A genome-guided strategy for climate resilience in American chestnut restoration populations.

ABSTRACT: American chestnut (Castanea dentata) is a deciduous tree species of eastern North America that was decimated by the introduction of the chestnut blight fungus (Cryphonectria parasitica) in the early 20th century. Although millions of American chestnuts survive as root collar sprouts, these trees rarely reproduce. Thus, the species is considered functionally extinct. American chestnuts with improved blight resistance have been developed through interspecific hybridization followed by conspecific backcrossing, and by genetic engineering. Incorporating adaptive genomic diversity into these backcross families and transgenic lines is important for restoring the species across broad climatic gradients. To develop sampling recommendations for ex situ conservation of wild adaptive ge

SUBMITTER: Sandercock AM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11287244 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature