Mapping the genetic architecture of developmental modularity in ornamental plants

Developmental modularity, i.e., coherent organization and function of developmentally related traits, is an emergent property of organismic development and evolution. However, knowledge about how modular variation and evolution are driven genetically is still limited. Here, using ornamental plants as an example, we propose a computational framework to map, visualize and annotate the genetic architecture of trait modularity by integrating modularity theory into system mapping, a statistical model for multifaceted genetic mapping of complex traits. A developmental module can be viewed as an ecosystem, in which the constituting components compete for space and resources or cooperate symbiotically to organize its function and behavior. This interactive process is quantified by mathematical models and evolutionarily interpreted by game theory. The proposed framework can test whether and how genes regulate the coordination of different but interconnected traits through their competition or cooperation to downstream developmental modularity.