Biology subjects

Trujillo-Moya, C.

Publications and source records attributed to Trujillo-Moya, C..

3 recordsLinked to original sources

bioRxiv2025

Unravelling the intraspecific variation in drought responses in seedlings of European black pine (Pinus nigra J.F. Arnold)

O_LIUnderstanding intraspecific variation in drought tolerance is essential for predicting the adaptive capacity of forest species under climate change. Yet, the molecular basis of this variation remains poorly understood in ecologically and economically important conifers. C_LIO_LIWe integrated high-throughput phenotyping with metabolomics and transcriptomics under standardized soil drying to investigate drought responses across nine climatically distinct provenances of the conifer Pinus nigra. We tested whether drought tolerance--measured as decline in maximum quantum yield of the photosystem II (Fv/Fm)--varies among provenances, follows a climatic cline, and involves trade-off with growth. To identify the underlying molecular basis, we performed metabolomics and transcriptomics in four provenances representing contrasting drought tolerance. C_LIO_LIDrought tolerance varied significantly among provenances and was decoupled from growth, yet showed no differentiation along the climatic cline. Drought tolerant provenances differed from sensitive ones in both constitutive and drought-induced levels of flavonoid and diterpene metabolites. Transcriptomic profiles further highlighted provenance-specific differences in gene expression related to flavonoids. C_LIO_LIOur results demonstrate the utility of integrating automated phenotyping with molecular profiling to uncover the metabolic basis of drought adaptation, laying the groundwork for targeted studies on metabolite function and tolerance strategies in non-model conifers. C_LI

plant biology↗

bioRxiv2025

Pioneer bark beetle attacks induce multifaceted localized defense responses in Norway spruce

Conifer forests worldwide are increasingly threatened by environmental stressors, especially bark beetle infestations. In a novel experimental field setup with controlled attacks on clonal trees, we investigated the molecular defense responses of 35-year-old Norway spruce trees to colonization attempts by the spruce bark beetle, Ips typographus. A multi-omics approach was used to study tree responses to bark beetle pioneers under natural conditions. At the site of the attacks, increased levels in jasmonic acid, together with changes in other phytohormones, induced differential gene expression of up to 1,900 genes from multiple defense-related pathways. These transcriptomic alternations were corroborated by proteomic and metabolomic shifts, which ultimately showed increased levels of compounds involved in deterring bark beetle attacks, such as phenolic aglycones, diterpene resin acids, mono- and sesquiterpenes, and lignin. Our study highlights the intricate yet rapid and effective local defense response of Norway spruce against pioneer bark beetle attacks and lays a foundation for in-depth studies of this and other conifers resistance to phloem-feeding insects.

plant biology↗

bioRxiv2024

Limitations of ad hoc genotyping in detecting ash dieback tolerance in Fraxinus excelsior

Ash dieback (ADB), caused by the invasive alien fungal pathogen Hymenoscyphus fraxineus, is an emerging disease that poses major threats to the survival of common ash (Fraxinus excelsior) in Europe. Here, we report on a field trial aiming at the identification of ADB tolerant genotypes while encompassing the genetic diversity of common ash in Austria. Over 35,000 progenies from more than 600 putative tolerant mother trees were assessed for ADB symptoms over a period of three years. One tolerant and one susceptible progeny from a subset of the mother tree range (570 trees) were genotyped using the 4TREE array, a genotyping tool developed specifically to screen common ash provenances for their tolerance to ash dieback. We aimed to (1) better characterize the genetic structure of common ash in Austria, (2) identify hybrids between common ash and F. angustifolia (narrow-leaved ash), (3) detect genetic loci associated with tolerance to ADB, and (4) identify genetic variation associated with abiotic factors such as temperature and precipitation influencing the severity of ADB. We identify ash individuals from Eastern Austria matching putative hybrids with F. angustifolia showing varying degrees of F. angustifolia ancestry in structure analyses. The non-hybrid gene pool is characterized by shallow genetic structure following a west to east geographic pattern. In contrast to our expectations, genotype-damage association analyses overall fail to detect SNPs associated with tolerance to ADB. Our findings underscore that the polygenic architecture governing tolerance and the rapid decay of genomic linkage disequilibrium (LD) (within approximately 10 kb) significantly limit the ability to identify association outliers using the 4TREE SNP array. This highlights the constrained utility of chip genotyping approaches for this specific purpose. In contrast, the array proves successful in detecting hybrids between common ash and narrow-leaved ash, as well as outlier SNPs associated with abiotic predictors (such as annual precipitation and temperature) known to influence the severity of ADB damage.

genetics↗