Genetic markers identify duplicates in Nordic potato collections.

Introduction: The first small scale cultivation of potatoes in the Nordic countries began roughly 300 years ago, and later became an important staple food in the region. Organized conservation efforts began in the 1980s, and today, potato landraces, improved varieties, and breeding lines are conserved in genebanks at the Nordic Genetic Resource Center (NordGen), Sweden, and the Norwegian Genetic Resource Centre (NGS), Norway, as well as at potato breeding companies across Nordic countries. All these collections house a diverse array of genotypes with local names and local growing histories from the whole region.

Including marker x environment interactions improves genomic prediction in red clover ( L.).

Genomic prediction has mostly been used in single environment contexts, largely ignoring genotype x environment interaction, which greatly affects the performance of plants. However, in the last decade, prediction models including marker x environment (MxE) interaction have been developed. We evaluated the potential of genomic prediction in red clover ( L.

Complementary Analysis and Implementation Plan for Conservation of Crop Wild Relatives in Finland.

Crop wild relatives (CWR) are valuable wild plant species that can be used as genetic resources providing adaptive traits to crop plants and therefore they play an important role in future food security. This paper describes in situ and ex situ conservation planning of CWR species in Finland and includes the following parts: (a) drafting of the national CWR priority list, (b) undertaking the in situ conservation gap analysis and (c) identifying ex situ conservation gaps and multi-species collecting sites for the CWR in Finland. As a result of the study, essential information was acquired, which will enhance future planning of active science-based practical conservation of CWR in Finland.

Limited genetic changes observed during and conservation in Nordic populations of red clover ().

Introduction: and conservation are the two main approaches for preserving genetic diversity. The advantages and disadvantages of the two approaches have been discussed but their genetic effects have not been fully evaluated.

Methods: In this study we investigate the effects of the two conservation approaches on genetic diversity in red clover.

Multi-location trials and population-based genotyping reveal high diversity and adaptation to breeding environments in a large collection of red clover.

Red clover ( L.) is an outcrossing forage legume that has adapted to a wide range of climatic and growing conditions across Europe. Red clover is valued for its high yield potential and its forage quality.

SNP Markers and Evaluation of Duplicate Holdings of in Two European Genebanks.

Around the world, there are more than 1500 genebanks storing plant genetic resources to be used in breeding and research. Such resources are essential for future food security, but many genebanks experience backlogs in their conservation work, often combined with limited budgets. Therefore, avoiding duplicate holdings is on the agenda.

Acid hydrolysis of cellulosic fibres: Comparison of bleached kraft pulp, dissolving pulps and cotton textile cellulose.

The behaviour of different cellulosic fibres during acid hydrolysis has been investigated and the levelling-off degree of polymerisation (LODP) has been determined. The study included a bleached kraft pulp (both never-dried and once-dried) and two dissolving pulps (once-dried). Additionally, cotton cellulose from new cotton sheets and sheets discarded after long-time use was studied.

Contrasting demographic history and population structure in Capsella rubella and Capsella grandiflora, two closely related species with different mating systems.

Both mating system and population history can have large impacts on genetic diversity and population structure. Here, we use multilocus sequence data to investigate how these factors impact two closely related Brassicaceae species: the selfing Capsella rubella and the outcrossing C. grandiflora.

Speciation history of three closely related pines Pinus mugo (T.), P. uliginosa (N.) and P. sylvestris (L.).

Nucleotide polymorphisms at genomic regions including 17 nuclear loci, two chloroplast and one mitochondrial DNA fragments were used to study the speciation history of three pine species: dwarf mountain pine (Pinus mugo), peat-bog pine (P. uliginosa) and Scots pine (P. sylvestris).

Quantitative genetic effects of bottlenecks: experimental evidence from a wild plant species, Nigella degenii.

Understanding the genetic consequences of changes in population size is fundamental in a variety of contexts, such as adaptation and conservation biology. In the study presented here, we have performed a replicated experiment with the plant Nigella degenii to explore the quantitative genetic effects of a single-founder bottleneck. In agreement with additive theory, the bottleneck reduced the mean (co)variance within lines and caused stochastic, line-specific changes in the genetic (co)variance structure.

Patterns of divergence among conifer ESTs and polymorphism in Pinus sylvestris identify putative selective sweeps.

Finding genes that are under positive selection is a difficult task, especially in non-model organisms. Here, we have analyzed expressed sequence tag (EST) data from 4 species (Pinus pinaster, Pinus taeda, Picea glauca, and Pseudotsuga menziesii) to investigate selection patterns during their evolution and to identify genes likely to be under positive selection. To confirm selection, population samples of these genes have been sequenced in Pinus sylvestris, a species that was not included in the EST data set.

Release of alien populations in Sweden.

Introduction of alien species is a major threat to biological diversity. Although public attention typically focuses on the species level, guidelines from the Convention of Biological Diversity define alien species to include entities below species level. This inclusion recognizes that release of nonlocal populations of native species may also result in negative effects on biodiversity.

Power for detecting genetic divergence: differences between statistical methods and marker loci.

Information on statistical power is critical when planning investigations and evaluating empirical data, but actual power estimates are rarely presented in population genetic studies. We used computer simulations to assess and evaluate power when testing for genetic differentiation at multiple loci through combining test statistics or P values obtained by four different statistical approaches, viz. Pearson's chi-square, the log-likelihood ratio G-test, Fisher's exact test, and an F(ST)-based permutation test.

Spatial genetic structure of northern pike (Esox lucius) in the Baltic Sea.

The genetic relationships among 337 northern pike (Esox lucius) collected from the coastal zone of the central Baltic region and the Finnish islands of Aland were analysed using five microsatellite loci. Spatial structure was delineated using both traditional F-statistics and individually based approaches including spatial autocorrelation analysis. Our results indicate that the observed genotypic distribution is incompatible with that of a single, panmictic population.

Phylogenetic relationships of Betula species (Betulaceae) based on nuclear ADH and chloroplast matK sequences.

The phylogenetic relationships within the genus Betula (Betulaceae) were investigated using a part of the nuclear ADH gene and DNA sequences of the chloroplast matK gene with parts of its flanking regions. Two well-supported phylogenetic groups could be identified in the chloroplast DNA sequence: one containing the three American species B. lenta, B.

Impact of Ice Ages on the genetic structure of trees and shrubs.

Data on the genetic structure of tree and shrub populations on the continental scale have accumulated dramatically over the past decade. However, our ability to make inferences on the impact of the last ice age still depends crucially on the availability of informative palaeoecological data. This is well illustrated by the results from a recent project, during which new pollen fossil maps were established and the variation in chloroplast DNA was studied in 22 European species of trees and shrubs.

Glacial refugia: hotspots but not melting pots of genetic diversity.

Glacial refuge areas are expected to harbor a large fraction of the intraspecific biodiversity of the temperate biota. To test this hypothesis, we studied chloroplast DNA variation in 22 widespread European trees and shrubs sampled in the same forests. Most species had genetically divergent populations in Mediterranean regions, especially those with low seed dispersal abilities.