Use of isoenzyme techniques in forest genetics research

Abstract

Genetic variation among loblolly pine (Pinus taeda L.) samples from a natural stand and among clones in seed orchards was analyzed using simply inherited isozyme markers. Alleles for eleven enzyme loci were found useful for genotyping trees in a natural stand in North Carolina. The pines were highly variable with as many as seven alleles per isozyme gene. On the average, close to 30 percent of the loci per tree were heterozygous. Similar levels of variability and heterozygosity were found /among the clones in two seed orchards. Such variability makes it possible to uniquely identify most, if not all, of the clones in a seed orchard. Additional genes and other southern pine species are suited for similar analyses. A study with 15 different enzyme systems and samples from six species; loblolly, shortleaf, slash, pond, longleaf, and Virginia pines, suggested that as many as 26 different loci may be available for analysis and most loci appear to be similar for these species.

Citation

Conkle, M. Thompson; Adams, W. T. 1977. Use of isoenzyme techniques in forest genetics research. In: Proc. of the Fourteenth Southern Forest Tree Improvement Conference, Gainesville, Florida, June 14-16, 1977: p. 219-226