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Mapping quantitative trait loci for growth and wood property traits in Cryptomeria japonica across multiple environments

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Abstract

Genomic regions which affected tree growth and wood property traits were investigated in the major plantation tree of Japan, Cryptomeria japonica, in three replicated common garden experiments planted in contrasting environments in Kyushu and Honshu, Japan. Phenotypic traits measured were stem diameter at breast height, tree height, wood strength (Young’s modulus), heartwood density, sapwood density, heartwood moisture content, and sapwood moisture content. Quantitative trait locus (QTL) analysis identified an average of 53 QTLs across the three environments. There were two QTLs which affected the same traits across all three environments. These stable QTLs were identified as being associated with sapwood density and Young’s modulus and explained 3.5–11.3% and 2.1–18.7% of the total genotypic variation, respectively. In contrast, the majority of QTLs detected were unique to only one environment, a finding which is consistent with QTL mapping studies of other forest trees, indicating a substantial contribution of environmental effects on the mapping progenies. Nonetheless, the two stable QTLs identified in this study could be important genomic regions to target for further research aimed at maximizing breeding efficiency and wood quality of C. japonica across wide environmental gradients.

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Acknowledgements

The authors thank Y. Komatsu and M. Kawasaki for technical assistance, and T. Takata, K. Ogata, S. Kobayashi, K. Arai, K. Nemoto, and M. Sugiyama for the maintenance of research materials. We also thank Dr. H. Iwata for his helpful advices regarding the data analyses, Dr. J. Worth for revising the manuscript, and Dr. K. Nanko for his comments on climate data of the study sites. This study was supported by the Research Grant #201421 of the Forestry and Forest Products Research Institute.

Data archiving statement

The information about all markers used for this study has been registered in DDBJ. Marker/position information from the linkage map are submitted to TreeGenes Database.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Forestry and Forest Products Research Institute, 1 Matsunosato, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, 305-8687, Japan

    Hideki Mori, Saneyoshi Ueno, Tokuko Ujino-Ihara, Kana Yamashita, Asako Matsumoto, Kentaro Uchiyama, Takahiro Yoshida & Yoshihiko Tsumura

  2. Forest Bio-Research Center, Forestry and Forest Products Research Institute, 3809-1 Ishi, Juo, Hitachi, Ibaraki, 319-1301, Japan

    Takeshi Fujiwara

  3. Kyushu Research Center, Forestry and Forest Products Research Institute, 4-11-16 Kurokami, Chuo, Kumamoto, Kumamoto, 860-0862, Japan

    Seiichi Kanetani & Yoshimi Sakai

  4. Forestry Research Institute, Chiba Prefectural Agriculture and Forestry Research Center, 1887-1 Haniya, Sammu, Chiba, 289-1223, Japan

    Ryota Endo

  5. Kumamoto Prefecture Forestry Research Center, 8-222-2 Kurokami Chuo, Kumamoto, 860-0862, Japan

    Yukari Matsui & Ryouichi Kusano

  6. Graduate School of Science and Technology, Niigata University, 8050, Ikarashi 2-no-cho, Nishi-ku, Niigata, 950-2181, Japan

    Yoshinari Moriguchi

  7. Faculty of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Tsukuba, 1-1-1 Tennodai, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, 305-8572, Japan

    Yoshihiko Tsumura

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  1. Hideki Mori
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  2. Saneyoshi Ueno
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Correspondence to Asako Matsumoto.

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Fig. S1

Climatic conditions in the three sites during the experimental years (2005-2017); a) Mean annual precipitation and temperature. b) Monthly variation of precipitation and temperature. (PPTX 850 kb)

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Mori, H., Ueno, S., Ujino-Ihara, T. et al. Mapping quantitative trait loci for growth and wood property traits in Cryptomeria japonica across multiple environments. Tree Genetics & Genomes 15, 43 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11295-019-1346-5

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