Yuan Heyang, Zhao Tangrui, Liu Xiao, Cheng Yanli, Zhang Fengchao, Chen Xi, Li Huogen
State Key Laboratory of Tree Genetics and Breeding, Co-Innovation Center for Sustainable Forestry in Southern China, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing 210037, China.
College of Architecture, Anhui Science and Technology University, Bengbu 233100, China.
Plants (Basel). 2025 Aug 23;14(17):2626. doi: 10.3390/plants14172626.
Germplasm resources embody the genetic diversity of plants and form the foundation for breeding and the ongoing improvement of elite cultivars. The establishment of germplasm banks, along with their systematic evaluation, constitutes a critical step toward the conservation, sustainable use, and innovative utilization of these resources. , a rare and endangered tree genus with species distributed in both East Asia and North America, holds considerable ecological, ornamental, and economic significance. However, a standardized evaluation system for germplasm remains unavailable. In this study, 297 germplasm accessions were comprehensively evaluated using 34 phenotypic traits and whole-genome resequencing data. Substantial variation was observed in most phenotypic traits, with significant correlations identified among several characteristics. Cluster analysis based on phenotypic data grouped the accessions into three distinct clusters, each exhibiting unique distribution patterns. This classification was further supported by principal component analysis (PCA), which effectively captured the underlying variation among accessions. These phenotypic groupings demonstrated high consistency with subsequent population structure analysis based on SNP markers (K = 3). Notably, several key traits exhibited significant divergence ( < 0.05) among distinct genetic clusters, thereby validating the coordinated association between phenotypic variation and molecular markers. Genetic diversity and population structure were assessed using 4204 high-quality single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers obtained through stringent filtering. The results indicated that the displayed the highest genetic diversity, with an expected heterozygosity (He) of 0.18 and a polymorphic information content (PIC) of 0.14. In addition, both hierarchical clustering and PCA revealed clear population differentiation among the accessions. Association analysis between three phenotypic traits (DBH, annual height increment, and branch number) and SNPs identified 25 highly significant SNP loci ( < 0.01). Of particular interest, the branch number-associated locus SNP_17_69375264 ( = 1.03 × 10) demonstrated the strongest association, highlighting distinct genetic regulation patterns among different growth traits. A minimal set of 13 core SNP markers was subsequently used to construct unique DNA fingerprints for all 297 accessions. In conclusion, this study systematically characterized phenotypic traits in , identified high-quality and core SNPs, and established correlations between key phenotypic and molecular markers. These achievements enabled differential analysis and genetic diversity assessment of germplasm, along with the construction of DNA fingerprint profiles. The results provide crucial theoretical basis and technical support for germplasm conservation, accurate identification, and utilization of resources, while offering significant practical value for variety selection, reproduction and commercial applications of this species.
种质资源体现了植物的遗传多样性，是培育和不断改良优良品种的基础。建立种质库并对其进行系统评价是保护、可持续利用和创新利用这些资源的关键一步。[某树种名称]是一种珍稀濒危的树种属，其物种分布于东亚和北美，具有重要的生态、观赏和经济意义。然而，目前仍没有针对该树种种质的标准化评价体系。在本研究中，利用34个表型性状和全基因组重测序数据对297份种质材料进行了综合评价。大多数表型性状存在显著变异，且几个性状之间存在显著相关性。基于表型数据的聚类分析将种质材料分为三个不同的类群，每个类群呈现出独特的分布模式。主成分分析（PCA）进一步支持了这种分类，该分析有效地捕捉了种质材料之间的潜在变异。这些表型分组与随后基于SNP标记的群体结构分析（K = 3）高度一致。值得注意的是，几个关键性状在不同的遗传类群之间表现出显著差异（P < 0.05），从而验证了表型变异与分子标记之间的协同关联。通过严格筛选获得4204个高质量单核苷酸多态性（SNP）标记，用于评估遗传多样性和群体结构。结果表明，[某树种名称]表现出最高的遗传多样性，期望杂合度（He）为0.18，多态信息含量（PIC）为0.14。此外，层次聚类和PCA都揭示了种质材料之间明显的群体分化。对三个表型性状（胸径、年高生长量和分枝数）与SNP进行关联分析，鉴定出25个高度显著的SNP位点（P < 0.01）。特别值得关注的是，与分枝数相关的位点SNP_17_69375264（P = 1.03 × 10）表现出最强的关联，突出了不同生长性状之间独特的遗传调控模式。随后使用最少的13个核心SNP标记为所有297份种质材料构建了独特的DNA指纹图谱。总之，本研究系统地表征了[某树种名称]的表型性状，鉴定了高质量和核心SNP，建立了关键表型与分子标记之间的相关性。这些成果实现了对[某树种名称]种质的差异分析和遗传多样性评估，以及DNA指纹图谱的构建。研究结果为[某树种名称]种质资源的保护、准确鉴定和利用提供了关键的理论依据和技术支持，同时为该物种的品种选择、繁殖和商业应用提供了重要的实用价值。
