Background and Objective

Both genera of the family Salicaceae, Salix and Populus, are dioecious woody angiosperms. The aim of this research is to develop molecular marker for male and female plants of aspen (Populus tremula). Such markers are useful for population dynamic and –genetic questions on  the one hand. On the other hand is it important to know the gender of gene technologically modified poplar plants which are tested in large field trials.

Approach

In the investigations parents as well as the descendants of crosses between European (Populus tremula L.) and American (Populus tremuloides Michx.) aspen are used. In the mean time the progenies have reached the generative phase, thus gender determination on basis of flowers is feasible. The poplar genome is investigated using the AFLP-technique. Parents and descendants were first investigated and screened in a “bulk segregant analysis” and then individually analysed using more than 200 different enzyme-primer combinations. Nine different DNA fragments were identified co-segregating with the gender of the descendants. Three of the fragments were cloned and sequenced. Comparisons with sequences in data banks reveal sequence similarity with an EST fragment from cDNA libraries generated from poplar flowers.

Results

In the investigations parents as well as the descendants of crosses between European (Populus tremula L.) and American (Populus tremuloides Michx.) aspen are used. In the mean time the progenies have reached the generative phase, thus gender determination on basis of flowers is feasible. The poplar genome is investigated using the AFLP-technique. Parents and descendants were first investigated and screened in a -bulk segregant analysis- and then individually analysed using more than 200 differen