Poster: Integrative plant physiology

Abs # 39: Use of Microsatellite Markers to Assess Genetic Diversity of a Native and a Naturalized Shrub Willow Species

Presenter:	Lin, Juan , julin@syr.edu
Authors	Lin, Juan  (A)   Lawrence, Smart B. (A)
Affiliations:	(A): Faculty of Environmental and Forest Biology, SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry, Illick Hall, Syracuse, NY 13210

Salix eriocephala is a native species of shrub willow found in the Northeast and Northcentral United States, while Salix purpurea is a species naturalized in North America. In support of our efforts to breed these species for improved biomass yield, we wish to understand the genetic diversity in natural populations. A total of 951 individuals belonging to 29 subpopulations of S. eriocephalaand 29 subpopulations of S. purpurea were sampled throughout the Oneida Lake, Cayuga Lake and Tioughnioga River watersheds in the summer of 2002. We tested 28 microsatellite loci that were originally derived from Populus and 9 microsatellite loci that were isolated from diverse Salix species. Twenty-four out of 37 produced defined bands by agarose gel electrophoresis from a small number of samples of S. purpurea and S. eriocephala. All the individuals of S. purpurea have been genotyped for six of twenty-four microsatellite loci. A high level of polymorphism was found in some populations. Populations were highly differentiated for six microsatellite loci. We will include these loci in our analysis on S. eriocephala in the near future. Genetic diversity within and among populations will be estimated. Based on genetic similarities and distance analysis, spatial genetic variation at different geographic scales will be investigated. The intrinsic and extrinsic factors that are likely to affect the patterns of genetic structure will be discussed.