Zofia Nehr*1, Komlan Avia2,3, Stéphane Mauger2, Bertrand Jacquemin4, Emilie Gouhier2, Delphine Scornet1, Jérôme Coudret2, Stéphane Loisel2, Susana M. Coelho1, Christophe Destombe2, Philippe Potin1, Myriam Valero2, J. Mark Cock1
1Laboratory of Integrative Biology of Marine Models, CNRS-Sorbonne Université, France, 2Evolutionary Biology and Ecology of Algae, CNRS-Sorbonne Université, France, 3Grapevine Health and Vine Quality (SVQV), INRA-Université de Strasbourg, France, 4Seaweed Raw Material (AMP), CEVA Pleubian, France
In Europe, the development of Saccharina latissima farms and biorefineries relies on the ability to cultivate improved cultivars that express desirable traits. To maintain genetic diversity/balance in natural populations surrounding seaweed farms, the cultivation of improved, diversified crops should rely on the identification and selection of interesting progenitors from local populations. To facilitate this we need work with local germaplasm to select desirable traits in a cost- and time-effective way. Since the mid-80s, the development of genetic molecular markers associated with genes or quantitative trait loci (QTL) of interest has made it possible to apply Marker Assisted Selection (MAS). One of the aims of the European Union GENIALG project was to identify the loci underlying desirable selectable traits. We applied a QTL approach to a segregating family derived from a cross between local strains to map heat-stress response using a segregating family derived from a cross between local strains. One hundred and twenty-nine individuals were derived from the cross between two sporophytes belonging to two differentiated genetic groups from Northern and Southern Brittany, respectively. The progeny was phenotyped for heat stress tolerance and resilience. The progeny showed diverse responses to heat stress: tolerance, sensitivity but also diverse abilities to recover following stress treatment. To further investigate these responses, we conducted RNA-seq to identify genes responsive to heat-stress. The results of this work will allow us to better understand the genetic basis of heat tolerance and resilience and provide tools to identify wild individuals carrying alleles or expressing genes that confer good tolerance and resilience.