Associations of genes encoding allozymes peroxidase and superoxide dismutase in poplar and spruce species

Isozymes of peroxidase (PER) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) were analyzed in vegetative buds or very young leaves of seven species and two interspecific hybrids of Populus, in progenies of seven controlled crosses of three Populus species, and in needles of five Picea species and one putative hybrid. One to three PER, and one or two SOD zones of activity were observed. Electrophoretic mobility (EM) and banding phenotypes of isozymes of one PER locus were identical to those of one SOD locus in vegetative buds of five Populus species and hybrid. In leaves of the four Populus species and hybrid and progenies of controlled crosses, EM and phenotypes of isozymes of two PER loci were identical to those of two SOD loci. In Picea species, EM of isozymes of the only SOD locus was somewhat similar but not identical to that of one PER locus, and isozyme phenotypes of all individuals at the SOD locus were not identical to those at a PER locus. Chi-square tests verified the single-gene Mendelian control of the segregating allozyme variants at each of Per-L1 and Sod-1 in the three Populus species. The results of joint two-locus segregation tests indicated a very tight linkage and no recombination between Per-L1 and Sod-1 in three Populus species. Genes coding for isozymes of one or two PER loci are either presumably the same as, or very tightly linked to, the genes coding for isozymes of one or two SOD loci in the Populus species.