SNP discovery and association mapping in Eucalyptus pilularis (blackbutt)

Background This research explores the universality of genetic variation in genes controlling wood formation across the genus Eucalyptus. Breeding and deploying Eucalypts for improved wood quality is constrained by the delay before wood traits can be measured reliably. Marker assisted selection (MAS) offers a way to make earlier selection of wood properties, by selecting Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms (SNPs) in the DNA which can predict specific phenotypic traits (genotype-phenotype links). SNPs shared between species (trans-specific SNPs) may have broad application to multiple species. When the species are more distantly related, ancient SNPs shared between subgenera (trans-subgeneric SNPs) are likely to be of adaptive importance and persist in separate lineages due to balancing selection [1].