Quantitative trait loci for foliar terpenes in a global eucalypt species

• Published in: Tree genetics & genomes Vol. 7; no. 3; pp. 485 - 498
• Main Authors: O'Reilly-Wapstra, Julianne M, Freeman, Jules S, Davies, Noel W, Vaillancourt, René E, Fitzgerald, Hugh, Potts, Brad M
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Berlin/Heidelberg Berlin/Heidelberg : Springer-Verlag 01.06.2011; Springer-Verlag; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Biomedical and Life Sciences; Biotechnology; Eucalyptus globulus; Eucalyptus nitens; Flowers & plants; forest trees; Forestry; Forests; Genomes; Herbivores; Life Sciences; Metabolites; monoterpenoids; Original Paper; Plant Breeding/Biotechnology; Plant Genetics and Genomics; Quantitative genetics; quantitative trait loci; secondary metabolites; sesquiterpenoids; Tree Biology; Trees; Australia; Plant secondary metabolites; QTL; Genetic variation; Terpenoids
• ISSN: 1614-2942; 1614-2950
• DOI: 10.1007/s11295-010-0350-6

Terpenes are a diverse group of plant secondary metabolites that mediate a plethora of ecological interactions in many plant species. Despite increasing research into the genetic control of important adaptive traits in some plant species, the genetic control of terpenes in forest tree species is still relatively poorly studied. In this study, we use quantitative genetic and quantitative trait loci (QTL) analysis to investigate the genetic control of foliar terpenes in an ecologically and commercially important eucalypt species, Eucalyptus globulus. We show a moderate to high within-family broad-sense heritability and significant genetic basis to the variation in 14 of the 16 terpenes assayed. This is the first report of QTL for terpenes in this species. Eleven QTL influenced the terpenes overall. One QTL on linkage group 6 affected six of the seven different sesquiterpenes assayed (plus one monoterpene), which, in combination with highly significant correlations between these compounds, argues that their variation is influenced by a QTL with pleiotropic effect early in the biosynthetic pathway. We examine the homology of these QTL to those found in a closely related eucalypt, Eucalyptus nitens, and provide evidence that both common and unique QTL influence terpene levels.