Grapevina-QTL Browser: A dream coming true
Collection of results from different QTL (Quantitative Trait Loci) studies has been implemented both in
model plants and in crops, mainly cereals, to facilitate the access to information and enhance the impact of
existing data on plant improvement activities. To date, cataloguing, summarizing, and making FAIR the
plethora of increasing QTL information are the next challenge for the grapevine (Vitis spp.) community. To
ensure we do not lose valuable data, the multitude of identified QTLs – along with the related raw data like
genotypes, phenotypes, and environmental information from published experiments – must be stored in
dedicated public databases for effective utilization. Within the GRAPEDIA initiative, this wealth of QTL
information is planned to be anchored firstly to the grapevine reference PN40024.v4 genome and secondly
to the published and upcoming diverse genomes. The generated “Vitis-QTL browser” would (i) enhance
our understanding of the genetic regulation of different phenotypes, (ii) reveal consistent QTLs across
studies (consensus genomic intervals), which are particularly valuable for marker-assisted breeding
deployment, (iii) assist the QTL cloning process and facilitate the integration of candidate genes and
superior alleles into biological and biotechnological applications.
Dr. Silvia Vezzulli, Dr. Laura Costantini
Fondazione Edmund Mach, Italy
(Abstract from Grapedia Annual Meeting, 11-13 September 2023, Valencia, Spain)
OUR INTENTION
To create a team of motivated experts who can contribute, in different ways and steps, to this ambitious goal.
For this reason, we organized the First Grapevine QTL hackathon on the 19th October 2023 at the University of Verona, Italy. All participants were European, including a member from Israel.
In Verona, we presented the initiative, shared the approach, defined the milestones (including a first publication), and started working on QTL data extraction from scientific papers.
We also defined the Working Groups, with relative leaders, for QTL-related data curation (see attached file). We are sure you will be able to match yourself with at least one of these Working Groups.
If you wish for further info, you are welcome to join the Google Group mailing list grapevine-qtl@fmach.it or contact grapedia(at)grapedia.org stating your wish to be part of the Grapevine QTL effort.
A Grapevine-QTL frontend application has recently been developed for data uploading.
