Genetic Mapping of Quantitative Trait Loci (QTLs) involved in photosynthesis in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii

Multi-Parent Advanced Generation Inter-Cross (MAGIC) populations have been developed for several model organisms proving to be a powerful mapping resource in quantitative genetics. Chlamydomonas reinhardtii is a unicellular haploid green alga studied for decades as model organism to understand the nature and dynamics of photosynthesis. The genome of this species has been previously shown to harbor extensive genetic variation; a precious source of information to dissect the polygenic nature of quantitative traits. Here, we use eight divergent founder strains of C. reinhardtii to develop a MAGIC population constituted of about one thousand Advanced Inter-Crossed Lines (AILs). Once created, the MAGIC population will be employed to map quantitative trait loci (QTLs) correlated to photosynthesis and growth.