Chunlao Tang

TL;DR: This study demonstrates the feasibility of GWA studies in A. thaliana and suggests that the approach will be appropriate for many other organisms, particularly when inbred lines are available.

TL;DR: By combining the association results with results from linkage mapping in F2 crosses, this study identifies one previously known true positive and several promising new associations, but also demonstrates the existence of both false positives and false negatives.

TL;DR: The feasibility of genome-wide association mapping in A. thaliana was tested by searching for associations with flowering time and pathogen resistance in a sample of 95 accessions for which genome- wide polymorphism data were available, and known major genes were identified for all phenotypes tested.

TL;DR: It is found that the S locus of A. thaliana harbored considerable diversity, which is an apparent remnant of polymorphism in the outcrossing ancestor, suggesting that selfing most likely evolved roughly a million years ago or more.

TL;DR: It is demonstrated that selection has acted to increase the frequency of early-flowering alleles at the vernalization requirement locus FRIGIDA, and a novel test statistic based on haplotype sharing is introduced that embraces the problem of population structure, and so should be widely applicable.