Plant & Animal Genome VI Conference Plant & Animal Genome VI Conference
P9
Forestry Research Institute, Oji Paper Co. Ltd., 24-9 Nobono, Kameyama, Mie, Japan, 519-02
The genus Acacia is one of tropical woody plants. In south-east Asia, this is popular species for economical plantation. Since 1993, we have proceeded to development of plantation fields and selection of elite trees in south Viet Nam. Target traits for selection of elite trees are growth, stem form, resistance for several environmental stresses. Especially, stem form of acacia species is not usually straight in comparison with those of other tropical woody plants. In our plantation field of south Viet Nam, we found several elite trees that have straight stem form, and a specific tree that have very multiple stem (named forky). To screening of selection markers for the straight stem form, these acacia trees were analyzed by the RAPD analysis with about 300 random primers. In this analysis, we found several polymorphic RAPD markers for the straight and the forky, respectively. We sequenced these polymorphic DNA for conversion into STS markers. One of sequence data was shown a long open reading flame. We cloned the genome region involved this ORF, and sequenced this. Our results were shown integration of the ORF within a copia-like retrotransposon sequence. A deduced protein derived from the ORF by is highly homologous with the chicken olfactory receptor-like protein by the BLAST research. A deduced protein sequence derived from the copia-like retrotransposon is also highly homologous with a copia protein. We expect that such a finding will provide tools for future investigations of the molecular mechanisms which control biologically and economically important physiological processes of woody plants. Data from these and future experiments will be presented.