Plasticity of gene expression and chemical defences in an invasive weed

Garlic mustard (Alliaria petiolata) is an invasive plant in North America that produces glucosinolates and flavonoids as defensive chemicals. Production of these chemicals includes both plastic and genetic components, but the genes involved in these responses have not been characterized. We propose to use high-throughput sequencing and comparative genomic tools to characterize the complete set of RNA transcripts produced by the genome (transcriptome) of garlic mustard in order to identify candidate genes in the glucosinolate and flavonoid pathways, then sequence the most promising genes in 200 genotypes sampled across Europe North America to look for evidence of evolution during invasion. Understanding if and how this species evolves during invasion can help us understand more generally the role that evolution plays in the spread of invasive species.

Faculty Supervisor:

Robert Colautti

Student:

Partner:

University of Arizona

Discipline:

Life Sciences

Sector:

Environmental Science and Technology; Forestry; Agriculture and Food

University:

Queen's University

Program: