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Title: Generation and release of molecular markers for Poa Arachnifera Torr

Author
item Kindiger, Bryan
item CONLEY, TERRY - Cameron University
item CAI, HONGWEI - Japan Grassland Agriculture And Forage Seed Association

Submitted to: Grassland Science
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 5/12/2013
Publication Date: 7/21/2013
Citation: Kindiger, B.K., Conley, T., Cai, H. 2013. Generation and release of molecular markers for Poa Arachnifera Torr. Grassland Science. 59(3)160-165.

Interpretive Summary: The development and implementation of molecular marker based systems for marker assisted improvement in grass forages has lagged behind the rapid development of molecular markers for cereal grass species such as wheat, corn, rice, sorghum, etc. This is due primarily to the high cost and the time-consuming nature of marker development and the lack of emphasis placed on non-food grasses primarily utilized as livestock forage. If such molecular markers were available, they could have a direct and immediate application in grass forage studies similar to those applications used in advancing breeding improvements in human-food based cereal grass species. The development of molecular markers for species of bluegrass could provide a multitude of breeding and selection enhancements for bluegrass forage and turf. This research presents 39 new molecular markers that have wide utility across a variety of bluegrass species. The availability of these markers will allow for DNA fingerprinting, cultivar identification and marker-assisted-selection studies. The results of this study will be of value to researchers working with bluegrass.

Technical Abstract: DNA based molecular markers can be utilized in a wide array of plant genetic studies, marker-trait associations, seed purity evaluations and cultivar protection. However, for the genus Poa, the use of molecular markers is limited by the current lack of informative DNA based markers. This report represents the final development and release of an additional thirty-nine molecular markers, all derived from an unenriched Poa arachnifera Torrey (Texas bluegrass) genomic library. The newly released include markers generated from genomic microsatellite regions, tandem repeats, palindromes and regions exhibiting low complexity generated from the P. arachnifera library. Many of the primer pairs used to amplify the markers were observed to be effective when amplified across six additional Poa species. The availability of these new and informative markers should provide Poa breeders and geneticists with additional tools for breeding and genetic research.