The evolutionary implications of knox-I gene duplications in conifers: correlated evidence from phylogeny, gene mapping, and analysis of functional divergence

Contrasting levels of transcriptome-wide SNP diversity and adaptive molecular variation among conifers

Adaptive convergence can arise when response to natural selection involves shared molecular or functional mechanisms among multiple taxa. Conifers are archaic species of ancient origin with delayed sexual maturity related to their woody perennial nature. Thus, they represent a relevant plant group to assess if convergence from selection may have become disconnected between molecular and functional levels. In this purpose, transcriptome-wide SNP diversity was assessed in seven partially sympatric and reproductively isolated conifer species (118 individuals from 67 populations) populating the temperate and boreal forests of northeastern North America. SNP diversity was found highly heterogeneous among species, which would relate to variation in species-specific demography and history. Rapidly evolving genes with signatures of positive selection were identified, and their relative abundance among species reflected differences in transcriptome-wide SNP diversity. The analysis of sequence homology also revealed very limited convergence among taxa in spite of sampling same tissues at same age. However, convergence increased gradually at the levels of gene families and biological processes, which were largely related to stress response and regulatory mechanisms in all species. Given their multiple small to large gene families and long time since inception, conifers may have had sufficient gene network flexibility and gene functional redundancy for evolving alternative adaptive genes for similar metabolic responses to environmental selection pressures. Despite a long divergence time of ~350 Mya between conifers and Angiosperms, we also uncovered a set of 17 key genes presumably under positive selection in both lineages.

Conifers Concentrate Large Numbers of NLR Immune Receptor Genes on One Chromosome

Nucleotide-binding domain and leucine-rich repeat (NLR) immune receptor genes form a major line of defense in plants, acting in both pathogen recognition and resistance machinery activation. NLRs are reported to form large gene clusters in limber pine (Pinus flexilis), but it is unknown how widespread this genomic architecture may be among the extant species of conifers (Pinophyta). We used comparative genomic analyses to assess patterns in the abundance, diversity, and genomic distribution of NLR genes. Chromosome-level whole genome assemblies and high-density linkage maps in the Pinaceae, Cupressaceae, Taxaceae, and other gymnosperms were scanned for NLR genes using existing and customized pipelines. The discovered genes were mapped across chromosomes and linkage groups and analyzed phylogenetically for evolutionary history. Conifer genomes are characterized by dense clusters of NLR genes, highly localized on one chromosome. These clusters are rich in TNL-encoding genes, which seem to have formed through multiple tandem duplication events. In contrast to angiosperms and nonconiferous gymnosperms, genomic clustering of NLR genes is ubiquitous in conifers. NLR-dense genomic regions are likely to influence a large part of the plant's resistance, informing our understanding of adaptation to biotic stress and the development of genetic resources through breeding.

Decoding the leaf apical meristem of Guarea glabra Vahl (Meliaceae): insight into the evolution of indeterminate pinnate leaves

In seed plants, growth of shoots and roots is indeterminate, while leaves are typically determinate organs that cease to grow after a certain developmental stage. This is due to the characteristics of the leaf meristem, where cell proliferation activity is retained only for a limited period. However, several plants exhibit indeterminacy in their leaves, exemplified by the pinnate compound leaves of Guarea and Chisocheton genera in the Meliaceae family. In these plants, the leaf meristem at the tip of the leaf retains meristematic activity and produces leaflets over years, resulting in a single leaf that resembles a twig. The molecular mechanism underlying the indeterminate leaf meristem of these plants has not been examined. In this research, we used Guarea glabra as a model to investigate the development of indeterminate pinnate leaves. Transcriptome analyses revealed that the gene expression profile in leaf apex tissue differed from that in the shoot apex. However, a class 1 KNOTTED-LIKE HOMEOBOX (KNOX1) gene which is lost in Brassicaceae was highly expressed in both tissues. We established an in situ hybridisation system for this species using Technovit 9100 to analyse the spatial expression patterns of genes. We revealed that the leaf meristematic region of G. glabra expresses KNOX1, LEAFY and ANGUSTIFORIA3 simultaneously, suggesting the involvement of these genes in the indeterminacy of the leaf meristem.

Long-insert sequence capture detects high copy numbers in a defence-related beta-glucosidase gene βglu-1 with large variations in white spruce but not Norway spruce

Conifers are long-lived and slow-evolving, thus requiring effective defences against their fast-evolving insect natural enemies. The copy number variation (CNV) of two key acetophenone biosynthesis genes Ugt5/Ugt5b and βglu-1 may provide a plausible mechanism underlying the constitutively variable defence in white spruce (Picea glauca) against its primary defoliator, spruce budworm. This study develops a long-insert sequence capture probe set (Picea_hung_p1.0) for quantifying copy number of βglu-1-like, Ugt5-like genes and single-copy genes on 38 Norway spruce (Picea abies) and 40 P. glauca individuals from eight and nine provenances across Europe and North America respectively. We developed local assemblies (Piabi_c1.0 and Pigla_c.1.0), full-length transcriptomes (PIAB_v1 and PIGL_v1), and gene models to characterise the diversity of βglu-1 and Ugt5 genes. We observed very large copy numbers of βglu-1, with up to 381 copies in a single P. glauca individual. We observed among-provenance CNV of βglu-1 in P. glauca but not P. abies. Ugt5b was predominantly single-copy in both species. This study generates critical hypotheses for testing the emergence and mechanism of extreme CNV, the dosage effect on phenotype, and the varying copy number of genes with the same pathway. We demonstrate new approaches to overcome experimental challenges in genomic research in conifer defences.

Mini review: Application of the somatic embryogenesis technique in conifer species

The somatic embryogenesis (SE) process is better suited to large-scale production and automation than other clonal propagation methods such as the rooting of cuttings. SE is becoming a key technique to promote the asexual industrialization of conifers. Furthermore, somatic embryos are an ideal material to study the molecular mechanism of conifer embryo development, as the processes of somatic and zygotic embryo development are very similar. This brief review introduces the culturing techniques of the SE process in conifers and outlines the progress and deficiencies in conifer SE research. Emphasis is placed on the patterning formation of conifer somatic embryos.

Spruce giga-genomes: structurally similar yet distinctive with differentially expanding gene families and rapidly evolving genes

Spruces (Picea spp.) are coniferous trees widespread in boreal and mountainous forests of the northern hemisphere, with large economic significance and enormous contributions to global carbon sequestration. Spruces harbor very large genomes with high repetitiveness, hampering their comparative analysis. Here, we present and compare the genomes of four different North American spruces: the genome assemblies for Engelmann spruce (Picea engelmannii) and Sitka spruce (Picea sitchensis) together with improved and more contiguous genome assemblies for white spruce (Picea glauca) and for a naturally occurring introgress of these three species known as interior spruce (P. engelmannii × glauca × sitchensis). The genomes were structurally similar, and a large part of scaffolds could be anchored to a genetic map. The composition of the interior spruce genome indicated asymmetric contributions from the three ancestral genomes. Phylogenetic analysis of the nuclear and organelle genomes revealed a topology indicative of ancient reticulation. Different patterns of expansion of gene families among genomes were observed and related with presumed diversifying ecological adaptations. We identified rapidly evolving genes that harbored high rates of non-synonymous polymorphisms relative to synonymous ones, indicative of positive selection and its hitchhiking effects. These gene sets were mostly distinct between the genomes of ecologically contrasted species, and signatures of convergent balancing selection were detected. Stress and stimulus response was identified as the most frequent function assigned to expanding gene families and rapidly evolving genes. These two aspects of genomic evolution were complementary in their contribution to divergent evolution of presumed adaptive nature. These more contiguous spruce giga-genome sequences should strengthen our understanding of conifer genome structure and evolution, as their comparison offers clues into the genetic basis of adaptation and ecology of conifers at the genomic level. They will also provide tools to better monitor natural genetic diversity and improve the management of conifer forests. The genomes of four closely related North American spruces indicate that their high similarity at the morphological level is paralleled by the high conservation of their physical genome structure. Yet, the evidence of divergent evolution is apparent in their rapidly evolving genomes, supported by differential expansion of key gene families and large sets of genes under positive selection, largely in relation to stimulus and environmental stress response.

In Vitro Plant Regeneration in Conifers: The Role of WOX and KNOX Gene Families

Conifers are a group of woody plants with an enormous economic and ecological importance. Breeding programs are necessary to select superior varieties for planting, but they have many limitations due to the biological characteristics of conifers. Somatic embryogenesis (SE) and de novo organogenesis (DNO) from in vitro cultured tissues are two ways of plant mass propagation that help to overcome this problem. Although both processes are difficult to achieve in conifers, they offer advantages like a great efficiency, the possibilities to cryopreserve the embryogenic lines, and the ability of multiplying adult trees (the main bottleneck in conifer cloning) through DNO. Moreover, SE and DNO represent appropriate experimental systems to study the molecular bases of developmental processes in conifers such as embryogenesis and shoot apical meristem (SAM) establishment. Some of the key genes regulating these processes belong to the WOX and KNOX homeobox gene families, whose function has been widely described in Arabidopsis thaliana. The sequences and roles of these genes in conifers are similar to those found in angiosperms, but some particularities exist, like the presence of WOXX, a gene that putatively participates in the establishment of SAM in somatic embryos and plantlets of Pinus pinaster.

Characterization of the KNOTTED1-LIKE HOMEOBOX (KNOX) gene family in Pinus pinaster Ait

KNOTTED1-LIKE HOMEOBOX (KNOX) genes are a family of plant-specific homeobox transcription factors with important roles in plant development that have been classified into two subfamilies with differential expression domains and functions. Studies in angiosperms have shown that class I members are related to the maintenance of meristem homeostasis and leaf development, whereas class II members promote differentiation of tissues and organs. However, little is known about its diversification and function in gymnosperms. By combining PCR-based detection and transcriptome data analysis, we identified four class I and two class II KNOX genes in Pinus pinaster. Expression analyses showed that class I members were mainly expressed in meristematic regions and differentiating tissues, with practically no expression in lateral organs, whereas expression of class II members was restricted to lateral organs. Furthermore, overexpression of P. pinaster KNOX genes in Arabidopsis thaliana caused similar phenotypic effects to those described for their angiosperms counterparts. This is the first time to our knowledge that functional analyses of class II members are reported in a conifer species. These results suggest a high conservation of the KNOX gene family throughout seed plants, as the functional differentiation of both subfamilies observed in angiosperms might be partially conserved in gymnosperms.

Asexual Evolution and Forest Conditions Drive Genetic Parallelism in Phytophthora ramorum

It is commonly assumed that asexual lineages are short-lived evolutionarily, yet many asexual organisms can generate genetic and phenotypic variation, providing an avenue for further evolution. Previous work on the asexual plant pathogen Phytophthora ramorum NA1 revealed considerable genetic variation in the form of Structural Variants (SVs). To better understand how SVs arise and their significance to the California NA1 population, we studied the evolutionary histories of SVs and the forest conditions associated with their emergence. Ancestral state reconstruction suggests that SVs arose by somatic mutations among multiple independent lineages, rather than by recombination. We asked if this unusual phenomenon of parallel evolution between isolated populations is transmitted to extant lineages and found that SVs persist longer in a population if their genetic background had a lower mutation load. Genetic parallelism was also found in geographically distant demes where forest conditions such as host density, solar radiation, and temperature, were similar. Parallel SVs overlap with genes involved in pathogenicity such as RXLRs and have the potential to change the course of an epidemic. By combining genomics and environmental data, we identified an unexpected pattern of repeated evolution in an asexual population and identified environmental factors potentially driving this phenomenon.

Hormonal and gene dynamics in de novo shoot meristem formation during adventitious caulogenesis in cotyledons of Pinus pinea

KEY MESSAGE

Several members of WOX and KNOX gene families and several plant growth regulators, basically cytokinins and auxins, play a key role during adventitious caulogenesis in the conifer Pinus pinea. Similar to Arabidopsis thaliana, Pinus pinea shoot organogenesis is a multistep process. However, there are key differences between both species, which may alter the underlying physiological and genetic programs. It is unknown if the genic expression models during angiosperm development may be applicable to conifers. In this work, an analysis of the endogenous content of different plant growth regulators and the expression of genes putatively involved in adventitious caulogenesis in P. pinea cotyledons was conducted. A multivariate analysis of both datasets was also realized through partial least squares regression and principal component analysis to obtain an integral vision of the mechanisms involved in caulogenesis in P. pinea. Analyses show that cotyledons cultured in the presence of benzyladenine during long times (2-6 days) cluster separately from the rest of the samples, suggesting that the benzyladenine increase observed during the first hours of culture is sufficient to trigger the caulogenic response through the activation of specific developmental programs. In particular, the most relevant factors involved in this process are the cytokinins trans-zeatin, dihydrozeatin, trans-zeatin riboside and isopentenyl adenosine; the auxin indoleacetic acid; and the genes PpWUS, PpWOX5, PpKN2, PpKN3 and PipiRR1. WUS is functional in pines and has an important role in caulogenesis. Interestingly, WOX5 also seems to participate in the process, although its specific role has not been determined.

Association genetics of acetophenone defence against spruce budworm in mature white spruce

BACKGROUND

Outbreaks of spruce budworm (SBW, Choristoneura fumiferana Clem.) cause major recurrent damage in boreal conifers such as white spruce (Picea glauca [Moench] Voss) and large losses of forest biomass in North America. Although defensive phenolic compounds have recently been linked to chemical resistance against SBW, their genetic basis remains poorly understood in forest trees, especially in conifers. Here, we used diverse association genetics approaches to discover genes and their variants that may control the accumulation of acetophenones, and dissect the genetic architecture of these defence compounds against SBW in white spruce mature trees.

RESULTS

Out of 4747 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) from 2312 genes genotyped in a population of 211 unrelated individuals, genetic association analyses identified 35 SNPs in 33 different genes that were significantly associated with the defence traits by using single-locus, multi-locus and multi-trait approaches. The multi-locus approach was particularly effective at detecting SNP-trait associations that explained a large fraction of the phenotypic variance (from 20 to 43%). Significant genes were regulatory including the NAC transcription factor, or they were involved in carbohydrate metabolism, falling into the binding, catalytic or transporter activity functional classes. Most of them were highly expressed in foliage. Weak positive phenotypic correlations were observed between defence and growth traits, indicating little or no evidence of defence-growth trade-offs.

CONCLUSIONS

This study provides new insights on the genetic architecture of tree defence traits, contributing to our understanding of the physiology of resistance mechanisms to biotic factors and providing a basis for the genetic improvement of the constitutive defence of white spruce against SBW.

Drought Sensitivity of Norway Spruce at the Species' Warmest Fringe: Quantitative and Molecular Analysis Reveals High Genetic Variation Among and Within Provenances

Norway spruce (Picea abies) is by far the most important timber species in Europe, but its outstanding role in future forests is jeopardized by its high sensitivity to drought. We analyzed drought response of Norway spruce at the warmest fringe of its natural range. Based on a 35-year old provenance experiment we tested for genetic variation among and within seed provenances across consecutively occurring strong drought events using dendroclimatic time series. Moreover, we tested for associations between ≈1,700 variable SNPs and traits related to drought response, wood characteristics and climate-growth relationships. We found significant adaptive genetic variation among provenances originating from the species’ Alpine, Central and Southeastern European range. Genetic variation between individuals varied significantly among provenances explaining up to 44% of the phenotypic variation in drought response. Varying phenotypic correlations between drought response and wood traits confirmed differences in selection intensity among seed provenances. Significant associations were found between 29 SNPs and traits related to drought, climate-growth relationships and wood properties which explained between 11 and 43% of trait variation, though 12 of them were due to single individuals having extreme phenotypes of the respective trait. The majority of these SNPs are located within exons of genes and the most important ones are preferentially expressed in cambium and xylem expansion layers. Phenotype-genotype associations were stronger if only provenances with significant quantitative genetic variation in drought response were considered. The present study confirms the high adaptive variation of Norway spruce in Central and Southeastern Europe and demonstrates how quantitative genetic, dendroclimatic and genomic data can be linked to understand the genetic basis of adaptation to climate extremes in trees.

Expansion of the dehydrin gene family in the Pinaceae is associated with considerable structural diversity and drought-responsive expression

Temperatures are expected to increase over the next century in all terrestrial biomes and particularly in boreal forests, where drought-induced mortality has been predicted to rise. Genomics research is helping to develop hypotheses regarding the molecular basis of drought tolerance and recent work proposed that the osmo-protecting dehydrin proteins have undergone a clade-specific expansion in the Pinaceae, a major group of conifer trees. The objectives of this study were to identify all of the putative members of the gene family, trace their evolutionary origin, examine their structural diversity and test for drought-responsive expression. We identified 41 complete dehydrin coding sequences in Picea glauca, which is four times more than most angiosperms studied to date, and more than in pines. Phylogenetic reconstructions indicated that the family has undergone an expansion in conifers, with parallel evolution implicating the sporadic resurgence of certain amino acid sequence motifs, and a major duplication giving rise to a clade specific to the Pinaceae. A variety of plant dehydrin structures were identified with variable numbers of the A-, E-, S- and K-segments and an N-terminal (N1) amino acid motif including assemblages specific to conifers. The expression of several of the spruce dehydrins was tissue preferential under non-stressful conditions or responded to water stress after 7-18 days without watering, reflecting changes in osmotic potential. We found that dehydrins with N1 K2 and N1 AESK2 sequences were the most responsive to the lack of water. Together, the family expansion, drought-responsive expression and structural diversification involving loss and gain of amino acid motifs suggests that subfunctionalization has driven the diversification seen among dehydrin gene duplicates. Our findings clearly indicate that dehydrins represent a large family of candidate genes for drought tolerance in spruces and in other Pinaceae that may underpin adaptability in spatially and temporally variable environments.

Association genetics of phenolic needle compounds in Norway spruce with variable susceptibility to needle bladder rust

KEY MESSAGE

Accumulation of phenolic needle metabolites in Norway spruce is regulated by many genes with small and additive effects and is correlated with the susceptibility against fungal attack. Norway spruce accumulates high foliar concentrations of secondary phenolic metabolites, with important functions for pathogen defence responses. However, the molecular genetic basis underlying the quantitative variation of phenolic compounds and their role in enhanced resistance of spruce to infection by needle bladder rust are unknown. To address these questions, a set of 1035 genome-wide single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) was associated to the quantitative variation of four simple phenylpropanoids, eight stilbenes, nine flavonoids, six related arithmetic parameters and the susceptibility to infection by Chrysomyxa rhododendri in an unstructured natural population of Norway spruce. Thirty-one significant genetic associations for the flavonoids gallocatechin, kaempferol 3-glucoside and quercetin 3-glucoside and the stilbenes resveratrol, piceatannol, astringin and isorhapontin were discovered, explaining 22-59% of phenotypic variation, and indicating a regulation of phenolic accumulation by many genes with small and additive effects. The phenolics profile differed between trees with high and low susceptibility to the fungus, underlining the importance of phenolic compounds in the defence mechanisms of Norway spruce to C. rhododendri. Results highlight the utility of association studies in non-model tree species and may enable marker-assisted selection of Norway spruce adapted to severe pathogen attack.

A high-resolution reference genetic map positioning 8.8 K genes for the conifer white spruce: structural genomics implications and correspondence with physical distance

Over the last decade, extensive genetic and genomic resources have been developed for the conifer white spruce (Picea glauca, Pinaceae), which has one of the largest plant genomes (20 Gbp). Draft genome sequences of white spruce and other conifers have recently been produced, but dense genetic maps are needed to comprehend genome macrostructure, delineate regions involved in quantitative traits, complement functional genomic investigations, and assist the assembly of fragmented genomic sequences. A greatly expanded P. glauca composite linkage map was generated from a set of 1976 full-sib progeny, with the positioning of 8793 expressed genes. Regions with significant low or high gene density were identified. Gene family members tended to be mapped on the same chromosomes, with tandemly arrayed genes significantly biased towards specific functional classes. The map was integrated with transcriptome data surveyed across eight tissues. In total, 69 clusters of co-expressed and co-localising genes were identified. A high level of synteny was found with pine genetic maps, which should facilitate the transfer of structural information in the Pinaceae. Although the current white spruce genome sequence remains highly fragmented, dozens of scaffolds encompassing more than one mapped gene were identified. From these, the relationship between genetic and physical distances was examined and the genome-wide recombination rate was found to be much smaller than most estimates reported for angiosperm genomes. This gene linkage map shall assist the large-scale assembly of the next-generation white spruce genome sequence and provide a reference resource for the conifer genomics community.

Identification of Norway Spruce MYB-bHLH-WDR Transcription Factor Complex Members Linked to Regulation of the Flavonoid Pathway

Transcription factors (TFs) forming MYB-bHLH-WDR complexes are known to regulate the biosynthesis of specialized metabolites in angiosperms through an intricate network. These specialized metabolites participate in a wide range of biological processes including plant growth, development, reproduction as well as in plant immunity. Studying the regulation of their biosynthesis is thus essential. While MYB (TFs) have been previously shown to control specialized metabolism (SM) in gymnosperms, the identity of their partners, in particular bHLH or WDR members, has not yet been revealed. To gain knowledge about MYB-bHLH-WDR transcription factor complexes in gymnosperms and their regulation of SW, we identified two bHLH homologs of AtTT8, six homologs of the MYB transcription factor AtTT2 and one WDR ortholog of AtTTG1 in Norway spruce. We investigated the expression levels of these genes in diverse tissues and upon treatments with various stimuli including methyl-salicylate, methyl-jasmonate, wounding or fungal inoculation. In addition, we also identified protein-protein interactions among different homologs of MYB, bHLH and WDR. Finally, we generated transgenic spruce cell lines overexpressing four of the Norway spruce AtTT2 homologs and observed differential regulation of genes in the flavonoid pathway and flavonoid contents.

Conifer genomics and adaptation: at the crossroads of genetic diversity and genome function

Conifers have been understudied at the genomic level despite their worldwide ecological and economic importance but the situation is rapidly changing with the development of next generation sequencing (NGS) technologies. With NGS, genomics research has simultaneously gained in speed, magnitude and scope. In just a few years, genomes of 20-24 gigabases have been sequenced for several conifers, with several others expected in the near future. Biological insights have resulted from recent sequencing initiatives as well as genetic mapping, gene expression profiling and gene discovery research over nearly two decades. We review the knowledge arising from conifer genomics research emphasizing genome evolution and the genomic basis of adaptation, and outline emerging questions and knowledge gaps. We discuss future directions in three areas with potential inputs from NGS technologies: the evolutionary impacts of adaptation in conifers based on the adaptation-by-speciation model; the contributions of genetic variability of gene expression in adaptation; and the development of a broader understanding of genetic diversity and its impacts on genome function. These research directions promise to sustain research aimed at addressing the emerging challenges of adaptation that face conifer trees.

Evolution, diversification, and expression of KNOX proteins in plants

The KNOX (KNOTTED1-like homeobox) transcription factors play a pivotal role in leaf and meristem development. The majority of these proteins are characterized by the KNOX1, KNOX2, ELK, and homeobox domains whereas the proteins of the KNATM family contain only the KNOX domains. We carried out an extensive inventory of these proteins and here report on a total of 394 KNOX proteins from 48 species. The land plant proteins fall into two classes (I and II) as previously shown where the class I family seems to be most closely related to the green algae homologs. The KNATM proteins are restricted to Eudicots and some species have multiple paralogs of this protein. Certain plants are characterized by a significant increase in the number of KNOX paralogs; one example is Glycine max. Through the analysis of public gene expression data we show that the class II proteins of this plant have a relatively broad expression specificity as compared to class I proteins, consistent with previous studies of other plants. In G. max, class I protein are mainly distributed in axis tissues and KNATM paralogs are overall poorly expressed; highest expression is in the early plumular axis. Overall, analysis of gene expression in G. max demonstrates clearly that the expansion in gene number is associated with functional diversification.

Gene expression profiling of shoot-derived calli from adult radiata pine and zygotic embryo-derived embryonal masses

BACKGROUND

Although somatic embryogenesis has an unprecedented potential for large-scale clonal propagation of conifers, the ability to efficiently induce the embryonal cultures required for somatic embryo production has long been a challenge. Furthermore, because early stage zygotic embryos remain the only responsive explants for pines, it is not possible to clone individual trees from vegetative explants at a commercial scale. This is of particular interest for adult trees because many elite characteristics only become apparent following sexual maturation.

FINDINGS

Shoot explants collected from adult radiata pine trees were cultured on four induction media differing in plant growth regulator composition, either directly after collection or from in vitro-generated axillary shoots. Six callus lines were selected for microscopic examination, which failed to reveal any embryonal masses (EM). qPCR expression profiling of five of these lines indicated that explant type influenced the absolute level of gene expression, but not the type of genes that were expressed. The analysis, which also included three EM lines induced from immature zygotic embryos, encompassed five categories of genes reflective of metabolic, mitotic and meristematic activity, along with putative markers of embryogenicity. Culture medium was found to have no significant impact on gene expression, although differences specific to the explant's origin were apparent. Expression of transcriptional factors associated with vegetative meristems further suggested that all of the callus lines possessed a substantive vegetative character. Most notable, however, was that they all also expressed a putative embryogenic marker (LEC1).

CONCLUSIONS

While limited in scope, these results illustrate the utility of expression profiling for characterizing tissues in culture. For example, although the biological significance of LEC1 expression is unclear, it does present the possibility that these callus lines possess some level of embryogenic character. Additionally, expression of vegetative meristem markers is consistent with their vegetative origin, as are differences in expression patterns as compared with EM.

The GRAS gene family in pine: transcript expression patterns associated with the maturation-related decline of competence to form adventitious roots

BACKGROUND

Adventitious rooting is an organogenic process by which roots are induced from differentiated cells other than those specified to develop roots. In forest tree species, age and maturation are barriers to adventitious root formation by stem cuttings. The mechanisms behind the respecification of fully differentiated progenitor cells, which underlies adventitious root formation, are unknown.

RESULTS

Here, the GRAS gene family in pine is characterized and the expression of a subset of these genes during adventitious rooting is reported. Comparative analyses of protein structures showed that pine GRAS members are conserved compared with their relatives in angiosperms. Relatively high GRAS mRNA levels were measured in non-differentiated proliferating embryogenic cultures and during embryo development. The mRNA levels of putative GRAS family transcription factors, including Pinus radiata's SCARECROW (SCR), PrSCR, and SCARECROW-LIKE (SCL) 6, PrSCL6, were significantly reduced or non-existent in adult tissues that no longer had the capacity to form adventitious roots, but were maintained or induced after the reprogramming of adult cells in rooting-competent tissues. A subset of genes, SHORT-ROOT (PrSHR), PrSCL1, PrSCL2, PrSCL10 and PrSCL12, was also expressed in an auxin-, age- or developmental-dependent manner during adventitious root formation.

CONCLUSIONS

The GRAS family of pine has been characterized by analyzing protein structures, phylogenetic relationships, conserved motifs and gene expression patterns. Individual genes within each group have acquired different and specialized functions, some of which could be related to the competence and reprogramming of adult cells to form adventitious roots.

De novo assembly of maritime pine transcriptome: implications for forest breeding and biotechnology

Maritime pine (Pinus pinasterAit.) is a widely distributed conifer species in Southwestern Europe and one of the most advanced models for conifer research. In the current work, comprehensive characterization of the maritime pine transcriptome was performed using a combination of two different next-generation sequencing platforms, 454 and Illumina. De novo assembly of the transcriptome provided a catalogue of 26 020 unique transcripts in maritime pine trees and a collection of 9641 full-length cDNAs. Quality of the transcriptome assembly was validated by RT-PCR amplification of selected transcripts for structural and regulatory genes. Transcription factors and enzyme-encoding transcripts were annotated. Furthermore, the available sequencing data permitted the identification of polymorphisms and the establishment of robust single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) and simple-sequence repeat (SSR) databases for genotyping applications and integration of translational genomics in maritime pine breeding programmes. All our data are freely available at SustainpineDB, the P. pinaster expressional database. Results reported here on the maritime pine transcriptome represent a valuable resource for future basic and applied studies on this ecological and economically important pine species.

Unique features of the loblolly pine (Pinus taeda L.) megagenome revealed through sequence annotation

The largest genus in the conifer family Pinaceae is Pinus, with over 100 species. The size and complexity of their genomes (∼20-40 Gb, 2n = 24) have delayed the arrival of a well-annotated reference sequence. In this study, we present the annotation of the first whole-genome shotgun assembly of loblolly pine (Pinus taeda L.), which comprises 20.1 Gb of sequence. The MAKER-P annotation pipeline combined evidence-based alignments and ab initio predictions to generate 50,172 gene models, of which 15,653 are classified as high confidence. Clustering these gene models with 13 other plant species resulted in 20,646 gene families, of which 1554 are predicted to be unique to conifers. Among the conifer gene families, 159 are composed exclusively of loblolly pine members. The gene models for loblolly pine have the highest median and mean intron lengths of 24 fully sequenced plant genomes. Conifer genomes are full of repetitive DNA, with the most significant contributions from long-terminal-repeat retrotransposons. In depth analysis of the tandem and interspersed repetitive content yielded a combined estimate of 82%.

Duplicated STM-like KNOX I genes act in floral meristem activity in Eschscholzia californica (Papaveraceae)

In angiosperms, the shoot apical meristem is at the origin of leaves and stems and is eventually transformed into the floral meristem. Class I knotted-like homeobox (KNOX I) genes are known as crucial regulators of shoot meristem formation and maintenance. KNOX I genes maintain the undifferentiated state of the apical meristem and are locally downregulated upon leaf initiation. In Arabidopsis, KNOX I genes, especially SHOOTMERISTEMLESS (STM), have been shown to regulate flower development and the formation of carpels. We investigated the role of STM-like genes in the reproductive development of Eschscholzia californica, to learn more about the evolution of KNOX I gene function in basal eudicots. We identified two orthologs of STM in Eschscholzia, EcSTM1 and EcSTM2, which are predominantly expressed in floral tissues. In contrast, a KNAT1/BP-like and a KNAT2/6-like KNOX I gene are mainly expressed in vegetative organs. Virus-induced gene silencing (VIGS) was used to knockdown gene expression, revealing that both EcSTM genes are required for the formation of reproductive organs. Silencing of EcSTM1 resulted in the loss of the gynoecium and a reduced number of stamens. EcSTM2-VIGS flowers had reduced and defective gynoecia and a stronger reduction in the number of stamen than observed in EcSTM1-VIGS. Co-silencing of both genes led to more pronounced phenotypes. In addition, silencing of EcSTM2 alone or together with EcSTM1 resulted in altered patterns of internodal elongation and sometimes in other floral defects. Our data suggest that some aspects of STM function present in Arabidopsis evolved already before the basal eudicots diverged from core eudicots.

Towards decoding the conifer giga-genome

Several new initiatives have been launched recently to sequence conifer genomes including pines, spruces and Douglas-fir. Owing to the very large genome sizes ranging from 18 to 35 gigabases, sequencing even a single conifer genome had been considered unattainable until the recent throughput increases and cost reductions afforded by next generation sequencers. The purpose of this review is to describe the context for these new initiatives. A knowledge foundation has been acquired in several conifers of commercial and ecological interest through large-scale cDNA analyses, construction of genetic maps and gene mapping studies aiming to link phenotype and genotype. Exploratory sequencing in pines and spruces have pointed out some of the unique properties of these giga-genomes and suggested strategies that may be needed to extract value from their sequencing. The hope is that recent and pending developments in sequencing technology will contribute to rapidly filling the knowledge vacuum surrounding their structure, contents and evolution. Researchers are also making plans to use comparative analyses that will help to turn the data into a valuable resource for enhancing and protecting the world's conifer forests.

A spruce gene map infers ancient plant genome reshuffling and subsequent slow evolution in the gymnosperm lineage leading to extant conifers

BACKGROUND

Seed plants are composed of angiosperms and gymnosperms, which diverged from each other around 300 million years ago. While much light has been shed on the mechanisms and rate of genome evolution in flowering plants, such knowledge remains conspicuously meagre for the gymnosperms. Conifers are key representatives of gymnosperms and the sheer size of their genomes represents a significant challenge for characterization, sequencing and assembling.

RESULTS

To gain insight into the macro-organisation and long-term evolution of the conifer genome, we developed a genetic map involving 1,801 spruce genes. We designed a statistical approach based on kernel density estimation to analyse gene density and identified seven gene-rich isochors. Groups of co-localizing genes were also found that were transcriptionally co-regulated, indicative of functional clusters. Phylogenetic analyses of 157 gene families for which at least two duplicates were mapped on the spruce genome indicated that ancient gene duplicates shared by angiosperms and gymnosperms outnumbered conifer-specific duplicates by a ratio of eight to one. Ancient duplicates were much more translocated within and among spruce chromosomes than conifer-specific duplicates, which were mostly organised in tandem arrays. Both high synteny and collinearity were also observed between the genomes of spruce and pine, two conifers that diverged more than 100 million years ago.

CONCLUSIONS

Taken together, these results indicate that much genomic evolution has occurred in the seed plant lineage before the split between gymnosperms and angiosperms, and that the pace of evolution of the genome macro-structure has been much slower in the gymnosperm lineage leading to extent conifers than that seen for the same period of time in flowering plants. This trend is largely congruent with the contrasted rates of diversification and morphological evolution observed between these two groups of seed plants.

Parallel and lineage-specific molecular adaptation to climate in boreal black spruce

In response to selective pressure, adaptation may follow different genetic pathways throughout the natural range of a species due to historical differentiation in standing genetic variation. Using 41 populations of black spruce (Picea mariana), the objectives of this study were to identify adaptive genetic polymorphisms related to temperature and precipitation variation across the transcontinental range of the species, and to evaluate the potential influence of historical events on their geographic distribution. Population structure was first inferred using 50 control nuclear markers. Then, 47 candidate gene SNPs identified in previous genome scans were tested for relationship with climatic factors using an F(ST) -based outlier method and regressions between allele frequencies and climatic variations. Two main intraspecific lineages related to glacial vicariance were detected at the transcontinental scale. Within-lineage analyses of allele frequencies allowed the identification of 23 candidate SNPs significantly related to precipitation and/or temperature variation, among which seven were common to both lineages, eight were specific to the eastern lineage and eight were specific to the western lineage. The implication of these candidate SNPs in adaptive processes was further supported by gene functional annotations. Multiple evidences indicated that the occurrence of lineage-specific adaptive SNPs was better explained by selection acting on historically differentiated gene pools rather than differential selection due to heterogeneity of interacting environmental factors and pleiotropic effects. Taken together, these findings suggest that standing genetic variation of potentially adaptive nature has been modified by historical events, hence affecting the outcome of recent selection and leading to different adaptive routes between intraspecific lineages.

Differential regulation of Knotted1-like genes during establishment of the shoot apical meristem in Norway spruce (Picea abies)

Establishment of the shoot apical meristem (SAM) in Arabidopsis embryos requires the KNOXI transcription factor SHOOT MERISTEMLESS. In Norway spruce (Picea abies), four KNOXI family members (HBK1, HBK2, HBK3 and HBK4) have been identified, but a corresponding role in SAM development has not been demonstrated. As a first step to differentiate between the functions of the four Norway spruce HBK genes, we have here analyzed their expression profiles during the process of somatic embryo development. This was made both under normal embryo development and under conditions of reduced SAM formation by treatment with the polar auxin transport inhibitor NPA. Concomitantly with the formation of an embryonic SAM, the HBK2 and HBK4 genes displayed a significant up-regulation that was delayed by NPA treatment. In contrast, HBK1 and HBK3 were up-regulated prior to SAM formation, and their temporal expression was not affected by NPA. Ectopic expression of the four HBK genes in transgenic Arabidopsis plants further supported similar functions of HBK2 and HBK4, distinct from those of HBK1 and HBK3. Together, the results suggest that HBK2 and HBK4 exert similar functions related to the SAM differentiation and somatic embryo development in Norway spruce, while HBK1 and HBK3 have more general functions during embryo development.

Deciduous trees and the application of universal DNA barcodes: a case study on the circumpolar Fraxinus

The utility of DNA barcoding for identifying representative specimens of the circumpolar tree genus Fraxinus (56 species) was investigated. We examined the genetic variability of several loci suggested in chloroplast DNA barcode protocols such as matK, rpoB, rpoC1 and trnH-psbA in a large worldwide sample of Fraxinus species. The chloroplast intergenic spacer rpl32-trnL was further assessed in search for a potentially variable and useful locus. The results of the study suggest that the proposed cpDNA loci, alone or in combination, cannot fully discriminate among species because of the generally low rates of substitution in the chloroplast genome of Fraxinus. The intergenic spacer trnH-psbA was the best performing locus, but genetic distance-based discrimination was moderately successful and only resulted in the separation of the samples at the subgenus level. Use of the BLAST approach was better than the neighbor-joining tree reconstruction method with pairwise Kimura's two-parameter rates of substitution, but allowed for the correct identification of only less than half of the species sampled. Such rates are substantially lower than the success rate required for a standardised barcoding approach. Consequently, the current cpDNA barcodes are inadequate to fully discriminate Fraxinus species. Given that a low rate of substitution is common among the plastid genomes of trees, the use of the plant cpDNA "universal" barcode may not be suitable for the safe identification of tree species below a generic or sectional level. Supplementary barcoding loci of the nuclear genome and alternative solutions are proposed and discussed.

A white spruce gene catalog for conifer genome analyses

Several angiosperm plant genomes, including Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana), rice (Oryza sativa), poplar (Populus trichocarpa), and grapevine (Vitis vinifera), have been sequenced, but the lack of reference genomes in gymnosperm phyla reduces our understanding of plant evolution and restricts the potential impacts of genomics research. A gene catalog was developed for the conifer tree Picea glauca (white spruce) through large-scale expressed sequence tag sequencing and full-length cDNA sequencing to facilitate genome characterizations, comparative genomics, and gene mapping. The resource incorporates new and publicly available sequences into 27,720 cDNA clusters, 23,589 of which are represented by full-length insert cDNAs. Expressed sequence tags, mate-pair cDNA clone analysis, and custom sequencing were integrated through an iterative process to improve the accuracy of clustering outcomes. The entire catalog spans 30 Mb of unique transcribed sequence. We estimated that the P. glauca nuclear genome contains up to 32,520 transcribed genes owing to incomplete, partially sequenced, and unsampled transcripts and that its transcriptome could span up to 47 Mb. These estimates are in the same range as the Arabidopsis and rice transcriptomes. Next-generation methods confirmed and enhanced the catalog by providing deeper coverage for rare transcripts, by extending many incomplete clusters, and by augmenting the overall transcriptome coverage to 38 Mb of unique sequence. Genomic sample sequencing at 8.5% of the 19.8-Gb P. glauca genome identified 1,495 clusters representing highly repeated sequences among the cDNA clusters. With a conifer transcriptome in full view, functional and protein domain annotations clearly highlighted the divergences between conifers and angiosperms, likely reflecting their respective evolutionary paths.

QTL mapping in white spruce: gene maps and genomic regions underlying adaptive traits across pedigrees, years and environments

BACKGROUND

The genomic architecture of bud phenology and height growth remains poorly known in most forest trees. In non model species, QTL studies have shown limited application because most often QTL data could not be validated from one experiment to another. The aim of our study was to overcome this limitation by basing QTL detection on the construction of genetic maps highly-enriched in gene markers, and by assessing QTLs across pedigrees, years, and environments.

RESULTS

Four saturated individual linkage maps representing two unrelated mapping populations of 260 and 500 clonally replicated progeny were assembled from 471 to 570 markers, including from 283 to 451 gene SNPs obtained using a multiplexed genotyping assay. Thence, a composite linkage map was assembled with 836 gene markers.For individual linkage maps, a total of 33 distinct quantitative trait loci (QTLs) were observed for bud flush, 52 for bud set, and 52 for height growth. For the composite map, the corresponding numbers of QTL clusters were 11, 13, and 10. About 20% of QTLs were replicated between the two mapping populations and nearly 50% revealed spatial and/or temporal stability. Three to four occurrences of overlapping QTLs between characters were noted, indicating regions with potential pleiotropic effects. Moreover, some of the genes involved in the QTLs were also underlined by recent genome scans or expression profile studies.Overall, the proportion of phenotypic variance explained by each QTL ranged from 3.0 to 16.4% for bud flush, from 2.7 to 22.2% for bud set, and from 2.5 to 10.5% for height growth. Up to 70% of the total character variance could be accounted for by QTLs for bud flush or bud set, and up to 59% for height growth.

CONCLUSIONS

This study provides a basic understanding of the genomic architecture related to bud flush, bud set, and height growth in a conifer species, and a useful indicator to compare with Angiosperms. It will serve as a basic reference to functional and association genetic studies of adaptation and growth in Picea taxa. The putative QTNs identified will be tested for associations in natural populations, with potential applications in molecular breeding and gene conservation programs. QTLs mapping consistently across years and environments could also be the most important targets for breeding, because they represent genomic regions that may be least affected by G × E interactions.

Scanning the genome for gene SNPs related to climate adaptation and estimating selection at the molecular level in boreal black spruce

Outlier detection methods were used to scan the genome of the boreal conifer black spruce (Picea mariana [Mill.] B.S.P.) for gene single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) potentially involved in adaptations to temperature and precipitation variations. The scan involved 583 SNPs from 313 genes potentially playing adaptive roles. Differentiation estimates among population groups defined following variation in temperature and precipitation were moderately high for adaptive quantitative characters such as the timing of budset or tree height (Q(ST) = 0.189-0.314). Average differentiation estimates for gene SNPs were null, with F(ST) values of 0.005 and 0.006, respectively, among temperature and precipitation population groups. Using two detection approaches, a total of 26 SNPs from 25 genes distributed among 11 of the 12 linkage groups of black spruce were detected as outliers with F(ST) as high as 0.078. Nearly half of the outlier SNPs were located in exons and half of those were nonsynonymous. The functional annotations of genes carrying outlier SNPs and regression analyses between the frequencies of these SNPs and climatic variables supported their implication in adaptive processes. Several genes carrying outlier SNPs belonged to gene families previously found to harbour outlier SNPs in a reproductively isolated but largely sympatric congeneric species, suggesting differential subfunctionalization of gene duplicates. Selection coefficient estimates (S) were moderate but well above the magnitude of drift (>>1/N(e)), indicating that the signature of natural selection could be detected at the nucleotide level despite the recent establishment of these populations during the Holocene.

Initiation of somatic embryos and regeneration of plants from primordial shoots of 10-year-old somatic white spruce and expression profiles of 11 genes followed during the tissue culture process

Adult conifers are notoriously recalcitrant in vegetative propagation and micropropagation that would result in the regeneration of juvenile propagules through somatic embryogenesis (SE) has not been demonstrated to date. Because SE-derived material is more amenable in subsequent tissue culture experiments compared with seed-derived material, a multi-year study was conducted to investigate induction of SE from primordial shoot (PS) explants that were excised from shoot buds of somatic embryo-derived white spruce. The SE induction experiments were carried out first with greenhouse-grown and later with field-grown trees each year from 2002 (2-year-old) to 2010 (10-year-old). Of the four genotypes tested, 893-2 and 893-12 never responded, 893-1 responded up to year 4 and 893-6 consistently responded every year. In 2010, for the first time, three of the 17 893-6 clonal trees produced male strobili as well as SE from cultured PS explants. SE induction was associated with formation of a nodule on the surface of an elongated needle primordium or in callus. Early somatic embryos were detectable after about 3 weeks of culture. Of 11 genes whose expression profiles were followed during the PS cultures, CHAP3A, VP1, WOX2 and SAP2C were expressed exclusively in the early stages of SE, and could potentially be used as markers of embryogenecity. Mature somatic embryos and plants were produced from the explants of responding genotype. Implication of these results for future research on adult conifer recalcitrance in micropropagation is discussed.

Subgroup 4 R2R3-MYBs in conifer trees: gene family expansion and contribution to the isoprenoid- and flavonoid-oriented responses

Transcription factors play a fundamental role in plants by orchestrating temporal and spatial gene expression in response to environmental stimuli. Several R2R3-MYB genes of the Arabidopsis subgroup 4 (Sg4) share a C-terminal EAR motif signature recently linked to stress response in angiosperm plants. It is reported here that nearly all Sg4 MYB genes in the conifer trees Picea glauca (white spruce) and Pinus taeda (loblolly pine) form a monophyletic clade (Sg4C) that expanded following the split of gymnosperm and angiosperm lineages. Deeper sequencing in P. glauca identified 10 distinct Sg4C sequences, indicating over-representation of Sg4 sequences compared with angiosperms such as Arabidopsis, Oryza, Vitis, and Populus. The Sg4C MYBs share the EAR motif core. Many of them had stress-responsive transcript profiles after wounding, jasmonic acid (JA) treatment, or exposure to cold in P. glauca and P. taeda, with MYB14 transcripts accumulating most strongly and rapidly. Functional characterization was initiated by expressing the P. taeda MYB14 (PtMYB14) gene in transgenic P. glauca plantlets with a tissue-preferential promoter (cinnamyl alcohol dehydrogenase) and a ubiquitous gene promoter (ubiquitin). Histological, metabolite, and transcript (microarray and targeted quantitative real-time PCR) analyses of PtMYB14 transgenics, coupled with mechanical wounding and JA application experiments on wild-type plantlets, allowed identification of PtMYB14 as a putative regulator of an isoprenoid-oriented response that leads to the accumulation of sesquiterpene in conifers. Data further suggested that PtMYB14 may contribute to a broad defence response implicating flavonoids. This study also addresses the potential involvement of closely related Sg4C sequences in stress responses and plant evolution.

Molecular evolution of regulatory genes in spruces from different species and continents: heterogeneous patterns of linkage disequilibrium and selection but correlated recent demographic changes

Genes involved in transcription regulation may represent valuable targets in association genetics studies because of their key roles in plant development and potential selection at the molecular level. Selection and demographic signatures at the sequence level were investigated for five regulatory genes belonging to the knox-I family (KN1, KN2, KN3, KN4) and the HD-Zip III family (HB-3) in three Picea species affected by post-glacial recolonization in North America and Europe. To disentangle neutral and selective forces and estimate linkage disequilibrium (LD) on a gene basis, complete or nearly complete gene sequences were analysed. Nucleotide variation within species, haplotype structure, LD, and neutrality tests, in addition to coalescent simulations based on Tajima’s D and Fay and Wu’s H, were estimated. Nucleotide diversity was generally low in all species (average π = 0.002–0.003) and much heterogeneity was seen in LD and selection signatures among genes and species. Most of the genes harboured an excess of both rare and frequent alleles in the three species. Simulations showed that this excess was significantly higher than that expected under neutrality and a bottleneck during the Last Glacial Maximum followed by population expansion at the Pleistocene/Holocene boundary or shortly after best explains the correlated sequence patterns. These results indicate that despite recent large demographic changes in the three boreal species from two continents, species-specific selection signatures could still be detected from the analysis of nearly complete regulatory gene sequences. Such different signatures indicate differential subfunctionalization of gene family members in the three congeneric species.

Branch length estimation and divergence dating: estimates of error in Bayesian and maximum likelihood frameworks

BACKGROUND

Estimates of divergence dates between species improve our understanding of processes ranging from nucleotide substitution to speciation. Such estimates are frequently based on molecular genetic differences between species; therefore, they rely on accurate estimates of the number of such differences (i.e. substitutions per site, measured as branch length on phylogenies). We used simulations to determine the effects of dataset size, branch length heterogeneity, branch depth, and analytical framework on branch length estimation across a range of branch lengths. We then reanalyzed an empirical dataset for plethodontid salamanders to determine how inaccurate branch length estimation can affect estimates of divergence dates.

RESULTS

The accuracy of branch length estimation varied with branch length, dataset size (both number of taxa and sites), branch length heterogeneity, branch depth, dataset complexity, and analytical framework. For simple phylogenies analyzed in a Bayesian framework, branches were increasingly underestimated as branch length increased; in a maximum likelihood framework, longer branch lengths were somewhat overestimated. Longer datasets improved estimates in both frameworks; however, when the number of taxa was increased, estimation accuracy for deeper branches was less than for tip branches. Increasing the complexity of the dataset produced more misestimated branches in a Bayesian framework; however, in an ML framework, more branches were estimated more accurately. Using ML branch length estimates to re-estimate plethodontid salamander divergence dates generally resulted in an increase in the estimated age of older nodes and a decrease in the estimated age of younger nodes.

CONCLUSIONS

Branch lengths are misestimated in both statistical frameworks for simulations of simple datasets. However, for complex datasets, length estimates are quite accurate in ML (even for short datasets), whereas few branches are estimated accurately in a Bayesian framework. Our reanalysis of empirical data demonstrates the magnitude of effects of Bayesian branch length misestimation on divergence date estimates. Because the length of branches for empirical datasets can be estimated most reliably in an ML framework when branches are <1 substitution/site and datasets are > or =1 kb, we suggest that divergence date estimates using datasets, branch lengths, and/or analytical techniques that fall outside of these parameters should be interpreted with caution.

Selection on nuclear genes in a Pinus phylogeny

In this study, we investigate natural selection in a pine phylogeny. DNA sequences from 18 nuclear genes were used to construct a very well-supported species tree including 10 pine species. This tree is in complete agreement with a previously reported supertree constructed from morphological and molecular data, but there are discrepancies with previous chloroplast phylogenies within the section Pinus. A significant difference in evolutionary rate between Picea and Pinus was found, which could potentially indicate a lower mutation rate in Picea, but other scenarios are also possible. Several approaches were used to study selection patterns in a set of 21 nuclear genes in pines and in some cases in Picea and Pseudotsuga. The overall pattern suggests efficient purifying selection resulting in low branch-specific d(n)/d(s) ratios with an average of 0.22, which is similar to other higher plants. Evidence for purifying selection was common and found on at least 55% of the branches. Evidence of positive selection at several sites was found in a phytocyanin homolog and significant differences in d(n)/d(s) among the branches in the gene tree in dehydrin 1. Several genes suitable for further phylogenetic analysis at various levels of divergence were identified.

Patterns of divergence among conifer ESTs and polymorphism in Pinus sylvestris identify putative selective sweeps

Finding genes that are under positive selection is a difficult task, especially in non-model organisms. Here, we have analyzed expressed sequence tag (EST) data from 4 species (Pinus pinaster, Pinus taeda, Picea glauca, and Pseudotsuga menziesii) to investigate selection patterns during their evolution and to identify genes likely to be under positive selection. To confirm selection, population samples of these genes have been sequenced in Pinus sylvestris, a species that was not included in the EST data set. The estimates of branch-specific Ka/Ks (nonsynonymous/synonymous substitution rates) across all genes in the EST data set were similar or smaller than estimates from other higher plant species. There was no evidence for the traditional indication of positive selection, Ka/Ks above 1. However, several lines of evidence based on polymorphism patterns suggest that genes with high Ka/Ks (0.20-0.52) in the EST data set are in fact more affected by positive selection in P. sylvestris than genes with low Ka/Ks (0.01-0.04). The high Ka/Ks genes have a lower level of polymorphism and more negative Tajima's D than the low Ka/Ks genes. Further, in the high Ka/Ks group, the Hudson-Kreitman-Aguade test is significant. This suggests that the EST data set is a good starting point for finding genes under positive selection in conifers and that even moderate Ka/Ks values could be indicative of selection. A group of 5 genes with high Ka/Ks collectively show evidence for positive selection within P. sylvestris.

Positive selection and expression divergence following gene duplication in the sunflower CYCLOIDEA gene family

Members of the CYCLOIDEA (CYC)/TEOSINTE-BRANCHED1 (TB1) group of transcription factors have been implicated in the evolution of zygomorphic (i.e., bilaterally symmetric) flowers in Antirrhinum and Lotus and the loss of branching phenotype during the domestication of maize. The composite inflorescences of sunflower (Helianthus annuus L. Asteraceae) contain both zygomorphic and actinomorphic (i.e., radially symmetric) florets (rays and disks, respectively), and the cultivated sunflower has evolved an unbranched phenotype in response to domestication from its highly branched wild progenitor; hence, genes related to CYC/TB1 are of great interest in this study system. We identified 10 members of the CYC/TB1 gene family in sunflower, which is more than found in any other species investigated to date. Phylogenetic analysis indicates that these genes occur in 3 distinct clades, consistent with previous research in other eudicot species. A combination of dating the duplication events and linkage mapping indicates that only some of the duplications were associated with polyploidization. Cosegregation between CYC-like genes and branching-related quantitative trait loci suggest a minor, if any, role for these genes in conferring differences in branching. However, the expression patterns of one gene suggest a possible role in the development of ray versus disk florets. Molecular evolutionary analyses reveal that residues in the conserved domains were the targets of positive selection following gene duplication. Taken together, these results indicate that gene duplication and functional divergence have played a major role in diversification of the sunflower CYC gene family.

Population, quantitative and comparative genomics of adaptation in forest trees

High-throughput DNA sequencing and genotyping technologies have enabled a new generation of research in plant genetics where combined quantitative and population genetic approaches can be used to better understand the relationship between naturally occurring genotypic and phenotypic diversity. Forest trees are highly amenable to such studies because of their combined undomesticated and partially domesticated state. Forest geneticists are using association genetics to dissect complex adaptive traits and discover the underlying genes. In parallel, they are using resequencing of candidate genes and modern population genetics methods to discover genes under natural selection. This combined approach is identifying the most important genes that determine patterns of complex trait adaptation observed in many tree populations.

Genomics to tree breeding and forest health

Genomic discovery in forest trees follows paradigms from both agricultural crop and livestock improvement and human medicine. Forest trees in a domesticated state can be improved using genomic-based breeding technologies, whereas the health of trees in a natural and undomesticated state might be managed using those same technologies. These applications begin by first dissecting complex traits in trees to their individual gene components and for that the association genetics approach is quite powerful in trees. This is true for several reasons including large, random mating, and unstructured populations and the rapid decay of linkage disequilibrium in many tree species. Once marker by trait associations are discovered, they can be used in genomic-based breeding and forest health diagnostics. Initial studies in trees have found ample nucleotide diversity in candidate genes to perform association studies and single nucleotide polymorphisms have been associated with economic and adaptive traits. Population genetic neutrality tests have been applied to identify genes probably under natural selection and thus make good candidates for developing forest health diagnostic tools.

Enhancing genetic mapping of complex genomes through the design of highly-multiplexed SNP arrays: application to the large and unsequenced genomes of white spruce and black spruce

Background

To explore the potential value of high-throughput genotyping assays in the analysis of large and complex genomes, we designed two highly multiplexed Illumina bead arrays using the GoldenGate SNP assay for gene mapping in white spruce (Picea glauca [Moench] Voss) and black spruce (Picea mariana [Mill.] B.S.P.).

Results

Each array included 768 SNPs, identified by resequencing genomic DNA from parents of each mapping population. For white spruce and black spruce, respectively, 69.2% and 77.1% of genotyped SNPs had valid GoldenGate assay scores and segregated in the mapping populations. For each of these successful SNPs, on average, valid genotyping scores were obtained for over 99% of progeny. SNP data were integrated to pre-existing ALFP, ESTP, and SSR markers to construct two individual linkage maps and a composite map for white spruce and black spruce genomes. The white spruce composite map contained 821 markers including 348 gene loci. Also, 835 markers including 328 gene loci were positioned on the black spruce composite map. In total, 215 anchor markers (mostly gene markers) were shared between the two species. Considering lineage divergence at least 10 Myr ago between the two spruces, interspecific comparison of homoeologous linkage groups revealed remarkable synteny and marker colinearity.

Conclusion

The design of customized highly multiplexed Illumina SNP arrays appears as an efficient procedure to enhance the mapping of expressed genes and make linkage maps more informative and powerful in such species with poorly known genomes. This genotyping approach will open new avenues for co-localizing candidate genes and QTLs, partial genome sequencing, and comparative mapping across conifers.

Identification of conserved core xylem gene sets: conifer cDNA microarray development, transcript profiling and computational analyses

One approach for investigating the molecular basis of wood formation is to integrate microarray profiling data sets and sequence analyses, comparing tree species with model plants such as Arabidopsis. Conifers may be included in comparative studies thanks to large-scale expressed sequence tag (EST) analyses, which enable the development of cDNA microarrays with very significant genome coverage. A microarray of 10,400 low-redundancy sequences was designed starting from white spruce (Picea glauca (Moench.) Voss) cDNAs. Computational procedures that were developed to ensure broad transcriptome coverage and efficient PCR amplification were used to select cDNA clones, which were re-sequenced in the microarray manufacture process. White spruce transcript profiling experiments that compared secondary xylem to phloem and needles identified 360 xylem-preferential gene sequences. The functional annotations of all differentially expressed sequences were highly consistent with the results of similar analyses carried out in angiosperm trees and herbaceous plants. Computational analyses comparing the spruce microarray sequences and core xylem gene sets from Arabidopsis identified 31 transcripts that were highly conserved in angiosperms and gymnosperms, in terms of both sequence and xylem expression. Several other spruce sequences have not previously been linked to xylem differentiation (including genes encoding TUBBY-like domain proteins (TLPs) and a gibberellin insensitive (gai) gene sequence) or were shown to encode proteins of unknown function encompassing diverse conserved domains of unknown function.

Revelation of ancestral roles of KNOX genes by a functional analysis of Physcomitrella homologues

KNOX genes are indispensable elements of indeterminate apical growth programmes of vascular plant sporophytes. Since little is known about the roles of such genes in non-vascular plants, functional analysis of moss KNOX homologues (MKN genes) was undertaken using the genetically amenable model plant, Physcomitrella patens. Three MKN genes were inactivated by targeted gene knockout to produce single, double and triple mutants. MKN2 (a class 1 KNOX gene) mutants were characterised by premature sporogenesis, abnormal sporophyte ontogeny and irregular spore development. MKN4 (a second class 1 gene) mutants were phenotypically normal. MKN1-3 (a class 2 KNOX gene) mutants exhibited defects in spore coat morphology. Analysis of double and triple mutants revealed that the abnormal sporophytic phenotype of MKN2 mutants was accentuated by mutating MKN4 and to a lesser degree by mutating MKN1-3. The aberrant spore phenotype of MKN1-3 and MKN2 mutants was exacerbated by mutating MKN4. This study provides the first instance in which an abnormal phenotype has been associated with the disruption of a class 2 KNOX gene as well as the first demonstrated case of functional redundancy between a class 1 and a class 2 KNOX gene. We conclude that KNOX genes play significant roles in programming sporophytic development in moss and we provide evidence that ancestral function(s) of this gene family were instrumental in the successful transition of plants to a terrestrial environment.

Conifer R2R3-MYB transcription factors: sequence analyses and gene expression in wood-forming tissues of white spruce (Picea glauca)

BACKGROUND

Several members of the R2R3-MYB family of transcription factors act as regulators of lignin and phenylpropanoid metabolism during wood formation in angiosperm and gymnosperm plants. The angiosperm Arabidopsis has over one hundred R2R3-MYBs genes; however, only a few members of this family have been discovered in gymnosperms.

RESULTS

We isolated and characterised full-length cDNAs encoding R2R3-MYB genes from the gymnosperms white spruce, Picea glauca (13 sequences), and loblolly pine, Pinus taeda L. (five sequences). Sequence similarities and phylogenetic analyses placed the spruce and pine sequences in diverse subgroups of the large R2R3-MYB family, although several of the sequences clustered closely together. We searched the highly variable C-terminal region of diverse plant MYBs for conserved amino acid sequences and identified 20 motifs in the spruce MYBs, nine of which have not previously been reported and three of which are specific to conifers. The number and length of the introns in spruce MYB genes varied significantly, but their positions were well conserved relative to angiosperm MYB genes. Quantitative RTPCR of MYB genes transcript abundance in root and stem tissues revealed diverse expression patterns; three MYB genes were preferentially expressed in secondary xylem, whereas others were preferentially expressed in phloem or were ubiquitous. The MYB genes expressed in xylem, and three others, were up-regulated in the compression wood of leaning trees within 76 hours of induction.

CONCLUSION

Our survey of 18 conifer R2R3-MYB genes clearly showed a gene family structure similar to that of Arabidopsis. Three of the sequences are likely to play a role in lignin metabolism and/or wood formation in gymnosperm trees, including a close homolog of the loblolly pine PtMYB4, shown to regulate lignin biosynthesis in transgenic tobacco.

Comparative genome mapping among Picea glauca, P. mariana x P. rubens and P. abies, and correspondence with other Pinaceae

A composite linkage map was constructed from four individual maps for the conifer Picea glauca (Moench) Voss, from anonymous and gene-specific markfers (714 AFLPs, 38 SSRs, and 53 ESTPs). A total of 12 linkage groups were delineated with an average marker density of 2.7 cM. Macro-synteny and macro-colinearity comparisons with two other composite linkage maps developed for the species complex P. mariana (Mill.) B.S.P. x P. rubens Sarg., and for P. abies (L.) Karst. revealed an identical number of linkage groups and a remarkable conservation of the gene content and gene order of linkage groups over the million years since the split between these taxa. Identical gene order among taxa was observed for 10 of the 12 assembled composite linkage groups. The discovery of one breakdown in synteny between P. glauca and the other two taxa indicated the occurrence of an inter-chromosomal rearrangement involving an insertional translocation. Analysis of marker colinearity also revealed a putative segmental duplication. The combined information from these three Picea genomes validated and improved large-scale genome comparisons at the inter-generic level in the family Pinaceae by allowing for the identification of 11 homoeologous linkage groups between Picea and Pinus, and nine such groups between Picea and Pseudotsuga menziesii. Notably, the analysis of synteny among the three genera revealed a putative case of chromosomal fission and an inter-chromosomal rearrangement in the genome of P. menziesii. Both of these changes are inter-connected, indicating much instability in this part of the P. menziesii genome. Overall, the macro-structure of the Pinaceae genome was well conserved, which is notable given the Cretaceous origin of its main lineages.

A composite linkage map from two crosses for the species complex Picea mariana x Picea rubens and analysis of synteny with other Pinaceae

Four individual linkage maps were constructed from two crosses for the species complex Picea mariana (Mill.) B.S.P. x Picea rubens Sarg in order to integrate their information into a composite map and to compare with other Pinaceae. For all individual linkage maps, 12 major linkage groups were recovered with 306 markers per map on average. Before building the composite linkage map, the common male parent between the two crosses made it possible to construct a reference linkage map to validate the relative position of homologous markers. The final composite map had a length of 2,319 cM (Haldane) and contained a total of 1,124 positioned markers, including 1,014 AFLPs, 3 RAPDs, 53 SSRs, and 54 ESTPs, assembled into 12 major linkage groups. Marker density of the composite map was statistically homogenous and was much higher (one marker every 2.1 cM) than that of the individual linkage maps (one marker every 5.7 to 7.1 cM). Synteny was well conserved between individual, reference, and composite linkage maps and 94% of homologous markers were colinear between the reference and composite maps. The combined information from the two crosses increased by about 24% the number of anchor markers compared to the information from any single cross. With a total number of 107 anchor markers (SSRs and ESTPs), the composite linkage map is a useful starting point for large-scale genome comparisons at the intergeneric level in the Pinaceae. Comparisons of this map with those in Pinus and Pseudotsuga allowed the identification of one breakdown in synteny where one linkage group homologous to both Picea and Pinus corresponded to two linkage groups in Pseudotsuga. Implications for the evolution of the Pinaceae genome are discussed.

Generation, annotation, analysis and database integration of 16,500 white spruce EST clusters

Background

The sequencing and analysis of ESTs is for now the only practical approach for large-scale gene discovery and annotation in conifers because their very large genomes are unlikely to be sequenced in the near future. Our objective was to produce extensive collections of ESTs and cDNA clones to support manufacture of cDNA microarrays and gene discovery in white spruce (Picea glauca [Moench] Voss).

Results

We produced 16 cDNA libraries from different tissues and a variety of treatments, and partially sequenced 50,000 cDNA clones. High quality 3' and 5' reads were assembled into 16,578 consensus sequences, 45% of which represented full length inserts. Consensus sequences derived from 5' and 3' reads of the same cDNA clone were linked to define 14,471 transcripts. A large proportion (84%) of the spruce sequences matched a pine sequence, but only 68% of the spruce transcripts had homologs in Arabidopsis or rice. Nearly all the sequences that matched the Populus trichocarpa genome (the only sequenced tree genome) also matched rice or Arabidopsis genomes. We used several sequence similarity search approaches for assignment of putative functions, including blast searches against general and specialized databases (transcription factors, cell wall related proteins), Gene Ontology term assignation and Hidden Markov Model searches against PFAM protein families and domains. In total, 70% of the spruce transcripts displayed matches to proteins of known or unknown function in the Uniref100 database (blastx e-value < 1e-10). We identified multigenic families that appeared larger in spruce than in the Arabidopsis or rice genomes. Detailed analysis of translationally controlled tumour proteins and S-adenosylmethionine synthetase families confirmed a twofold size difference. Sequences and annotations were organized in a dedicated database, SpruceDB. Several search tools were developed to mine the data either based on their occurrence in the cDNA libraries or on functional annotations.

Conclusion

This report illustrates specific approaches for large-scale gene discovery and annotation in an organism that is very distantly related to any of the fully sequenced genomes. The ArboreaSet sequences and cDNA clones represent a valuable resource for investigations ranging from plant comparative genomics to applied conifer genetics.