A gene for the natural resistance to budworm, a common pest, has been identified in white spruce trees by scientists at Universite Laval, the University of British Columbia, and the University of Oxford.
The research consisted of the professors, students, and postdocs comparing the genomes of the resistant trees versus those of the spruces that suffered significant damage. The gene, betaglucosidase-1, was expressed up to 1,000 times more in resistant trees than in non-resistant trees. The gene produces a natural insecticide in the spruce's needles. The degree of the expression varies by the individual.
The discovery of this gene is of great significance to forestry. For example, planting saplings from particularly resistant lineages would produce a forest full of resistant spruces.
link: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/11/141121102920.htm
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