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Studying Whole-Genome Duplication Using Experimental Evolution of Spirodela polyrhiza
Tian Wu1,2, Annelore Natran1,2, Lucas Prost1,2,3
1Department of Plant Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium.
Abstract:
In this chapter, we present the use of Spirodela polyrhiza in experiments designed to study the evolutionary impact of whole-genome duplication (WGD). We shortly introduce this duckweed species and explain why it is a suitable model for experimental evolution. Subsequently, we discuss the most relevant steps and methods in the design of a ploidy-related duckweed experiment. These steps include strain selection, ploidy determination, different methods of making polyploid duckweeds, replication, culturing conditions, preservation, and the ways to quantify phenotypic and transcriptomic change.
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