Circadian rhythm and redox homeostasis candidate genes showed association with shallow elevation in Norway spruce

Abstract

The analysis of genetic variation underlying local adaptation in natural populations, together with the response to different external stimuli, is currently a hot topic in forest sciences, with the aim of identifying genetic markers controlling key phenotypic traits of interest for their inclusion in restoration and breeding programs. In Europe, one of the main tree species is Norway spruce (Picea abies (L.) H.Karst.). Using the MassARRAY® platform, 568 trees from North Rhine‐Westphalia (Germany) were genotyped with 94 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) related to circadian and growth rhythms, and to stress response. The association analysis of the selected markers with health status and elevation was performed using three different methods, and those identified by at least two of these were considered as high confidence associated SNPs. While just five markers showed a weak association with health condition, 32 SNPs were correlated with elevation, six of which were considered as high confidence associated SNPs, as indicated by at least two different association methods. Among these genes, thioredoxin and pseudo response regulator 1 (PRR1) are involved in redox homeostasis and ROS detoxification, APETALA2‐like 3 (AP2L3), a transcription factor, is involved in seasonal apical growth, and a RPS2‐like is a disease resistance gene. The function of some of these genes in controlling light‐dependent reactions and metabolic processes suggests signatures of adaptation to local photoperiod and the synchronization of the circadian rhythm. This work provides new insights into the genetic basis of local adaptation over a shallow elevation gradient in Norway spruce.