title: Telomere-length regulation in inter-ecotype crosses of Arabidopsis.
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.
authors.affiliation: CNRS UMR6547, Université Blaise Pascal, 24, avenue des Landais, 63177, Aubiere, France.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Maillet
authors.forename: C I
authors.initials: CI
authors.lastname: White
authors.forename: M E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Gallego
mesh_terms: D017360:Arabidopsis / Q000235:genetics*; D032461:Chromosomes, Plant / Q000235:genetics; D003433:Crosses, Genetic; D018744:DNA, Plant / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D015252:Deoxyribonucleases, Type II Site-Specific / Q000378:metabolism; D014644:Genetic Variation; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic; D013045:Species Specificity; D016615:Telomere / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D018744:DNA, Plant; D015252:Deoxyribonucleases, Type II Site-Specific; C024405:GATC-specific type II deoxyribonucleases