 United
States Department of Agriculture -
Forest Service |
 Southern Research Station200 W.T. Weaver Boulevard Asheville, NC 28804 |
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 Image of chromosome spread produced by SRS researcher Nurul Faridi as part of the SIFG project to map the genome of loblolly pine. Last year, Faridi won a photo contest run by Applied Imaging Intl. His photograph was featured in the company calendar for 2004. |
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Southern Institute of Forest Genetics Wins NSF Grant
Asheville,NC -- As the primary source of pulpwood and saw timber for the U.S. forest industry, loblolly pine is of great economic importance to the South. Understanding the structure of the loblolly pine genome would not only allow timber managers to maximize yield per acre and improve wood quality, but also to develop strategies to deal with diseases and pests with minimum damage to the environment.
The loblolly pine genome is several times larger than the human genome, but like the human roadmap, has many areas that are composed of repeating elements. Once characterized as Âjunk DNA, the function of these repeating sections is still unknown; their presence makes it difficult to map out just where genes begin and end.
Dana Nelson, research geneticist and project leader for SIFG, will work with Daniel Peterson from MSU and Nurul Faridi, also at SIFG, to develop new molecular resources to speed up the sequencing of the loblolly genome and provide the ability to identify and map genes that influence factors such as tree growth, wood quality, stress tolerance, and resistance to disease. These resources will include a 10X BAC-based DNA library of pine, the complete DNA sequence for the mostly highly repetitive DNA in the genome, and an array of techniques and materials needed to learn about the spatial organization of the genes and their locations on chromosomes.
Southern Institute of Forest Genetics : http://www.srs.fs.usda.gov/units/mississippi.htm#SRS-4153
For more information: C. Dana Nelson at (228-832-2747x209) or dananelson@fs.fed.us
Full caption for Faridi image: Dual
FISH (fluorescence in situ hybridization) of 18S-28S rDNA (red signals)
and Arabidopsis telomeric sequence (green signals) probes to a mitotic
chromosome spread of loblolly pine (clone B-5-3).
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