Project description:Young poplar stems show a preponderantly primary growth in the top internodes and differential cambium activity in the basal internodes after inclination with some tension wood formed after 45 min. This study was conducted in order to characterize the early changes in gene expression during early stages of the gravitropic response in the poplar.
Project description:Young poplar stems show a preponderantly primary growth in the top internodes and differential cambium activity in the basal internodes after inclination with some tension wood formed after 45 min. This study was conducted in order to characterize the early changes in gene expression during early stages of the gravitropic response in the poplar. Hybridizations were performed to compare gravistimulated poplar stems (basal region) after 45 min of inclination and untreated control stems. Two biological replicates were done. Two hybridizations with a dye swap for each tree pair were done, making a total of four hybridizations.
Project description:We study differences in gene expression between Populus P35S::PLGT , RNAi_PLGT and control/WT plants, affecting tropic responses and stem development. We used microarrays to detail the global program of gene expression underlying morphological and developmental changes droved by th etransgenic manipulations of PLGT gene. By screening activation tagging population we identified the PLAGIOTROPICA (PLGT) mutant. The mutant is severely impaired in gravitropic responses and displays consistent south orientation of the shoot tip in the overexpressing plants. We positioned the tag, localized a putative candidate gene and verified transcription activation. The activated gene encodes an ortholog of the OCTOPUS gene from Arabidopsis. We fully recapitulated the phenotype by overexpression of the gene into the same genotype under strong constitutive promoter (P35S::PLGT). We further downregulated the gene using RNAi approach. The gene was most highly expressed in young stems and phloem tissues.
Project description:Previous research has shown that glutamine and sucrose treatment of excised poplar stems induces bark storage protein (BSP) gene expression. The objective of this research is to identify changes in gene expression associated with metabolic regulation of nitrogen storage and cycling and use this information to identify potential regulatory genes. Significant, differentially expressed genes were identified in excised poplar stems incubated in solutions of glutamine, sucrose, glycine, glutamine+glucose, and glutamine+sucrose compared to incubation in a water control.
Project description:Modification of lignin in crops via genetic engineering aims at reducing biomass recalcitrance to facilitate conversion processes. These improvements can be achieved via the expression of exogenous enzymes that interfere with biosynthetic pathways responsible for the production of the lignin precursors. In-planta expression of bacterial 3-dehydroshikimate dehydratase (QsuB) reduces lignin and alters its monomeric composition, which enables higher yields of fermentable sugars after cell wall polysaccharide hydrolysis. Understanding how crops respond to such genetic modifications at the transcriptional and metabolic levels is needed to facilitate further improvement and field deployment. In this work, we gathered some fundamental knowledge on lignin-modified QsuB poplar grown in a greenhouse using RNA-seq and metabolomics. The data showed that some changes in gene expression and metabolite abundance occur only in a specific tissue such as the xylem, phloem, or periderm. In the poplar line that exhibits the strongest reduction of lignin, we found that 3% of the transcripts had altered expression levels and ~19% of the detected metabolite ions had different abundances in the xylem from mature stems. Changes affect predominantly the shikimate and phenylpropanoid pathways as well as, secondary cell wall metabolism, and result in significant accumulation of hydroxybenzoates that derive from protocatechuate and salicylate.
Project description:We study the effect of nitrogen limitation on the growth and development of poplar roots. We used microarrays to detail the global program of gene expression underlying morphological and developmental changes driven by low nitrogen in the growth media. We report the effect of nitrogen limitation on the growth and development of poplar roots. Low nitrogen concentration led to increased root elongation followed by lateral root proliferation and finally increased root biomass. These morphological responses correlated with high and specific activation of genes encoding regulators of cell cycle and enzymes involved in cell wall biogenesis, growth and remodeling. Comparative analysis of poplar and Arabidopsis root transcriptomes under nitrogen deficiency indicated many similarities and diversification in the response in the two species. A reconstruction of genetic regulatory network (GRN) analysis revealed a sub-network centered on a PtaNAC1-like transcription factor. Consistent with the GRN predictions, root-specific upregulation of PtaNAC1 in transgenic poplar plants increased root biomass and led to significant changes in the expression of the connected genes specifically under low nitrogen. PtaNAC1 and its regulatory miR164 showed inverse expression profiles during response to LN, suggesting of a micro RNA mediated attenuation of PtaNAC1 transcript abundance in response to nitrogen deprivation.
Project description:Diseases of poplar caused by the fungal pathogen Sphaerulina musiva and related species are of growing concern, particular with the increasing interest in intensive popluliculture to meet increasing energy demands. S. musiva is able to cause infection on leaves, resulting in defoliation and canker formation on stems. To gain a greater understanding of the different responses of poplar species to infection with their natural Sphaerulina species, RNA-seq was conducted on leaves of Populus deltoides, P. balsamifera and P. tremuloides infected with S. musiva, S. populicola and a new undescribed species Ston1, respectively. Progression of disease symptoms, pathogen growth and host response were detected. Through the time course of infection, different and species-specific metabolic pathways were activated. In all three species, genes associated with growth and development were down-regulated, while genes involved the phenylpropanoid, terpenoid and flavonoid biosynthesis were up-regulated. Poplar defensive genes were expressed early in P. balsamifera and P. tremuloides, but delayed in P. deltoides, which correlated with the rate of disease symptoms development. This data gives an insight into the large differences in timing and expression of genes between poplar species being attacked with their native associated Sphaerulina pathogen.
Project description:Previous research has shown that glutamine and sucrose treatment of excised poplar stems induces bark storage protein (BSP) gene expression. The objectivel of this research is to identify changes in gene expression associated with metabolic regulation of nitrogen storage and cycling and use this information to identify potential regulatory genes. Significant, differentially expressed genes were identified in excised poplar stems incubated in solutions of glutamine or glutamine+glucose compared to incubation with water alone Poplar shoots with approximately 10 nodes were excised from greenhouse stock plants that were grown in LD photoperiods. The basal leaves were removed to leave only the 5 apical leaves. The basal end of the 5-leaved shoots were preincubated by placing in water for 24 h in a growth chamber (20 ◦C, 16-light/8-h dark). After 24 h pre-incubation, the trimed stems were then transfered to 25 mM aqueous solutions of glutamine, glucose, or glutamine+glucose as well as a water control and incubated for either 48 or 72 h. After 48 h and 72 h of incubation in the respective solutions, bark tissue was collected from each treatement and immediately frozen in liquid nitrogen. For each treatment, 3 biological replicates were collected with 5 excised stems per biological replicate. Bark from 2 control with 3 biological replicates were also collected. Control 1 was collected immediately after excising from the stock plant and control 2 was collected after the 24 h preincubation period.
Project description:In-vivo induced establishment and activity of the interfascicular cambium in Arabidopsis thaliana stems under NPA treatments. We used microarrays to detail the global programme of gene expression underlying the establishment and activity of the interfascicular cambium.
Project description:Exceptionally andromonoecious individuals that flowers appeared to form that structure resembling a carpel attached to the reverse side of stamen cup were detected in strictly dioecious poplar. Andromonoecious poplarswere used to analyze transcript levels accurately.