Rose Genetic Analysis Case Study
An Ambitious Study
Dr. David C. Zlesak and a research team at the University of Wisconsin-River Falls were conducting genetic association studies in roses. Their focus, Rosa setigera, is resistant to rose rosette disease (RRD) and happens to be the only rose species in which each plant has only one functional gender. Roses are a difficult subject for genetic testing because cultivated varieties carry four sets of chromosomes, which makes it more complicated to perform the analysis. If Dr. Zlesak and his team could identify the SNPs associated with gender in R. setigera, they would be one step closer to breeding roses for RRD resistance, but first they needed a solution for the obstacle of the genetic analysis.
The Eurofins Approach
As a certified service provider for Axiom arrays in agrigenomics, Eurofins BioDiagnostics has access to the latest technology in genetic analysis. Eurofins assisted the study by donating their Axiom Rose Genotyping Array, which ran the samples and made the challenging genetic studies in R. setigera easy. The 68,893 SNP markers present on this array facilitate different genetic studies including the identification of genes that determine gender. This tool greatly increased the efficiency of the University of Wisconsin-River Falls study by turning a tedious, manual process into a simple procedure. Eurofins tackled a challenging part of this genetic analysis to accurately score the allele calls for roses with different ploidy levels (Di-,Tri-, and tetra-plaids).
A Success Story
The team of scientists submitted R. setigera rose tissue samples to Eurofins BioDiagnostics and identified the SNP markers segregated with the gender gene. With the identification of the gender gene in rosa setigera, we can understand and overcome the crossing barrier that prevents the flow of the genes between this species and modern rose cultivars. Rosa setiegra is a valuable source for resistance to rose rosette disease (RRD). Hopefully, this successful project in identifying the gender gene in the rose can facilitate the crossing of this rose to modern cultivar and transfer the resistance gene to protect the popular flower.
Eurofins BioDiagnostics performs high-quality analysis with advanced technology in order to support customer projects such as challenging genetic studies and breeding plans. Consultations are a free, added benefit that provide context and further guidance regarding your analytical results.