Eucalyptus applied genomics: from gene sequences to breeding tools.
Eucalyptus is the most widely planted hardwood crop in the tropical and subtropical world because of its superior growth, broad adaptability and multipurpose wood properties. Plantation forestry of Eucalyptus supplies high-quality woody biomass for several industrial applications while reducing the pressure on tropical forests and associated biodiversity. This review links current eucalypt breeding practices with existing and emerging genomic tools. A brief discussion provides a background to modern eucalypt breeding together with some current applications of molecular markers in support of operational breeding. Quantitative trait locus (QTL) mapping and genetical genomics are reviewed and an in-depth perspective is provided on the power of association genetics to dissect quantitative variation in this highly diverse organism. Finally, some challenges and opportunities to integrate genomic information into directional selective breeding are discussed in light of the upcoming draft of the Eucalyptus grandis genome. Given the extraordinary genetic variation that exists in the genus Eucalyptus, the ingenuity of most breeders, and the powerful genomic tools that have become available, the prospects of applied genomics in Eucalyptus forest production are encouraging.
Plant Genetics Laboratory, Embrapa - Genetic Resources and Biotechnology, Parque Estação Biológica, Brasília 70770-970 DF, Brazil.|Graduate Program in Genomic Sciences and Biotechnology, Universidade Católica de Brasília - SGAN 916 módulo B, Brasília 70790-160 DF, Brazil.
Dario
D
Grattapaglia
School of Forest Resources and Conservation, Graduate Program in Plant Molecular and Cellular Biology, and University of Florida Genetics Institute, University of Florida, PO Box 110410, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA.
Matias
M
Kirst
D001947:Breeding / Q000379:methods*; D002874:Chromosome Mapping; D005052:Eucalyptus / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology; D005818:Genetic Engineering; D005819:Genetic Markers; D014644:Genetic Variation; D018745:Genome, Plant; D023281:Genomics; D015810:Linkage Disequilibrium; D020641:Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide; D040641:Quantitative Trait Loci
D005819:Genetic Markers