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Comparative mapping among subsection Australes (genus Pinus, family Pinaceae)
Mervyn Shepherd1, Claire G Williams
1CRC Centre for Sustainable Production Forestry, Centre for Plant Conservation Genetics, Southern Cross University, Lismore, NSW, Australia. mervyn.shepherd@scu.edu.au
Genome
|April 29, 2008
Summary
Comparative mapping revealed small genomic disruptions between closely related pine species. These findings help explain the evolutionary history and speciation of the Pinus subsection Australes.
Area of Science:
- Genomics
- Evolutionary Biology
- Plant Science
Background:
- Comparative mapping in conifers is underexplored for detecting small-scale genomic changes.
- The Pinus subsection Australes presents phylogenetic challenges, necessitating detailed genomic investigation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To apply comparative mapping to identify small-scale genomic disruptions between closely related conifer taxa.
- To investigate speciation mechanisms within the problematic Pinus subsection Australes.
Main Methods:
- Construction of genetic maps for two allopatric Australes pine species (P. elliottii var. elliottii and P. caribaea var. hondurensis) using microsatellites.
- Generation of a third genetic map directly from an F1 hybrid's meiotic products, bypassing the need for an F2 generation.
Main Results:
- Detection of numerous small-scale genomic disruptions, including map shrinkage, a paracentric inversion, and transmission ratio distortion.
- Identification of mild selection against a parental haplotype, indicating cryptic genomic divergence.
Conclusions:
- Small-scale genomic disruptions are significant factors in the divergence of closely related, interfertile pine species.
- Comparative mapping provides insights into the evolutionary history and speciation of the Pinus subsection Australes.
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