Biology subjects

Borrego, E. J.

Publications and source records attributed to Borrego, E. J..

3 recordsLinked to original sources

bioRxiv2024

Unraveling the Genetic Complexity of Invasive Lonicera spp.: Evidence of Hybridization from Nuclear and Chloroplast Genome Analysis

Members of the Lonicera genus, commonly known as honeysuckles, encompass both native and invasive species in North America, the latter posing significant ecological challenges. Invasive honeysuckles can disrupt native ecosystems by outcompeting local flora, altering habitats, and affecting wildlife populations. Effective management and control of these species are critical but hindered by the difficulty of accurate identification due to overlapping morphological traits. Traditional control measures recommended by government agencies, such as cutting, burning, and chemical treatments, have proven only partially effective, sometimes complicated by misidentification of species. The morphological identification of invasive honeysuckles is notoriously challenging. Key distinguishing features are often subtle, variable, and sometimes only discernible during specific developmental stages, complicating field identification efforts. This taxonomic ambiguity underscores the urgent need for more precise identification methods that transcend conventional morphological assessments. In this study, we explore the molecular identity of a Lonicera isolate collected from the Finger Lakes region of Western New York. Through detailed genetic analysis, we demonstrate that the specimen likely possesses maternal inheritance from Lonicera tatarica while the majority of its nuclear genome is associated with Lonicera insulara. Both species are prevalent in the region and known for their invasive potential. Our findings highlight the utility of molecular techniques as a complementary tool for species identification within the Lonicera genus. By providing a clearer genetic framework for distinguishing between morphologically similar species, this approach can enhance conservation strategies, inform management decisions, and improve ecological restoration efforts. As invasive species continue to threaten biodiversity, integrating molecular diagnostics with traditional methods offers a promising path toward more effective environmental stewardship.

ecology↗

bioRxiv2022

Cannabis sativa oxylipin biosynthesis: Genome-wide characterization of lipoxygenase, allene oxide synthase, allene oxide cyclase, hydroperoxide lyase, and 12-oxo-phytodienoic acid reductase gene families

Cannabis sativa is a global multi-billion-dollar cash crop with numerous industrial uses, including in medicine and recreation where its value is largely owed to the production of pharmacological and psychoactive metabolites known as cannabinoids. Often underappreciated in this role, the lipoxygenase (LOX)-derived green leaf volatiles (GLVs), also known as the scent of cut grass, are the hypothetical origin of hexanoic acid, the initial substrate for cannabinoid biosynthesis. The LOX pathway is best known as the primary source of plant oxylipins, molecules analogous to the eicosanoids from mammalian systems. These molecules are chemically and functionally diverse group of fatty acid-derived signals that govern nearly all biological processes including plant defense and development. The interaction between oxylipin and cannabinoid biosynthetic pathways remains to be explored. Despite their unique importance in this crop, there has not been a comprehensive investigation focusing on the genes responsible for oxylipin biosynthesis in any Cannabis species. This study documents the first genome-wide catalogue of the Cannabis sativa oxylipin biosynthetic genes and identified 21 LOX, five allene oxide synthases (AOS), three allene oxide cyclases (AOC), one hydroperoxide lyase (HPL), and five 12-oxo-phytodienoic acid reductases (OPR). Gene collinearity analysis found chromosomal regions containing several isoforms maintained across Cannabis, Arabidopsis, and tomato. Promoter, expression, weighted co-expression genetic network, and functional enrichment analysis provide evidence of tissue- and cultivar-specific transcription and roles for distinct isoforms in oxylipin and cannabinoid biosynthesis. This knowledge facilitates future targeted approaches towards Cannabis crop improvement and for the manipulation of cannabinoid metabolism.

plant biology↗

bioRxiv2020

Maize Biochemical Defences against a Rootworm Were Mediated by Domestication, Spread, and Breeding

Plant physiological processes generally are regulated by phytohormones, including plant biochemical responses to herbivory. Here, we addressed whether a suite of maize (Zea mays mays) phytohormones, including some precursor and derivative metabolites, relevant to herbivory defence were mediated by the crops domestication, northward spread, and modern breeding. For this, we compared phytohormone and metabolite levels among four plant types representing the evolutionary and agronomic transitions from maizes wild ancestor, Balsas teosinte (Zea mays parviglumis), to Mexican and US maize landraces, and to highly-bred US maize cultivars, as affected by root herbivory by Western corn rootworm (Diabrotica virgifera virgifera). Following ecological-evolutionary hypotheses, we expected to find changes in: (i) maize defence strategy, from reliance on induced to constitutive defences; (ii) levels of phytohormones relevant to herbivore resistance consistent with gradual weakening of defences, and; (iii) levels of a phytohormone relevant to herbivory tolerance because it positively affects plant growth. We found that with its domestication, maize seemed to have transitioned from reliance on induced defences in Balsas teosinte to reliance on constitutive defences in maize. Also, we found that while one subset of phytohormones relevant to herbivory was suppressed (13-oxylipins), another was enhanced (9-oxylipins) with domestication, and both subsets were variably affected by spread and breeding. Finally, an auxin phytohormone directly linked to growth (indole-3-acetic acid), increased significantly with domestication, and seemingly with spread and breeding. We concluded that rootworm defences in maize were mediated by domestication and ensuing processes, such as spread and breeding, and argued that agricultural intensification mediated maize defence evolution in parallel with modern breeding.

evolutionary biology↗