title: Association genetics of phenolic needle compounds in Norway spruce with variable susceptibility to needle bladder rust.
abstract: Accumulation of phenolic needle metabolites in Norway spruce is regulated by many genes with small and additive effects and is correlated with the susceptibility against fungal attack. Norway spruce accumulates high foliar concentrations of secondary phenolic metabolites, with important functions for pathogen defence responses. However, the molecular genetic basis underlying the quantitative variation of phenolic compounds and their role in enhanced resistance of spruce to infection by needle bladder rust are unknown. To address these questions, a set of 1035 genome-wide single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) was associated to the quantitative variation of four simple phenylpropanoids, eight stilbenes, nine flavonoids, six related arithmetic parameters and the susceptibility to infection by Chrysomyxa rhododendri in an unstructured natural population of Norway spruce. Thirty-one significant genetic associations for the flavonoids gallocatechin, kaempferol 3-glucoside and quercetin 3-glucoside and the stilbenes resveratrol, piceatannol, astringin and isorhapontin were discovered, explaining 22-59% of phenotypic variation, and indicating a regulation of phenolic accumulation by many genes with small and additive effects. The phenolics profile differed between trees with high and low susceptibility to the fungus, underlining the importance of phenolic compounds in the defence mechanisms of Norway spruce to C. rhododendri. Results highlight the utility of association studies in non-model tree species and may enable marker-assisted selection of Norway spruce adapted to severe pathogen attack.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Botany, University of Innsbruck, Sternwartestrasse 15, 6020, Innsbruck, Austria. andrea.ganthaler@uibk.ac.at.|alpS - Centre for Climate Change Adaptation, Grabenweg 68, 6020, Innsbruck, Austria. andrea.ganthaler@uibk.ac.at.
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-8670-6199
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ganthaler
authors.affiliation: Institute of Botany, University of Innsbruck, Sternwartestrasse 15, 6020, Innsbruck, Austria.
authors.forename: Wolfgang
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Stöggl
authors.affiliation: Institute of Botany, University of Innsbruck, Sternwartestrasse 15, 6020, Innsbruck, Austria.
authors.forename: Stefan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mayr
authors.affiliation: Institute of Botany, University of Innsbruck, Sternwartestrasse 15, 6020, Innsbruck, Austria.
authors.forename: Ilse
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Kranner
authors.affiliation: Department of Forest Genetics, Federal Research and Training Centre for Forests, Natural Hazards and Landscapes (BFW), Seckendorff-Gudent-Weg 8, 1131, Vienna, Austria.
authors.forename: Silvio
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Schüler
authors.affiliation: Health and Environment Department, AIT Austrian Institute of Technology GmbH, Konrad-Lorenz-Strasse 24, 3430, Tulln, Austria.
authors.forename: Elisabeth
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Wischnitzki
authors.affiliation: Health and Environment Department, AIT Austrian Institute of Technology GmbH, Konrad-Lorenz-Strasse 24, 3430, Tulln, Austria.
authors.forename: Eva Maria
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Sehr
authors.affiliation: Health and Environment Department, AIT Austrian Institute of Technology GmbH, Konrad-Lorenz-Strasse 24, 3430, Tulln, Austria.
authors.forename: Silvia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Fluch
authors.affiliation: Department of Forest Genetics, Federal Research and Training Centre for Forests, Natural Hazards and Landscapes (BFW), Seckendorff-Gudent-Weg 8, 1131, Vienna, Austria.
authors.forename: Carlos
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Trujillo-Moya
mesh_terms: D001317:Austria; D001487:Basidiomycota; D016000:Cluster Analysis; D003710:Demography; D005819:Genetic Markers; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease; D005838:Genotype; D010636:Phenols / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D028222:Picea / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology*; D010935:Plant Diseases / Q000235:genetics / Q000382:microbiology*; D018515:Plant Leaves / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D020641:Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide
chemical_list: D005819:Genetic Markers; D010636:Phenols
keywords: Association genetics; Pathogen defence; Phenolic metabolites; Picea abies; Resistance; Single nucleotide polymorphisms