Insight into the Complex Genetic Relationship of Chinese Fir (<i>Cunninghamia lanceolata</i> (Lamb.) Hook.) Advanced Parent Trees Based on SSR and SNP Datasets

Abstract

Accurate estimation of genetic relationships among breeding materials and their genetic diversity contributes to the optimal design of breeding programs. For Chinese fir (Cunninghamia lanceolata (Lamb.) Hook.), an important indigenous tree species in China, breeders have attempted to employ different molecular markers to address the genetic architecture of their target population, but the power of an advanced parent tree population with a complex pedigree relationship is still rather limited. In this study, a partly known pedigree map combined with marker-derived (SSRs and SNPs) information was implemented for the first time in the assessment of the genetic relatedness of a complex advanced parent tree population (n = 50) in Chinese fir. The bivariate analysis showed that relatedness coefficients between individuals based on SSRs were significantly correlated with SNPs (r = 0.690, p PIC = 0.573; SNPs: PIC = 0.231) in the selected parent trees. This investigation provides important input into the progress of Chinese fir advanced-generation breeding.

Keywords

• Chinese fir
• pedigree
• SSR
• SNP
• genetic relationship