Dissecting complex physiological functions through the use of molecular quantitative genetics

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Abstract
Testing possible associations between physiological and biochemical traits by comparing plant phenotypes and looking for correlations between them is unreliable. The development of molecular marker technologies offers powerful alternative methods to examine the relationships between traits. This review describes the genetical methods required to analyse possible associations between traits that are inherited in a quantitative manner using quantitative trait locus (QTL) analysis. The regulation of carbohydrate metabolism is chosen as an example of how QTL analysis can be used to identify key control factors in a series of processes, by identifying possible candidate genes for QTL effects on sucrose and starch metabolism. Methods are also described to study the association between physiological traits such as abscislc acid concentrations and stomata1 conductance. Advantages and some limitations of QTL analysis over other methods currently in use by physiologists to test associations between traits are discussed.

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