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Genetics Research (2003), 81: 51-64 Cambridge University Press
Copyright © 2003 Cambridge University Press
doi:10.1017/S0016672302005980
Published online by Cambridge University Press 10Mar2003

Quantitative trait loci for growth trajectories in Populus

RONGLING WU a1c1, CHANG-XING MA a1, MARK C. K. YANG a1, MYRON CHANG a1, RAMON C. LITTELL a1, UPASANA SANTRA a1, SAMUEL S. WU a1, TONGMING YIN a2, MINREN HUANG a2, MINXIU WANG a2 and GEORGE CASELLA a1
a1 Department of Statistics, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
a2 The Key National Laboratory of Forest Genetics and Gene Engineering, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing, Jinagsu 210037 People's Republic of China

Abstract

Growth trajectories are a biological process important to plant and animal breeding, and to evolutionary genetic studies. In this article, we report the detection of quantitative trait loci (QTLs) responsible for growth trajectories in poplars that are used as a model system for the study of forest biology. These QTLs were localized on a genetic linkage map of polymorphic markers using a statistical mapping method incorporating growth-curve models. The effects of the QTLs on growth are described as a function of age, so that age-specific changes in QTL effects can be readily projected throughout the entire growth process. The QTLs identified display increased effects on growth when trees age, yet the timing of QTL activation is earlier for stem height than diameter, which is consistent with the ecological viewpoint of canopy competition. The implications of the results for breeding and silviculture are discussed.

(Received June 25 2002)
(Revised September 16 2002)


Correspondence:
c1 Tel: +1 352 392 3806. Fax: +1 352 392 8555. e-mail: rwu@stat.ufl.edu

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