Speaker
Description
The genomic landscape of meiotic recombination plays an essential role in the evolution of eukaryotes. Patterns of recombination are highly dynamic, with variation along chromosomes, between sexes, individuals, populations, and species. These quantitative variations are driven by allelic variation, environmental factors, and interactions between both. In many eukaryotes, recombination rates are elevated in sub-telomeric regions and drastically reduced near centromeres. In plant species with large genomes, this results in large low-recombining regions harbouring approximately 30 % of genes, which reduces the efficacy of natural selection on those genes. In our work, we quantify recombination landscape variation in natural and experimental populations of inbreeding and outbreeding grass species (Hordeum vulgare and Secale cereale), and explore the underlying genetic basis and environmental plasticity through genome-wide association scans. Recently, we used single-pollen nuclei (SPN) genotyping to directly measure male meiotic crossovers in 3,136 pollen nuclei from 584 individuals sampled from a large rye population grown under control and nutrient deficiency conditions. We uncovered a polygenic architecture of meiotic recombination rate variation, and strong genotype-by-environment interactions, emphasizing the environmental plasticity of meiotic recombination. Our work sheds light on factors shaping within-species genetic diversity, with implications on populations’ potential to adapt to changing environments.
| Status Group | Senior Scientist |
|---|---|
| Poster Presentation Option | No, I prefer to present only as a talk. |
