Exploiting Natural Variation in Arabidopsis

Natural variation for many traits is present within the species Arabidopsis thaliana . This chapter describes the use of natural variation to elucidate genes underlying the regulation of quantitative traits. It deals with the development and use of mapping populations, the detection and handling of genetic markers, the phenotyping of quantitative traits, and, finally, QTL analyses. The focus of the chapter is on the use and development of recombinant inbred lines, but other types of segregating populations, including genome-wide association mapping in natural populations, are also discussed.