular basis of heterosis; -- integration of quantitative genetic and molecular research approaches for explaining heterosis; -- development of new bioinformatic tools for a comprehensive data analysis of the results from the various biological levels as well as integrative models for explanation of heterosis; -- development of breeding strategies and prediction methods for optimal exploitation of heterosis in plant breeding.The programme is primarily targeted towards basic questions with regard to the phenomenon of heterosis in higher plants using advanced tools from genome analysis. However, application-oriented questions for exploitation of heterosis in plant breeding shall also be addressed. For this end, the currently available tools shall be extended and new molecular as well as biometric and bioinformatic tools shall be implemented.

DFG Programme Priority Programmes

International Connection Denmark

• Analysis of heterosis in Arabidopsis thaliana via metabolic profiling (Applicant Willmitzer, Lothar )
• Analysis of the genetic basis of heterosis in oilseed rape (Brassica napus) via comparative QTL mapping and expression QTL analysis (Applicant Snowdon, Rod )
• Analysis of the relationship between heterosis and the epigenetic modification of DNA and histones in Arabidopsis thaliana (Applicant Houben, Andreas )
• Biometric tools for microarrays (Applicant Piepho, Hans-Peter )
• Estimation of the genetic components of heterosis by means of new experimental design and integrated data analysis with special focus on epistasis (Applicant Melchinger, Albrecht E. )
• Functional analysis of genes involved in heterosis for plant height in maize by expressing profiling (Applicant Wenzel, Gerhard )
• Genetic Analysis of Heterosis in Rapeseed (B. napus L.) (Applicant Becker, Heiko )
• Heterosis-associated gene expression in early development (Applicant Scholten, Stefan )
• Mapping of QTL for Heterosis and identification of the responsible gene-loci in Arabidopsis (Applicant Vogel, Heiko )
• Metabolic phenotype of heterosis in Zea mays (Applicant Gierl, Alfons )
• Molecular genetics of heterosis of the plant`s earliest stage, the embryo, using the large-seeded faba bean as model (Applicants Link, Wolfgang ;  Weber, Hans )
• Molecular identification and characterisation of loci causing heterosis in Arabidopsis thaliana (Applicant Altmann, Thomas )
• Molecular studies on `marginal overdominance` in maize (Applicant Geiger, Hartwig H. )
• Network and integrative data analysis of gene expression and metabolite data from Arabidopsis thaliana heterosis experiments (Applicant Selbig, Joachim )
• Optimum exploitation of heterosis utilizing the concept of heterotic groups and patterns in hybrid breeding (Applicant Reif, Jochen )
• Rapeseed as a model to analyse `fixed heterosis` in allopolyploid plants (Applicant Becker, Heiko )
• The role of transcription factors in heterosis for superior growth and biomass production in Arabidopsis thaliana (Applicant Udvardi, Michael )
• Transcriptome- and metabolome-based prediction of heterosis and hybrid performance in experimental hybrids of maize (Applicant Frisch, Matthias )
• Transcriptome and proteome wide identification of genes that are related to heterosis manifestion in maize seedling roots (Applicant Hochholdinger, Frank )

Spokesperson Professor Dr. Albrecht E. Melchinger