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ARS Home » Northeast Area » Washington, D.C. » National Arboretum » Floral and Nursery Plants Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #363126
Research Project: Systematics, Nomenclature, and Genetic Diversity of Priority Genera of Woody Landscape Plants

Location: Floral and Nursery Plants Research

Title: Genomic identity of white oak species in the eastern North American syngameon

Author
item HIPP, ANDREW - Morton Arboretum
item Whittemore, Alan
item GARNER, MIRA - Morton Arboretum
item HAHN, MARLENE - Morton Arboretum
item FITZEK, ELISABETH - Bielefeld University
item GUICHOUX, ERWAN - University Of Bordeaux
item CAVENDER-BARES, JEANNINE - University Of Minnesota
item GUGGER, PAUL - University Of Maryland Center For Environmental Science
item MANOS, PAUL - Duke University
item PEARSE, IAN - Us Geological Survey, Fort Collins Science Center
item CANNON, CHARLES - Morton Arboretum

Submitted to: Annals of the Missouri Botanical Garden
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 7/18/2019
Publication Date: 9/5/2019
Citation: Hipp, A.L., Whittemore, A.T., Garner, M., Hahn, M., Fitzek, E., Guichoux, E., Cavender-Bares, J., Gugger, P.F., Manos, P.S., Pearse, I.S., Cannon, C.H. 2019. Genomic identity of white oak species in the eastern North American syngameon. Annals of the Missouri Botanical Garden. 104:455-477.

Interpretive Summary: Natural hybridization among species results in the transfer, or introgression, of genes from one species to another, which can make it difficult to develop effective genetic markers for characterizing species and tracking the ancestry of plants in breeding and selection programs. A study led by scientists at the Morton Arboretum revealed that a set of 80 genetic markers were useful in white oak species to distinguish species, despite introgression of genes caused by natural hybridizations. This suggests that natural introgressive hybridization has its main effect on only some parts of the genome, while other genomic regions show little effect even in groups with a history of natural hybridization. Genetic markers with these characteristics are especially useful for distinguishing the species and tracing the ancestry of hybrids in research and breeding projects.

Technical Abstract: Genetic homogenization due to natural introgressive hybridization among species can make it difficult to develop effective genetic markers for characterizing species and tracking the ancestry of plants in breeding and selection programs. A set of 80 radSeq markers, selected in a previous small study for their ability to distinguish the parental species in hybrid situations, was examined for a large sample (184 individuals representing seven species of white oak) in order to see whether they show high fidelity to the species, despite the known history of natural introgressive hybridization among these species. These markers were indeed characteristic for the species and show little influence of natural introgression. This suggests that natural introgressive hybridization has its main effect on only some parts of the genome, while other genomic regions show little effect even in groups with a history of natural hybridization. Genetic markers developed from these genomic regions are especially useful for characterizing the species in research and breeding projects.