Plant & Animal Genomes XII Conference

January 10-14, 2004
Town & Country Convention Center
San Diego, CA

Workshop: Forage & Turf Plants
          

SEQUENCE DIVERSITY OF STRESS ASSOCIATED GENES IN Lolium perenne

¹ Plant Biotechnology Centre, Primary Industries Research Victoria, Department of Primary Industries, La Trobe University, Bundoora, Victoria 3086, Australia

² Victorian Bioinformatics Consortium, Plant Biotechnology Centre, La Trobe University, Bundoora, Victoria 3086, Australia

Advances in molecular marker technology now permit a targeted approach to the detection of nucleotide diversity in genes controlling quantitative traits in plant populations. An understanding of these gene variants may be directly applied to breeding programs. To date 14,767 ryegrass unigenes, from ESTs generated from multiple genotypes, have been defined and annotated with putative functions. Genes with predicted biochemical and physiological functions associated with biotic and abiotic stress, including saline stress tolerance and plant defence have been mapped as EST-SNPs (Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms). These candidate gene-based markers are of high value for linkage disequilibrium (LD) studies in pasture species. The sequence diversity of these genes in diverse genotypes of Lolium perenne is currently being assessed and will identify levels of nucleotide diversity, haplotype structure and extent of LD estimated within over 100 candidate genes. Representative results will be presented. This will include the association of gene class with SNP frequency, positions of SNPs within the genes, synonymity of SNPs and SNP variant. The merits of current methods for assessing SNP diversity within multigene families will be discussed.