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Capsella as a model system to study evolutionary key events
Capsella L. is a small genus within the mustard family (Brassicaceae) closely related to Arabidopsis. According to the current classification it includes three species with remarkable differences in ploidy level, breeding system and habitat range: the tetraploid (2n=4x=32) C. bursa-pastoris (L.) Medik. and the two diploids Capsella grandiflora (Fauché & Chaub.) Boiss. and C. rubella Reut (2n=2x=16, each). The self-incompatible (SI) C. grandiflora is restricted to Albania and western Greece. The changing of the mating system is often accompanied by high colonising ability and ecotypic differentiation, thus, playing an important role in speciation processes and is of different adaptive significance. C. rubella (self-compatible (SC)) widened its range to nearly all Mediterranean climatic regions. After polyplodisation C. bursa-pastoris (SC) recently and successfully colonized nearly all habitats on the globe and is cited as on second position of the most common weeds worldwide.
Both diploid species are annual with considerable differences in flower begin in C. rubella. This flowering ecotypic differentiation is far exceeded from more early flowering types to biennial types in C. bursa-pastoris.
The biology and the genetic background of the key events "breakdown of SI" and "flowering ecotypic diffentiation" are important traits under selection and the main topics of the proposal.
The project part in our group refers to the following main questions:
1. Flowering ecotypic differentiation in Capsella - identify genetic variation affecting flowering time, a quantitative adaptive trait
2. SI in Capsella - Compare SI evolution in Arabidopsis and Capsella
Cooperations within the ERA NET PLANT GENOMICS:
Project leader: Detlef Weigel (MPI for Developmental Biology, Tuebingen) D
Other members of the group:
Deborah Charlesworth, University of Edinburgh, UK
Michael Lenhard, University of Freiburg, D
Barbara Mable, University of Glasgow, UK
Barbara Neuffer, University of Osnabrueck, D
Outi Savolainen, University of Oulu, FI
Mikkel H. Schierup, University of Aarhus, DK
Yves Van de Peer, Flanders Interuniversity Institute for Biotechnology (VIB), BE
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