Biology subjects

Lankinen, A.

Publications and source records attributed to Lankinen, A..

5 recordsLinked to original sources

bioRxiv2026

Building Bridges Belowground: Pythium oligandrum En-hances Rhizosphere Network Connectivity

Biological control agents (BCAs) offer a potential sustainable alternative to fungicides for crop dis-ease management, but their effects on resident plant microbiomes and microbial interactions remain poorly understood. Here, we investigated the effects of the BCA Pythium oligandrum on disease con-trol and the rhizosphere microbiome of starch potato cv. Kuras in a field trial. We compared a labora-tory strain and a commercial formulation (Polygandron) with commonly used fungicides during early blight development. The laboratory strain suppressed early blight at plant senescence, but this effect did not persist until harvest, whereas fungicide treatment provided near-complete disease suppression throughout the growing season. P. oligandrum caused transient changes in rhizosphere fungal com-munity composition at flowering, while bacterial community richness varied among sampling times in untreated controls. However, bacterial co-occurrence network analysis revealed pronounced treat-ment-specific changes in microbial connectivity. Application of the laboratory strain increased net-work connectivity, resulting in almost a threefold increase in mean degree and greater interconnected-ness among bacterial taxa. In contrast, Polygandron and fungicide treatments reduced mean degree, indicating reduced connectivity within the bacterial network. Fungicide treatment additionally altered network organisation, including increased betweenness centrality and changes in modularity. Togeth-er, our results show that P. oligandrum can modify microbial interactions in the potato rhizosphere without substantially altering overall bacterial community composition, highlighting the value of in-tegrating microbial network structure with community-level analyses when evaluating the ecological effects of BCAs.

microbiology↗

bioRxiv2026

Comparative high-throughput phenotyping across two facilities reveals differential impact of defence mechanisms on plant growth and development.

Fitness costs of plant disease defence are often subtle and difficult to quantify. In this study, we therefore used comparative high-throughput phenotyping in two independent facilities to assess growth, morphology and physiology of potato (cv. Desiree) with high time-resolution monitoring different defence mechanisms under pathogen-free conditions. Plants were either treated weekly with the resistance inducers {beta}-aminobutyric acid (BABA; 10 mM) or potassium phosphite (KPhi; 36 mM) or comprised six transgenic lines expressing late blight resistance genes (single Rpi genes or a three-gene stack) or reduced jasmonate perception (StCOI1-RNAi). Over four weeks, image-derived traits revealed consistent cross-facility effects for plant height and colour: BABA treatment increased plant height but reduced canopy area and induced a paler greenness signature, whereas KPhi caused minimal and transient growth effects. Chlorophyll fluorescence at the NaPPI facility indicated reduced vitality (Rfd_Lss) in BABA-treated plants and increased Rfd_Lss following KPhi, while maximum PSII efficiency was largely unchanged. Several transgenic lines showed somewhat reduced above-ground biomass. Enzyme activity profiling produced distinct treatment and genotype signatures, but was strongly modulated by facility conditions that overrode these specificities. Overall, high-throughput phenotyping robustly detected subtle growth-defence trade-offs across platforms. HighlightHigh-throughput optical phenotyping validated across two independent research facilities reveals that stacked resistance genes and resistance inducers in potato trigger subtle growth trade-offs. Graphical abstracts O_FIG O_LINKSMALLFIG WIDTH=200 HEIGHT=97 SRC="FIGDIR/small/713143v1_ufig1.gif" ALT="Figure 1"> View larger version (23K): org.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@89df47org.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@1a1ce64org.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@1f52f0dorg.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@1e41c35_HPS_FORMAT_FIGEXP M_FIG C_FIG Experimental timeline for high-throughput plant phenotyping platforms. Created in BioRender. Poque, S. (2026) https://BioRender.com/nmkve7g

plant biology↗

bioRxiv2025

Identifying gaps between scientific and local knowledge in climate change adaptation for northern European agriculture

Climate change impacts agriculture in complex and regionally specific ways. In temperate regions such as southern Sweden, it presents both opportunities, such as longer growing seasons, and challenges, including increased drought and heat stress. This study examined how Swedish agriculture is adapting to climate change, using the extreme 2018 drought and heatwave as a critical case to explore both immediate responses and longer-term preparedness in crop production systems. We compared scientific and local knowledge through a systematic scoping review of peer-reviewed literature from northern Europe, a workshop with project scientists, and a participatory workshop with farmers. The study aimed to identify gaps between scientific and local understandings of climate change adaptation, particularly in how extreme events influence decision-making and preparedness. Using a transdisciplinary, problem-feeding approach, we compared how farmers and scientists conceptualise crisis response and long-term adaptation, employing influence diagrams to visualise their understandings. Our review found that much scientific work focuses on short-term coping strategies, such as feed substitution or altered irrigation, while longer-term adaptation remains underexplored. In contrast, farmers emphasized context specific actions grounded in their farm operations, highlighting socio-economic and administrative constraints, whereas scientists tended to propose generalisable technology-oriented strategies. These differences underscore the importance of integrating both experiential and scientific knowledge to co-develop more effective adaptation responses. The study lays the foundation for a targeted, large-scale survey to explore farmer motivations, perceptions of risk and opportunity, and adaptive capacities across diverse contexts. Our findings highlight the need to move beyond reactive measures and investigate anticipatory strategies that foster and enable adaptive capacity. Here we demonstrate that supporting long-term adaptation in agriculture will require inclusive, evidence-based approaches that incorporate perspectives from farmers, advisors, scientists, and public authorities alike.

scientific communication and education↗

bioRxiv2021

Whole genome sequencing elucidates the species-wide diversity and evolution of fungicide resistance in the early blight pathogen Alternaria solani

Early blight of potato is caused by the fungal pathogen Alternaria solani and is an increasing problem worldwide. The primary strategy to control the disease is applying fungicides such as succinate dehydrogenase inhibitors (SDHI). SDHI-resistant strains, showing reduced sensitivity to treatments, appeared in Germany in 2013, five years after the introduction of SDHIs. Two primary mutations in the Sdh complex (SdhB-H278Y and SdhC-H134R) have been frequently found throughout Europe. How these resistances arose and spread, and whether they are linked to other genomic features, remains unknown. We performed whole-genome sequencing for A. solani isolates from potato fields across Europe (Germany, Sweden, Belgium, and Serbia) to better understand the pathogens genetic diversity in general and understand the development and spread of the genetic mutations that lead to SDHI resistance. We used ancestry analysis and phylogenetics to determine the genetic background of 48 isolates. The isolates can be grouped into 7 genotypes. These genotypes do not show a geographical pattern but appear spread throughout Europe. The Sdh mutations appear in different genetic backgrounds, suggesting they arose independently, and the observed admixtures might indicate a higher adaptive potential in the fungus than previously thought. Our research gives insights into the genetic diversity of A. solani on a genome level. The mixed occurrence of different genotypes and apparent admixture in the populations indicate higher genomic complexity than anticipated. The conclusion that SDHI tolerance arose multiple times independently has important implications for future fungicide resistance management strategies. These should not solely focus on preventing the spread of isolates between locations but also on limiting population size and the selective pressure posed by fungicides in a given field to avoid the rise of new mutations in other genetic backgrounds.

evolutionary biology↗

bioRxiv2019

Can Sexual Selection Cause Divergence In Mating System-Related Floral Traits?

Premise of the ResearchThe wide diversity of floral traits seen among plants is shaped by neutral and selective evolutionary processes. In outcrossing species, sexual selection from competing pollen donors is expected to be important for shaping mating system-related traits but empirical evidence is scarce. In a previous evaluation of experimental evolution lines crossed with either one or two pollen donors (monogamous, M, or polyandrous, P, lines) at early floral stages in mixed-mating Collinsia heterophylla (Plantaginaceae), P showed enhanced pollen competitive ability and reduced maternal seed set compared to M, in accordance with sexually antagonistic evolution of pollen. Here, we asked whether the presence of sexual selection during pollen competition affect mating system-related floral traits in the same lines.\n\nMethodologyWe compared flowering start, timing of anther-stigma contact (as an indication of timing of self-pollination), timing of stigma receptivity and first seed set between M and P, and with a source line, S (starting material). The former three traits are later in outcrossers than in selfers of Collinsia. The latter trait was expected to be earlier in P than in M because of sexual selection for early seed siring of pollen.\n\nPivotal ResultsArtificial polyandry for four generations resulted in later flowering start and later anther-stigma contact in P compared to M, and the latter trait was intermediate in S. Thus, P appeared more outcrossing than M. Stigma receptivity did not differ between lines. First seed set was earlier in P than in M, as expected from sexual selection.\n\nConclusionsOur results from C. heterophylla experimental evolution lines suggest that a component of sexual selection during outcross pollination could enhance the patterns of floral divergence commonly found between outcrossers and selfers.

evolutionary biology↗