Biology subjects

Mathieu, L.

Publications and source records attributed to Mathieu, L..

4 recordsLinked to original sources

bioRxiv2024

Plant-plant interactions in wheat mixtures modulate mean and variance of susceptibility to Septoria tritici blotch

Varietal mixtures are a promising agro-ecological approach to stabilizing yields by reducing diseases. The effects of mixtures stem from modifications of epidemiological processes and plant-plant interactions, which could explain some of the paradoxical observations made in the field. However, the role of plant-plant interactions in modifying bread wheat and durum wheat susceptibility to septoria tritici blotch remains to be elucidated. Our study aimed to determine the effect of such plant-plant interactions, by producing full matrices of binary mixtures in the absence of epidemics, on septoria symptoms--specifically necroses (lesions) and pycnidia (spore-containing structures). We employed statistical modeling to compare the mean and variance of focal plants phenotype in all mixtures versus pure conditions and in each mixture versus pure condition. Our findings demonstrate significant effects of plant-plant interactions on wheat susceptibility to septoria. Notably, these interactions had specific rather than general effects, with some but not all genotypic combinations significantly influencing focal susceptibility to septoria. Furthermore, mixtures resulted in reduced necrosis with lower variance, but increased pycnidia formation. These results reinforce the need to consider specific plant-plant interactions for their contribution to trait means and variances. Better considering these interactions could improve crop management strategies that enhance disease control. HighlightWheat varietal mixtures modulate the mean and variance of septoria disease symptoms through specific plant-plant interactions. Mixtures reduce lesions and their variance but increase the formation of spore-containing bodies.

plant biology↗

bioRxiv2024

A multidisciplinary on-farm survey of maize-bean intercropping shows that revival of traditionalagricultural systems requires careful consideration of partner varieties and agronomic practices.

O_LICereal-legume intercropping is a promising strategy for sustainable agroecosystems. The traditional intercropping of maize and bean is experiencing a revival in some modern agricultural settings, such as in southwestern France, where maize hybrids are intercropped with the commercialized Tarbais bean. We conducted on-farm surveys and a field assay to address the following questions: How does the cropping system impact yield, nutrient uptake, and rhizosphere bacterial assemblages? Do positive or negative interactions between maize and beans dominate in intercropping? What is the effect of intercropping on plant transcriptomics? C_LIO_LIWe recorded farming practices, conducted yield and nutrient measurements, and characterized soil bacterial assemblages to compare sole-cropped maize and beans with intercropped plants. A controlled field assay was also established to extend this comparison to plant gene expression differences. C_LIO_LIIntercropping was associated with a trend towards increased bacterial diversity. The cropping system significantly influenced agronomic traits, with frequent farm-by-cropping system interactions underscoring the critical role of farming practices. Competition dominated maize-bean intercropping, with 34 negative correlations among the 47 significant ones between maize and bean traits. This competition affected yield and nutrition, but primarily impacted beans, which produced fewer but bigger/heavier seeds. Transcriptomic results concurred with these findings, revealing no differentially expressed genes in maize but 5,070 in beans under competition. C_LIO_LIOverall, our findings suggest that beneficial interactions between the two crops are hindered under current field conditions, underscoring the importance of carefully considering partner varieties and farming practices to revive traditional agricultural systems. C_LI Societal Impact StatementCereal-legume intercropping is a promising strategy for sustainable agroecosystems that leverages the biological complementarities between plant species, reducing the need for chemical inputs while enhancing field biodiversity. Here, we focused on maize-bean intercropping, which is experiencing a revival in modern conventional agricultural settings. We found a trend towards an increased soil bacterial diversity in intercropping. However, competition between the two crops dominated and primarily impacted yield and gene expression in beans. Despite lower yield, bean seeds exhibited greater size. Our study indicates that implementing variety selection of both species and adapting farming practices is essential to fully harness the potential of intercropping.

plant biology↗

bioRxiv2024

Population genomics of the rice landrace Acuce reveals exceptional dynamics of immune receptors

In cultivated plants such as Oryza sativa, landraces harbour high levels of diversity, in sharp contrast with genetically uniform modern varieties. The Yuanyang terraces (China) are renowned for traditional farming involving landraces and low disease incidence. To understand the molecular basis of these resistance levels, we explored the genomic diversity of Acuce, one of the oldest landraces in the region. Based on whole-genome resequencing of over 200 Acuce plants, we evaluated the diversity of immunity and agronomical genes with respect to the rest of the genome. In parallel, we analysed the genetic basis of pathogen resistance and agronomical traits. Acuce exhibits high levels of diversity, reaching 38% of the worldwide levels. We uncovered an excess of diversity and signatures of directional selection associated with immunity genes, in contrast with agricultural traits. Furthermore, cultures of mixed genotypes exhibited superior performances for both pathogen resistance and agricultural traits. We showed that, within one single landrace, traditional farmer practices selected optimal agricultural traits while maintaining diversity enabling pathogen resistance. This study elucidates the complex interplay between genetic diversity, natural selection related to pathogens, and selection for agricultural traits within traditional landraces, providing insights into sustainable agricultural practices in diverse cropping systems.

genomics↗

bioRxiv2024

Temporal and spatial dynamics of Plasmodium falciparum clonal lineages in Guyana

Plasmodium parasites, the causal agents of malaria, are eukaryotic organisms that obligately undergo sexual recombination within mosquitoes. However, in low transmission settings where most mosquitoes become infected with only a single parasite clone, parasites recombine with themselves, and the clonal lineage is propagated rather than broken up by outcrossing. We investigated whether stochastic/neutral factors drive the persistence and abundance of Plasmodium falciparum clonal lineages in Guyana, a country with relatively low malaria transmission, but the only setting in the Americas in which an important artemisinin resistance mutation (pfk13 C580Y) has been observed. To investigate whether this clonality was potentially associated with the persistence and spatial spread of the mutation, we performed whole genome sequencing on 1,727 Plasmodium falciparum samples collected from infected patients across a five-year period (2016- 2021). We characterized the relatedness between each pair of monoclonal infections (n=1,409) through estimation of identity by descent (IBD) and also typed each sample for known or candidate drug resistance mutations. A total of 160 clones (mean IBD [≥] 0.90) were circulating in Guyana during the study period, comprising 13 highly related clusters (mean IBD [≥] 0.40). In the five-year study period, we observed a decrease in frequency of a mutation associated with artemisinin partner drug (piperaquine) resistance (pfcrt C350R) and limited co-occurence of pfcrt C350R with duplications of plasmepsin 2/3, an epistatic interaction associated with piperaquine resistance. We additionally report polymorphisms exhibiting evidence of selection for drug resistance or other phenotypes and reported a novel pfk13 mutation (G718S) as well as 61 nonsynonymous substitutions that increased markedly in frequency. However, P. falciparum clonal dynamics in Guyana appear to be largely driven by stochastic factors, in contrast to other geographic regions. The use of multiple artemisinin combination therapies in Guyana may have contributed to the disappearance of the pfk13 C580Y mutation. Author SummaryMalaria is caused by eukaryotic Plasmodium parasites, which undergo sexual recombination within mosquitoes. In settings with low transmission, such as Guyana, these parasites often recombine with themselves, leading to the propagation of identical clones. We explored the population genomics of Plasmodium falciparum malaria parasites in Guyana over five years to characterize clonal transmission dynamics and understand whether they were influenced by local drug resistance mutations under strong selection, including pfk13 C580Y, which confers resistance to artemisinin, and pfcrt C350R, which confers resistance to piperaquine. Using whole genome sequencing on 1,463 samples, we identified 160 clones, in which all parasites share at least 90% of their genomes through recent common ancestry. We observed a decrease in frequency of the pfcrt C350R mutation, as well as the disappearance of pfk13 C580Y. Our findings contrast with the deterministic rise of drug resistance mutations observed in other geographic regions, sometimes associated with clonality. The simultaneous use of at least two different artemisinin combination therapies may have prevented the spread of an artemisinin-resistant clone in Guyana, suggesting a strategy for resistance management in other geographic regions.

genomics↗