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Telomere-length regulation in inter-ecotype crosses of Arabidopsis

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Abstract

Telomeres, the nucleoprotein complexes at the ends of eukaryotic chromosomes, are maintained at a species-specific equilibrium length. Arabidopsis thaliana is a self-fertilizing plant and different geographical isolates or ecotypes show differing telomere-lengths. We have exploited this telomere-length polymorphism between Arabidopsis ecotypes to investigate the genetic regulation of telomere length by analysing telomere lengths in 16 different inter-ecotype crosses between plants with differing telomere sizes. With two exceptions, the inter-ecotype hybrid plants present a new telomere-length set point, intermediate between that of the two parents. A regulation mechanism thus shortens the longer and lengthens the shorter telomeres.

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Acknowledgements

We thank the members of the recombination mechanisms group and BIOMOVE for their help and discussions. This work was financed by the CNRS, the Université Blaise Pascal and grants from the Commissariat à l’Energie Atomique (Laboratoire de Recherche Conventionné, CEA No. 19V) and a European Community Research grant (QLG2-CT-2001-01397).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. CNRS UMR6547, Université Blaise Pascal, 24, avenue des Landais, 63177, Aubiere, France

    G. Maillet, C. I. White & M. E. Gallego

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  1. G. Maillet
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  2. C. I. White
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  3. M. E. Gallego
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Correspondence to M. E. Gallego.

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Maillet, G., White, C.I. & Gallego, M.E. Telomere-length regulation in inter-ecotype crosses of Arabidopsis. Plant Mol Biol 62, 859–866 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11103-006-9061-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11103-006-9061-7

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