title: Genetic variability and heritability of chlorophyll a fluorescence parameters in Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.).
abstract: Current knowledge of the genetic mechanisms underlying the inheritance of photosynthetic activity in forest trees is generally limited, yet it is essential both for various practical forestry purposes and for better understanding of broader evolutionary mechanisms. In this study, we investigated genetic variation underlying selected chlorophyll a fluorescence (ChlF) parameters in structured populations of Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) grown on two sites under non-stress conditions. These parameters were derived from the OJIP part of the ChlF kinetics curve and characterize individual parts of primary photosynthetic processes associated, for example, with the exciton trapping by light-harvesting antennae, energy utilization in photosystem II (PSII) reaction centers (RCs) and its transfer further down the photosynthetic electron-transport chain. An additive relationship matrix was estimated based on pedigree reconstruction, utilizing a set of highly polymorphic single sequence repeat markers. Variance decomposition was conducted using the animal genetic evaluation mixed-linear model. The majority of ChlF parameters in the analyzed pine populations showed significant additive genetic variation. Statistically significant heritability estimates were obtained for most ChlF indices, with the exception of DI0/RC, φD0 and φP0 (Fv/Fm) parameters. Estimated heritabilities varied around the value of 0.15 with the maximal value of 0.23 in the ET0/RC parameter, which indicates electron-transport flux from QA to QB per PSII RC. No significant correlation was found between these indices and selected growth traits. Moreover, no genotype × environment interaction (G × E) was detected, i.e., no differences in genotypes' performance between sites. The absence of significant G × E in our study is interesting, given the relatively low heritability found for the majority of parameters analyzed. Therefore, we infer that polygenic variability of these indices is selectively neutral.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Forestry and Wood Sciences, Czech University of Life Sciences, Kamýcká 1176, 165 21 Praha 6 - Suchdol, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: Jaroslav
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Čepl
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Science, Charles University in Prague, Viničná 5, 128 43 Praha 2 - Nové Město, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: Dana
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Holá
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Forestry and Wood Sciences, Czech University of Life Sciences, Kamýcká 1176, 165 21 Praha 6 - Suchdol, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: Jan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Stejskal
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Forestry and Wood Sciences, Czech University of Life Sciences, Kamýcká 1176, 165 21 Praha 6 - Suchdol, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: Jiří
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Korecký
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Science, Charles University in Prague, Viničná 5, 128 43 Praha 2 - Nové Město, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: Marie
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kočová
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Science, Charles University in Prague, Viničná 5, 128 43 Praha 2 - Nové Město, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: Zuzana
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Lhotáková
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Forestry and Wood Sciences, Czech University of Life Sciences, Kamýcká 1176, 165 21 Praha 6 - Suchdol, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: Ivana
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Tomášková
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Science, Charles University in Prague, Viničná 5, 128 43 Praha 2 - Nové Město, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: Markéta
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Palovská
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Science, Charles University in Prague, Viničná 5, 128 43 Praha 2 - Nové Město, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: Olga
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Rothová
authors.affiliation: Department of Forestry & Environmental Resources, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695-8008, USA.
authors.forename: Ross W
authors.initials: RW
authors.lastname: Whetten
authors.affiliation: Arboretum Sofronka, Plaská 877, 323 00 Plzeň-Bolevec, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: Jan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kaňák
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Science, Charles University in Prague, Viničná 5, 128 43 Praha 2 - Nové Město, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: Jana
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Albrechtová
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Forestry and Wood Sciences, Czech University of Life Sciences, Kamýcká 1176, 165 21 Praha 6 - Suchdol, Czech Republic lstiburek@fld.czu.cz.
authors.forename: Milan
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lstibůrek
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002734:Chlorophyll / Q000502:physiology*; D000077194:Chlorophyll A; D004579:Electron Transport; D005453:Fluorescence; D065928:Forests; D017343:Genes, Plant; D014644:Genetic Variation; D005838:Genotype; D008027:Light; D010788:Photosynthesis / Q000235:genetics*; D045322:Photosynthetic Reaction Center Complex Proteins / Q000502:physiology*; D045332:Photosystem II Protein Complex / Q000502:physiology; D041605:Pinus sylvestris / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology; D019655:Quantitative Trait, Heritable; D014197:Trees / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D045322:Photosynthetic Reaction Center Complex Proteins; D045332:Photosystem II Protein Complex; D002734:Chlorophyll; D000077194:Chlorophyll A
keywords: OJIP transient; pedigree reconstruction; photosynthesis