Genomic approaches to accelerate American chestnut restoration

More than a century after two introduced pathogens killed billions of American chestnut trees, introgression of resistance alleles from Chinese chestnuts has contributed to the recovery of self-sustaining populations. However, progress has been slow because of the complex genetic architecture of resistance. To better understand blight resistance, we compared reference genomes, gene expression responses, and stem metabolite profiles of the resistant Chinese and susceptible American chestnut species. To accelerate resistance breeding, we conducted large-scale phenotyping and genotyping in hybrids of these species. Simulation and inoculation experiments suggest that significant resistance gains are possible…

• UD
  U.S. Department of Energy

  Award: DE-AC02-05CH1123
• CF
  Colcom Foundation
• NI
  National Institute of Food and Agriculture

  Awards: 1018599, 1025004, 1027966
• UF
  U.S. Forest Service
• TF
  Tucker Foundation