U.S. flagAn official website of the United States government
                    Here's how you know **Official websites use .gov**
                            
                            A **.gov** website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.
 **Secure .gov websites use HTTPS**
                            
                            A **lock** (                            
                              A locked padlock                                                      
                            
                            ) or **https://** means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.


Menu Agricultural Research Service
						
                    U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
 Vegetable Crops Research: Madison, WI
 close



    Research

                    Research Projects
                                    Publications
                                    Collaborations
                                    News
                People

                    Staff Listing
                                    Careers


        


                    ScientistsSearch small
                    Search
            
            ARS Home
                                About ARS
                                Contact Us




ARS Home Midwest Area Madison, Wisconsin Vegetable Crops Research People B. bee lab





- Home
- All Publications
- Outreach
- Photos
- Videos
- Bee Blog
- Pollinator Behavior and Gene Flow
- Pollinator Preferences
- Hybridization and Introgression
- Alfalfa Selfing Management
- Pollinators and Global Warming
- Other Research
- Research Projects (VCRU)
- Publications in ARIS
- Current
- Previous
- How to Assess a Hive

Hybridization and Introgressionheadline bar **Carrots** Wild carrots are widespread in the USA, can be weedy and have been declared invasive in some states. We examined the population dynamics of wild carrot populations (Van Etten and Brunet, 2017) and the genetic structure and domestication of carrot (Iorizzo et al. 2013). We reviewed gene flow in carrots (Mandel and Brunet, 2019 book chapter in ‘The carrot genome, Compendium of Plant Genomes’) and examined potential gene flow from cultivar genes into wild carrot populations near a carrot breeding site in Wisconsin (Palmieri et al. *Acta Horticulturae* 2019). More recently we extended our study of introgression of cultivar alleles into wild carrot populations throughout more regions in the United States (Hernandez et al. in prep.). The extent of cultivar alleles into wild US carrot populations is a critical question because, with the deployment of new gene editing technologies, the likelihood that genetically modified carrot cultivars will be released in the future has increased and some of these cultivar alleles could increase the invasiveness of wild carrots. We use genotyping by sequencing (GBS) and SNPs data to quantify the pattern of introgression of cultivar genes into wild carrot populations. We are also determining whether specific regions of the genome are more prone to introgression than others. /ARSUserFiles/34905/Brunet Lab Photos/IMG_20190716_102343.jpg **Elm Hybridization and Dutch Elm Disease** We determined the pattern of hybridization between the native Red elm, *Ulmus rubra*, and an invasive exotic species, the Siberian elm, *Ulmus pumila*in Wisconsin*.*We developed species-specific microsatellite markers that permitted the genetic identification of putative hybrid individuals in contact zones between the two parental species (Zalapa et al. 2008, Molecular Ecology Resources); we described the genetic diversity of *U. pumila* present at the UW Arboretum in Wisconsin and planted from seeds originally collected throughout China (Zalapa et al. 2008, *Genome*). We confirmed genetically the presence of hybrids between *U. pumila* and the native *U. rubra* and identified a pattern of introgression biased towards *U. pumila* (Zalapa et al. 2009, *American Journal of Botany*). Finally, we established the widespread presence of hybrids in naturalized *U. pumila* populations in Wisconsin and beyond (Zalapa et al. 2010, *Evolutionary Applications*). In addition, we collaborated with Dr. Alberto Santini, a forest plant pathologist in Italy, to examine patterns of hybridization between *U. pumila* and a native European elm, *Ulmus minor* (Brunet et al. 2013, *Biological Invasions*). Our results are raising serious concerns about the long-term survival of native elm species in the U.S. and potentially Europe. A collaboration with a German PhD student examined the extent of intra-specific hybridization in elm (Hirsch et al. 2017, Biological Invasions). Finally, we examined the impact of Dutch elm disease (DED) on the genetic diversity and level of genetic differentiation among populations of the native Slippery elm, *U. rubra*, in Wisconsin (Brunet et al. 2016, *Conservation Genetics*) and determined that DED did not decrease the genetic diversity or increase the levels of genetic differentiation among populations of Slippery elm and other native elm species (Brunet and Guries, 2017, P*roceedings of the American Elm Restoration Workshop 2016*).


Return to top


Connect with ARS Sign up


ARS Home
                            USDA.gov
                            Plain Writing
                            Policies & Links
                            Civil Rights Statements
                            FOIA
                            Accessibility Statement
                            Privacy Policy
                            Non-Discrimination Statement
                            Quality of Information
                            USA.gov
                            WhiteHouse.gov