Plant & Animal Genome IX Conference

Workshop: Forest Tree Genome Mapping
W26_02.html

FINGERPRINTING AND MAPPING EUCALYPTUS WITH LARGE BATTERIES

¹ EMBRAPA-CENARGEN SAIN Parque Rural CP 02372 Brasilia DF 70770-970 BRAZIL

² RAIZ - Instituto de Investigação da Floresta e Papel, P.O. Box 15, 2065 Alcoentre, Portugal

³ California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection - 1234 E. Shaw Avenue Fresno, CA 93710 USA

⁴ CSIRO Forestry and Forest Products - PO Box E4008 Kingston ACT 2604 Australia

⁵ Universidade Catolica de Brasilia - Grad. Prog. Biotechnology SGAN 916 modulo B 70790-160 BRASILIA DF BRAZIL

We have been developing, characterizing, mapping and using a large number of microsatellite markers in species of Eucalyptus. These highly informative markers have become fundamental to fully exploit the potential of molecular breeding and genomic approaches in the genus. Results will be presented on our extensive use of fluorescence based multiplex systems for fingerprinting, forensic investigation and parentage testing in natural, breeding and production populations. To date we have developed over 500 EMBRA microsatellite markers. We have constructed an integrated reference linkage map with over 240 microsatellite markers of which a subset of 100, designated as anchor loci, were characterized for polymorphism information content. An integrated map was generated using the Windows-based package OUTMAP which has been specially developed for outbred species by CSIRO, Australia and the University of California, Berkeley. Around 80 to 90% of all SSRs are transferable and polymorphic in the six most widely planted species. Maps for E. tereticornis, E. globulus, E. grandis and E. urophylla were preliminarily aligned and QTLs for vegetative propagation validated by their location on homeologous linkage groups. The concept of a genus wide map is therefore realistic. It opens enormous possibilities of integrating QTL data from independent experiments, understanding and implementing a directed search for allelic variation at known QTLs among species, therefore expanding the opportunities for marker assisted introgression and selection in hybrid breeding. Finally, mapped microsatellites will also allow the localization of candidate genes for QTLs through the linking of genetic maps to EST rich physical maps.