155713 - Mendel from genes to genomes.pdf (725.32 kB)
Mendel: from genes to genome
journal contribution
posted on 2023-05-21, 16:57 authored by Frances SussmilchFrances Sussmilch, John RossJohn Ross, James ReidJames ReidTwo hundred years after the birth of Gregor Mendel, it is an appropriate time to reflect on recent developments in the discipline of genetics, particularly advances relating to the prescient friar's model species, the garden pea (Pisum sativum L.). Mendel's study of seven characteristics established the laws of segregation and independent assortment. The genes underlying four of Mendel's loci (A, LE, I, and R) have been characterized at the molecular level for over a decade. However, the three remaining genes, influencing pod color (GP), pod form (V/P), and the position of flowers (FA/FAS), have remained elusive for a variety of reasons, including a lack of detail regarding the loci with which Mendel worked. Here, we discuss potential candidate genes for these characteristics, in light of recent advances in the genetic resources for pea. These advances, including the pea genome sequence and reverse-genetics techniques, have revitalized pea as an excellent model species for physiological-genetic studies. We also discuss the issues that have been raised with Mendel's results, such as the recent controversy regarding the discrete nature of the characters that Mendel chose and the perceived overly-good fit of his segregations to his hypotheses. We also consider the relevance of these controversies to his lasting contribution. Finally, we discuss the use of Mendel's classical results to teach and enthuse future generations of geneticists, not only regarding the core principles of the discipline, but also its history and the role of hypothesis testing.
Funding
Australian Research Council
History
Publication title
Plant physiologyVolume
190Issue
4Pagination
2103-2114ISSN
1532-2548Department/School
School of Natural SciencesPublisher
American Society of Plant BiologistsPlace of publication
Lancaster, PaRights statement
© The Author(s) 2022. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of American Society of Plant Biologists. This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution International (CC BY 4.0) License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)Repository Status
- Open