Arabidopsis thaliana flowering

Different Variants Flower at Different Times Under                                                       Arabidopsis coming out of snow in April 

the Same Conditions in the Growth chamber (photo: Judith Roe)         after overwintering as a rosette  (photo: Judith Roe)

Arabidopsis thaliana is an annual plant that is sensitive to its environment. It is found widespread in Europe and western Asia and local populations have adapted to their local climates. Arabidopsis was introduced into the U.S. ~150 years ago and is found in many areas. It has not been found in northern Maine, however. In northern regions in Europe,  Arabidopsis follows the strategy of growing to a small size during the short summers, overwintering as a rosette, and flowering in the spring when the daylength lengthens and temperatures rise. In their southern range, populations of Arabidopsis follow a different strategy of flowering where they flower and go to seed in the spring or summer. The climate and daylength are "uncoupled" in northern Maine from their original range, and we are investigating whether Arabidopsis variants from Europe can survive a northern Maine winter in altered daylength conditions given their adaptation to their native local conditions.

(Collaborator = Johanna Schmitt, University of California, Davis)

Recent Publications:

Wilczek, A., Roe, J.L., Knapp, M.C., Cooper, M.D., Lopez-Gallego, C., Martin, L.J., Muir, C.D., Sim, S., Walker, A., Anderson, J., Egan, J.F., Moyers, B.T., Petipas, R., Giakountis, A., Charbit, E., Coupland, G., Welch, S.M., Schmitt, J. (2009) Effects of Genetic Perturbation on Seasonal Life History Plasticity. Science 323: 930-934.

Fournier-Level, A., Wilczek, A.M., Cooper, M.D., Roe, J.L., Anderson, J., Eaton, D., Moyers, B.,  Petipas, R., Schaeffer, R., Pieper, B., Reymond, M., Koorneef, M., Welch, S.M., Remington, D.L., and Schmitt, J. (2013) Paths to selection on life-history loci in different natural environments across the native range of Arabidopsis thaliana. Molecular Ecology 22: 3552-3566.

Mandyman, K., Roe, J. L., Jumpponen, A. (2013) Arabidopsis thaliana model system reveals a continuum of responses to root endophyte colonization. Fungal Biology 117: 250-260.

Burghardt, L. T., Runcie, D. E., Wilczek, A. M., Cooper, M. D., Roe, J. L., Welch, S. M. and Schmitt, J. (2016), Fluctuating, warm temperatures decrease the effect of a key floral repressor on flowering time in Arabidopsis thaliana. New Phytol, 210: 564–576. doi:10.1111/nph.13799

Funding: National Science Foundation Research Opportunity Award