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Publikasjoner

NIBIOs ansatte publiserer flere hundre vitenskapelige artikler og forskningsrapporter hvert år. Her finner du referanser og lenker til publikasjoner og andre forsknings- og formidlingsaktiviteter. Samlingen oppdateres løpende med både nytt og historisk materiale. For mer informasjon om NIBIOs publikasjoner, besøk NIBIOs bibliotek.

2012

Sammendrag

We compared gene expression in Norway spruce secondary phloem (bark) and developing xylem (sapwood) in response to the necrotrophic pathogen Heterobasidion parviporum, wounding and methyl jasmonate (MeJ). The pathogen induced systemic and local up-regulation of PaPX3, PaPX2 and PaChi4 in both bark and sapwood that returned to constitutive levels as the plants recovered from the infection, whereas the local responses to MeJ were similar in both tissues but was longer lasting for PaPX3 and PaChi4. Genes involved in lignin biosynthesis (PaPAL1, PaPAL2, PaC4H3/5 and PaHCT1) were up-regulated locally in the bark in response to pathogen and wounding whereas MeJ induced a similar but stronger local response. The ethylene biosynthesis related transcripts PaACO and PaACS did not increase in response to MeJ treatment or the pathogen, however it increased both locally and systemically as a response to wounding in the sapwood. These results demonstrate that the local and systemic host responses to pathogen infection and wounding largely correspond and reveal striking similarities between the local response to a necrotroph, wounding and MeJ treatment in both bark and living wood.

Sammendrag

Background: NB-LRR resistance proteins are involved in recognizing pathogens and other exogenous stressors in plants. Resistance proteins are the first step in induced defence responses and a better understanding of their regulation is important to understand the mechanisms of plant defence. Much of the post-transcriptional regulation in plants is controlled by microRNAs (miRNA). We examined the expression of five Norway spruce miRNA that may regulate NB-LRR related transcripts in secondary phloem (bark) of resistant Norway spruce after wounding and inoculation with the necrotrophic blue stain fungus Ceratocystis polonica. Results: The plants of this clone recovered from both the pathogen inoculations and wounding alone. We found local and systemic induction of the resistance marker genes PaChi4, PaPAL and PaPX3 indicative of an effective induced host defence response. There were minor local and systemic changes in the expression of five miRNAs and 21 NB-LRRs between healthy and treated plants. Only five putative NB-LRRs (PaLRR1, PaLRR3, PaLRR14, PaLRR15 and PaLRR16) showed significant increases greater than two-fold as a local response to C. polonica. Of all NB-LRRs only PaLRR3, the most highly differentially regulated NB-LRR, showed a significant increase also due to wounding. The five miRNAs showed indications of an initial local and systemic down-regulation at day 1, followed by a later increase up to and beyond the constitutive levels at day 6. However, the initial down-regulation was significant only for miR3693 and miR3705. Conclusions: Overall, local and systemic expression changes were evident only for the established resistance marker genes and PaLRR3. The minor expression changes observed both for the followed miRNAs and their predicted NB-LRR targets suggest that the expression of most NB-LRR genes are maintained close to their constitutive levels in stressed and healthy Norway spruce plants.

Til dokument

Sammendrag

Conifers are evolutionarily more ancient than their angiosperm counterparts, and thus some adaptive mechanisms and features influenced by epigenetic mechanisms appear more highly displayed in these woody gymnosperms. Conifers such as Norway spruce have very long generation times and long life spans, as well as large genome sizes. This seemingly excessive amount of genomic DNA without apparent duplications could be a rich source of sites for epigenetic regulation and modifications. In Norway spruce, an important adaptive mechanism has been identified, called epigenetic memory. This affects the growth cycle of these trees living in environments with mild summers and cold winters, allowing them to adapt rapidly to new and/or changing environments. The temperature during post-meiotic megagametogenesis and seed maturation epigenetically shifts the growth cycle programme of the embryos. This results in significant and long-lasting phenotypic change in the progeny, such as advance or delay of vital phenological processes of high adaptive value, like bud break and bud set. This phenomenon is not only of important evolutionary significance but has clear practical implications for forest seed production and conservation of forest genetic resources. The underlying molecular mechanism that causes the ‘memory’ in long-lived woody species is currently under investigation. Here we summarize the information related to epigenetic memory regulation in gymnosperms, with special emphasis on conifers. The molecular mechanism behind this is still unknown but transcriptional changes are clearly involved. Epigenetic regulation may be realized through several mechanisms, including DNA methylation, histone modification, chromatin remodelling, small non-coding RNAs and transposable element regulation, of which non-coding RNAs might be one of the most important determinants.

Sammendrag

Epigenetic memory marks establishment in Norway spruce occur exclusively during embryogenesis in response to environmental impact, and the epitype is fixated by the time the embryo is fully developed without a change in the DNA sequence. We started large scale studies aimed on identifying and characterizing of genes and regulatory elements involved in the initiation, maintenance, and heritability of epigenetic memory using candidate genes and next generation sequencing approaches. Molecular mechanisms of formation of epigenetic memory were studied on the same full-sibs family zygotic embryo in vitro cultures developed in cold (18°C) and warm (30°C) environmental conditions from proliferation till mature embryo stages. Initially we had found large set (64) of Arabidopsis epigenetic regulator gene homologs in spruce. In general, known epigenetic related genes are very well represented among spruce ESTs. Analysis of the transcription patterns of these genes using RT-PCR in epigenetically different embryogenic samples reveal specific transcription patterns on different stages of embryogenic development dependent on epitype. We are expecting to determine certain stages during embryogenesis when epigenetic memory marks are forming. At the same time, nearly no differences in transcription levels of studied genes had been found in seedlings (4 month old), originated from full-sib families clearly differed in epigenetic response. Using MACE (massive cDNA 3-end sequencing) deep mRNA sequencing on the Illumina GSII platform, we analyzed P. abies transcriptomes by comparison warm and cold originated “embryonic epitypes” developed in cold and warm environmental conditions. Significant differences in transcriptomes between epitypes revealed by high-throughput sequencing will be discussed.

Til dokument

Sammendrag

• Parasitism and saprotrophic wood decay are two fungal strategies fundamental for succession and nutrient cycling in forest ecosystems. An opportunity to assess the trade-off between these strategies is provided by the forest pathogen and wood decayer Heterobasidion annosum sensu lato. • We report the annotated genome sequence and transcript profiling, as well as the quantitative trait loci mapping, of one member of the species complex: H. irregulare. Quantitative trait loci critical for pathogenicity, and rich in transposable elements, orphan and secreted genes, were identified. • A wide range of cellulose-degrading enzymes are expressed during wood decay. By contrast, pathogenic interaction between H. irregulare and pine engages fewer carbohydrate-active enzymes, but involves an increase in pectinolytic enzymes, transcription modules for oxidative stress and secondary metabolite production. • Our results show a trade-off in terms of constrained carbohydrate decomposition and membrane transport capacity during interaction with living hosts. Our findings establish that saprotrophic wood decay and necrotrophic parasitism involve two distinct, yet overlapping, processes.