Plant, Animal & Microbe Genomes X Conference

January 12-16, 2002
Town & Country Convention Center
San Diego, CA

Poster: Forest Trees
            

SINGLE NUCLEOTIDE POLYMORPHISMS AT CANDIDATE GENE LOCI FOR WOOD QUALITY TRAITS IN LOBLOLLY PINE (Pinus taeda L.)

¹ Environmental Horticulture, University of California, Davis, CA 95616 USA

² Weyerhaeuser Company, Western Forest Research Center, Centralia, WA 98531 USA

³ Institute of Forest Genetics, USDA Forest Service, Davis CA 95616 USA

Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) are the most abundant type of DNA variation and hold great promise as genetic markers for mapping quantitative trait loci in natural populations. Our laboratory has initiated such an association study within a sampling of approximately 450 unrelated loblolly pine trees. More than 50,000 EST sequences from a variety of loblolly pine tissues have been generated as part of National Science Foundation-funded research investigating the genetic basis of wood formation. EST libraries were derived from multiple genotypes which allows SNP detection in silico. Haplotype classes, defined by a series of SNPs, are revealed by DNA sequencing of fragments amplified from candidate genes for wood specific gravity, microfibril angle, and a host of chemical wood properties using 32 unrelated haploid megagametophytes. Significant differences in phenotypic means among candidate gene haplotype classes (or among single marker genotype classes) should identify candidate gene alleles with the greatest effect on wood property traits, and will be of great interest to tree breeders. Progress to date will be presented.