SNP discovery in black cottonwood (Populus trichocarpa) by population transcriptome resequencing

Few-Shot Learning Enables Population-Scale Analysis of Leaf Traits in Populus trichocarpa

Plant phenotyping is typically a time-consuming and expensive endeavor, requiring large groups of researchers to meticulously measure biologically relevant plant traits, and is the main bottleneck in understanding plant adaptation and the genetic architecture underlying complex traits at population scale. In this work, we address these challenges by leveraging few-shot learning with convolutional neural networks to segment the leaf body and visible venation of 2,906 Populus trichocarpa leaf images obtained in the field. In contrast to previous methods, our approach (a) does not require experimental or image preprocessing, (b) uses the raw RGB images at full resolution, and (c) requires very few samples for training (e.g., just 8 images for vein segmentation). Traits relating to leaf morphology and vein topology are extracted from the resulting segmentations using traditional open-source image-processing tools, validated using real-world physical measurements, and used to conduct a genome-wide association study to identify genes controlling the traits. In this way, the current work is designed to provide the plant phenotyping community with (a) methods for fast and accurate image-based feature extraction that require minimal training data and (b) a new population-scale dataset, including 68 different leaf phenotypes, for domain scientists and machine learning researchers. All of the few-shot learning code, data, and results are made publicly available.

AtbZIP62 Acts as a Transcription Repressor to Positively Regulate ABA Responses in Arabidopsis

The basic region/leucine zipper (bZIP) transcription factor AtbZIP62 is involved in the regulation of plant responses to abiotic stresses, including drought and salinity stresses, NO₃ transport, and basal defense in Arabidopsis. It is unclear if it plays a role in regulating plant responses to abscisic acid (ABA), a phytohormone that can regulate plant abiotic stress responses via regulating downstream ABA-responsive genes. Using RT-PCR analysis, we found that the expression level of AtbZIP62 was increased in response to exogenously applied ABA. Protoplast transfection assays show that AtbZIP62 is predominantly localized in the nucleus and functions as a transcription repressor. To examine the roles of AtbZIP62 in regulating ABA responses, we generated transgenic Arabidopsis plants overexpressing AtbZIP62 and created gene-edited atbzip62 mutants using CRISPR/Cas9. We found that in both ABA-regulated seed germination and cotyledon greening assays, the 35S:AtbZIP62 transgenic plants were hypersensitive, whereas atbzip62 mutants were hyposensitive to ABA. To examine the functional mechanisms of AtbZIP62 in regulating ABA responses, we generated Arabidopsis transgenic plants overexpressing 35S:AtbZIP62-GR, and performed transcriptome analysis to identify differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in the presence and absence of DEX, and found that DEGs are highly enriched in processes including response to abiotic stresses and response to ABA. Quantitative RT-PCR results further show that AtbZIP62 may regulate the expression of several ABA-responsive genes, including USP, ABF2, and SnRK2.7. In summary, our results show that AtbZIP62 is an ABA-responsive gene, and AtbZIP62 acts as a transcription repressor to positively regulate ABA responses in Arabidopsis.

Identifying and testing marker‐trait associations for growth and phenology in three pine species: implications for genomic prediction

In tree species, genomic prediction offers the potential to forecast mature trait values in early growth stages, if robust marker–trait associations can be identified. Here we apply a novel multispecies approach using genotypes from a new genotyping array, based on 20,795 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) from three closely related pine species (Pinus sylvestris, Pinus uncinata and Pinus mugo), to test for associations with growth and phenology data from a common garden study. Predictive models constructed using significantly associated SNPs were then tested and applied to an independent multisite field trial of P. sylvestris and the capability to predict trait values was evaluated. One hundred and eighteen SNPs showed significant associations with the traits in the pine species. Common SNPs (MAF > 0.05) associated with bud set were only found in genes putatively involved in growth and development, whereas those associated with growth and budburst were also located in genes putatively involved in response to environment and, to a lesser extent, reproduction. At one of the two independent sites, the model we developed produced highly significant correlations between predicted values and observed height data (YA, height 2020: r = 0.376, p < 0.001). Predicted values estimated with our budburst model were weakly but positively correlated with duration of budburst at one of the sites (GS, 2015: r = 0.204, p = 0.034; 2018: r = 0.205, p = 0.034–0.037) and negatively associated with budburst timing at the other (YA: r = −0.202, p = 0.046). Genomic prediction resulted in the selection of sets of trees whose mean height was taller than the average for each site. Our results provide tentative support for the capability of prediction models to forecast trait values in trees, while highlighting the need for caution in applying them to trees grown in different environments.

RNA Sequencing Reveals Phenylpropanoid Biosynthesis Genes and Transcription Factors for Hevea brasiliensis Reaction Wood Formation

Given the importance of wood in many industrial applications, much research has focused on wood formation, especially lignin biosynthesis. However, the mechanisms governing the regulation of lignin biosynthesis in the rubber tree (Hevea brasiliensis) remain to be elucidated. Here, we gained insight into the mechanisms of rubber tree lignin biosynthesis using reaction wood (wood with abnormal tissue structure induced by gravity or artificial mechanical treatment) as an experimental model. We performed transcriptome analysis of rubber tree mature xylem from tension wood (TW), opposite wood (OW), and normal wood (NW) using RNA sequencing (RNA-seq). A total of 214, 1,280, and 32 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified in TW vs. NW, OW vs. NW, and TW vs. OW, respectively. GO and KEGG enrichment analysis of DEGs from different comparison groups showed that zeatin biosynthesis, plant hormone signal transduction, phenylpropanoid biosynthesis, and plant-pathogen interaction pathways may play important roles in reaction wood formation. Sixteen transcripts involved in phenylpropanoid biosynthesis and 129 transcripts encoding transcription factors (TFs) were used to construct a TF-gene regulatory network for rubber tree lignin biosynthesis. Among them, MYB, C2H2, and NAC TFs could regulate all the DEGs involved in phenylpropanoid biosynthesis. Overall, this study identified candidate genes and TFs likely involved in phenylpropanoid biosynthesis and provides novel insights into the mechanisms regulating rubber tree lignin biosynthesis.

Multivariate genome-wide association study of leaf shape in a Populus deltoides and P. simonii F1 pedigree

Leaf morphology exhibits tremendous diversity between and within species, and is likely related to adaptation to environmental factors. Most poplar species are of great economic and ecological values and their leaf morphology can be a good predictor for wood productivity and environment adaptation. It is important to understand the genetic mechanism behind variation in leaf shape. Although some initial efforts have been made to identify quantitative trait loci (QTLs) for poplar leaf traits, more effort needs to be expended to unravel the polygenic architecture of the complex traits of leaf shape. Here, we performed a genome-wide association analysis (GWAS) of poplar leaf shape traits in a randomized complete block design with clones from F1 hybrids of Populus deltoides and Populus simonii. A total of 35 SNPs were identified as significantly associated with the multiple traits of a moderate number of regular polar radii between the leaf centroid and its edge points, which could represent the leaf shape, based on a multivariate linear mixed model. In contrast, the univariate linear mixed model was applied as single leaf traits for GWAS, leading to genomic inflation; thus, no significant SNPs were detected for leaf length, measures of leaf width, leaf area, or the ratio of leaf length to leaf width under genomic control. Investigation of the candidate genes showed that most flanking regions of the significant leaf shape-associated SNPs harbored genes that were related to leaf growth and development and to the regulation of leaf morphology. The combined use of the traditional experimental design and the multivariate linear mixed model could greatly improve the power in GWAS because the multiple trait data from a large number of individuals with replicates of clones were incorporated into the statistical model. The results of this study will enhance the understanding of the genetic mechanism of leaf shape variation in Populus. In addition, a moderate number of regular leaf polar radii can largely represent the leaf shape and can be used for GWAS of such a complicated trait in Populus, instead of the higher-dimensional regular radius data that were previously considered to well represent leaf shape.

Understanding population structure in an evolutionary context: population-specific FST and pairwise FST

Populations are shaped by their history. It is crucial to interpret population structure in an evolutionary context. Pairwise F_ST measures population structure, whereas population-specific F_ST measures deviation from the ancestral population. To understand the current population structure and a population’s history of range expansion, we propose a representation method that overlays population-specific F_ST estimates on a sampling location map, and on an unrooted neighbor-joining tree and a multi-dimensional scaling plot inferred from a pairwise F_ST distance matrix. We examined the usefulness of our procedure using simulations that mimicked population colonization from an ancestral population and by analyzing published human, Atlantic cod, and wild poplar data. Our results demonstrated that population-specific F_ST values identify the source population and trace the evolutionary history of its derived populations. Conversely, pairwise F_ST values represent the current population structure. By integrating the results of both estimators, we obtained a new picture of the population structure that incorporates evolutionary history. The generalized least squares estimate of genome-wide population-specific F_ST indicated that the wild poplar population expanded its distribution to the north, where daylight hours are long in summer, to coastal areas with abundant rainfall, and to the south where summers are dry. Genomic data highlight the power of the bias-corrected moment estimators of F_ST, whether global, pairwise, or population-specific, that provide unbiased estimates of F_ST. All F_ST moment estimators described in this paper have reasonable processing times and are useful in population genomics studies.

A transcriptomic variation map provides insights into the genetic basis of Pinus massoniana Lamb. evolution and the association with oleoresin yield

BACKGROUND

Masson pine (Pinus massoniana Lamb.), the dominant native coniferous species in southern China, is commercially important for supplying timber and oleoresin. However, knowledge of the genetic variability of masson pine germplasm is still limited. In this study, the genetic diversity and population structure of masson pine germplasm were assessed using 204 wild accessions from 10 main distribution regions using 94,194 core single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) obtained from transcriptome sequencing data.

RESULTS

The average expected heterozygosity was 0.2724, implying abundant genetic diversity within masson pine germplasm. Analysis of molecular variance (AMOVA) revealed that 3.29% of the variation was sourced from genetic differentiation. Structure analysis identified two geographically distinct groups. Discriminant analysis of principal components (DAPC) showed that one of those groups was further divided into two clusters. Sichuan and Chongqing provenance is the geographical origin, which diffused outward along two different lines. Oleoresin yield is reflected in the evolution of the two groups, and exhibits two different trends along the two lines of diffusion. The oleoresin yield may be associated with the genes of chitinase, CYP720B, cytochrome P450, ABC transporter, and AP2/ethylene-responsive transcription factor (ERF) based on SNPs and expression.

CONCLUSIONS

SNP markers from transcriptome sequencing are highly capable of evaluating genetic diversity within different species, as well as the genetic control of objective traits. The functions of these genes will be verified in future studies, and those genes strongly associated with oleoresin yield will be used to improve yields by means of early genotype selection and genetic engineering.

The interplay between microRNA and alternative splicing of linear and circular RNAs in eleven plant species

MOTIVATION

MicroRNA (miRNA) and alternative splicing (AS)-mediated post-transcriptional regulation has been extensively studied in most eukaryotes. However, the interplay between AS and miRNAs has not been explored in plants. To our knowledge, the overall profile of miRNA target sites in circular RNAs (circRNA) generated by alternative back splicing has never been reported previously. To address the challenge, we identified miRNA target sites located in alternatively spliced regions of the linear and circular splice isoforms using the up-to-date single-molecule real-time (SMRT) isoform sequencing (Iso-Seq) and Illumina sequencing data in eleven plant species.

RESULTS

In total, we identified 399 401 and 114 574 AS events from linear and circular RNAs, respectively. Among them, there were 64 781 and 41 146 miRNA target sites located in linear and circular AS region, respectively. In addition, we found 38 913 circRNAs to be overlapping with 45 648 AS events of its own parent isoforms, suggesting circRNA regulation of AS of linear RNAs by forming R-loop with the genomic locus. Here, we present a comprehensive database of miRNA targets in alternatively spliced linear and circRNAs (ASmiR) and a web server for deposition and identification of miRNA target sites located in the alternatively spliced region of linear and circular RNAs. This database is accompanied by an easy-to-use web query interface for meaningful downstream analysis. Plant research community can submit user-defined datasets to the web service to search AS regions harboring small RNA target sites. In conclusion, this study provides an unprecedented resource to understand regulatory relationships between miRNAs and AS in both gymnosperms and angiosperms.

AVAILABILITY AND IMPLEMENTATION

The readily accessible database and web-based tools are available at http://forestry.fafu.edu.cn/bioinfor/db/ASmiR.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION

Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.

Multitrait genome-wide association analysis of Populus trichocarpa identifies key polymorphisms controlling morphological and physiological traits

Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have great promise for identifying the loci that contribute to adaptive variation, but the complex genetic architecture of many quantitative traits presents a substantial challenge. We measured 14 morphological and physiological traits and identified single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP)-phenotype associations in a Populus trichocarpa population distributed from California, USA to British Columbia, Canada. We used whole-genome resequencing data of 882 trees with more than 6.78 million SNPs, coupled with multitrait association to detect polymorphisms with potentially pleiotropic effects. Candidate genes were validated with functional data. Broad-sense heritability (H² ) ranged from 0.30 to 0.56 for morphological traits and 0.08 to 0.36 for physiological traits. In total, 4 and 20 gene models were detected using the single-trait and multitrait association methods, respectively. Several of these associations were corroborated by additional lines of evidence, including co-expression networks, metabolite analyses, and direct confirmation of gene function through RNAi. Multitrait association identified many more significant associations than single-trait association, potentially revealing pleiotropic effects of individual genes. This approach can be particularly useful for challenging physiological traits such as water-use efficiency or complex traits such as leaf morphology, for which we were able to identify credible candidate genes by combining multitrait association with gene co-expression and co-methylation data.

Accuracy of RNAseq based SNP discovery and genotyping in Populusnigra

Backgroud

Populus nigra is a major tree species of ecological and economic importance for which several initiatives have been set up to create genomic resources. In order to access the large number of Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms (SNPs) typically needed to carry out a genome scan, the present study aimed at evaluating RNA sequencing as a tool to discover and type SNPs in genes within natural populations of P. nigra.

Results

We have devised a bioinformatics pipeline to call and type SNPs from RNAseq reads and applied it to P. nigra transcriptomic data. The accuracy of the resulting RNAseq-based SNP calling and typing has been evaluated by (i) comparing their position and alleles to those previously reported in candidate genes, (ii) assessing their genotyping accuracy with respect to a previously available SNP chip and (iii) evaluating their inter-annual repeatability. We found that a combination of several callers yields a good compromise between the number of variants type and the accuracy of genotyping. We further used the resulting genotypic data to carry out basic genetic analyses whose results confirm the quality of the RNAseq-based SNP dataset.

Conclusions

We demonstrated the potential and accuracy of RNAseq as an efficient way to genotype SNPs in P. nigra. These results open prospects towards the use of this technology for quantitative and population genomics studies.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (10.1186/s12864-018-5239-z) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Approaches to variant discovery for conifer transcriptome sequencing

There is a wide diversity of bioinformatic tools available for the assembly of next generation sequence and subsequence variant calling to identify genetic markers at scale. Integration of genomics tools such as genomic selection, association studies, pedigree analysis and analysis of genetic diversity, into operational breeding is a goal for New Zealand’s most widely planted exotic tree species, Pinus radiata. In the absence of full reference genomes for large megagenomes such as in conifers, RNA sequencing in a range of genotypes and tissue types, offers a rich source of genetic markers for downstream application. We compared nine different assembler and variant calling software combinations in a single transcriptomic library and found that Single Nucleotide Polymorphism (SNPs) discovery could vary by as much as an order of magnitude (8,061 SNPs up to 86,815 SNPs). The assembler with the best realignment of the packages trialled, Trinity, in combination with several variant callers was then applied to a much larger multi-genotype, multi-tissue transcriptome and identified 683,135 in silico SNPs across a predicted 449,951 exons when mapped to the Pinus taeda ver 1.01e reference.

Gene-based SNP identification and validation in soybean using next-generation transcriptome sequencing

Gene-based molecular markers are increasingly used in crop breeding programs for marker-assisted selection. However, identification of genetic variants associated with important agronomic traits has remained a difficult task in soybean. RNA-Seq provides an efficient way, other than assessing global expression variations of coding genes, to discover gene-based SNPs at the whole genome level. In this study, RNA isolated from four soybean accessions each with three replications was subjected to high-throughput sequencing and a range of 44.2-65.9 million paired-end reads were generated for each library. A total of 75,209 SNPs were identified among different genotypes after combination of replications, 89.1% of which were located in expressed regions and 27.0% resulted in amino acid changes. GO enrichment analysis revealed that most significant enriched genes with nonsynonymous SNPs were involved in ribonucleotide binding or catalytic activity. Of 22 SNPs subjected to PCR amplification and Sanger sequencing, all of them were validated. To test the utility of identified SNPs, these validated SNPs were also assessed by genotyping a relative large population with 393 wild and cultivated soybean accessions. These SNPs identified by RNA-Seq provide a useful resource for genetic and genomic studies of soybean. Moreover, the collection of nonsynonymous SNPs annotated with their predicted functional effects also provides a valuable asset for further discovery of genes, identification of gene variants, and development of functional markers.

Transcriptome characterization and screening of molecular markers in ecologically important Himalayan species (Rhododendron arboreum)

Rhododendron arboreum is an ecologically prominent species, which also lends commercial and medicinal benefits in the form of palatable juices and useful herbal drugs. Local abundance and survival of the species under a highly fluctuating climate make it an ideal model for genetic structure and functional analysis. However, a lack of genomic data has hampered additional research. In the present study, cDNA libraries from floral and foliar tissues of the species were sequenced to provide a foundation for understanding the functional aspects of the genome and to construct an enriched repository that will promote genomics studies in the genera. Illumina’s platform facilitated the generation of ∼100 million high-quality paired-end reads. De novo assembly, clustering, and filtering out of shorter transcripts predicted 113 167 non-redundant transcripts with an average length of 1164.6 bases. Of these, 71 961 transcripts were categorized based on functional annotations in the Gene Ontology database, whereby 5710 were grouped into 141 pathways and 23 746 encoded for different transcription factors. Transcriptome screening further identified 35 419 microsatellite regions, of which, 43 polymorphic loci were characterized on 30 genotypes. Seven hundred and nineteen transcripts had 811 high-quality single-nucleotide polymorphic variants with a minimum coverage of 10, a total score of 20, and SNP% of 50.

Identification of recombination events in outbred species with next-generation sequencing data

BACKGROUND

Meiotic recombination events include crossovers and non-crossovers or gene conversions. Although the rate of crossovers is often used for genetic mapping, the gene conversion events are not well studied especially in outbred species, which could produce distorted markers and thus affect the precision of genetic maps.

RESULTS

We proposed a strategy for identifying gene conversion events in Populus with the next-generation sequencing (NGS) data from the two parents and their progeny in an F₁ hybrid population. The strategy first involved phasing the heterozygous SNPs of the parents to obtain the parental haplotype blocks by NGS analytical tools, permitting to identify the parental gene conversion events with progeny genotypes. By incorporating available genetic linkage maps, longer haplotype blocks each corresponding to a chromosome can be created, not only allowing to detect crossover events but also possibly to locate a crossover in a small region. Our analysis revealed that gene conversions are more abundant than crossovers in Populus, with a higher probability to generate distorted markers in the regions involved than in the other regions on genome. The analytical procedures were implemented with Perl scripts as a freely available package, findGCO at https://github.com/tongchf/findGCO .

CONCLUSIONS

The novel strategy and the new developed Perl package permit to identify gene conversion events with the next-generation sequencing technology in a hybrid population of outbred species. The new method revealed that in a genetic mapping population some distorted genetic markers are possibly due to the gene conversion events.

A practical guide to build de-novo assemblies for single tissues of non-model organisms: the example of a Neotropical frog

Whole genome sequencing (WGS) is a very valuable resource to understand the evolutionary history of poorly known species. However, in organisms with large genomes, as most amphibians, WGS is still excessively challenging and transcriptome sequencing (RNA-seq) represents a cost-effective tool to explore genome-wide variability. Non-model organisms do not usually have a reference genome and the transcriptome must be assembled de-novo. We used RNA-seq to obtain the transcriptomic profile for Oreobates cruralis, a poorly known South American direct-developing frog. In total, 550,871 transcripts were assembled, corresponding to 422,999 putative genes. Of those, we identified 23,500, 37,349, 38,120 and 45,885 genes present in the Pfam, EggNOG, KEGG and GO databases, respectively. Interestingly, our results suggested that genes related to immune system and defense mechanisms are abundant in the transcriptome of O. cruralis. We also present a pipeline to assist with pre-processing, assembling, evaluating and functionally annotating a de-novo transcriptome from RNA-seq data of non-model organisms. Our pipeline guides the inexperienced user in an intuitive way through all the necessary steps to build de-novo transcriptome assemblies using readily available software and is freely available at: https://github.com/biomendi/TRANSCRIPTOME-ASSEMBLY-PIPELINE/wiki.

Enriching Genomic Resources and Marker Development from Transcript Sequences of Jatropha curcas for Microgravity Studies

Jatropha (Jatropha curcas L.) is an economically important species with a great potential for biodiesel production. To enrich the jatropha genomic databases and resources for microgravity studies, we sequenced and annotated the transcriptome of jatropha and developed SSR and SNP markers from the transcriptome sequences. In total 1,714,433 raw reads with an average length of 441.2 nucleotides were generated. De novo assembling and clustering resulted in 115,611 uniquely assembled sequences (UASs) including 21,418 full-length cDNAs and 23,264 new jatropha transcript sequences. The whole set of UASs were fully annotated, out of which 59,903 (51.81%) were assigned with gene ontology (GO) term, 12,584 (10.88%) had orthologs in Eukaryotic Orthologous Groups (KOG), and 8,822 (7.63%) were mapped to 317 pathways in six different categories in Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genome (KEGG) database, and it contained 3,588 putative transcription factors. From the UASs, 9,798 SSRs were discovered with AG/CT as the most frequent (45.8%) SSR motif type. Further 38,693 SNPs were detected and 7,584 remained after filtering. This UAS set has enriched the current jatropha genomic databases and provided a large number of genetic markers, which can facilitate jatropha genetic improvement and many other genetic and biological studies.

A highly robust and optimized sequence-based approach for genetic polymorphism discovery and genotyping in large plant populations

This optimized approach provides both a computational tool and a library construction protocol, which can maximize the number of genomic sequence reads that uniformly cover a plant genome and minimize the number of sequence reads representing chloroplast DNA and rRNA genes. One can implement the developed computational tool to feasibly design their own RAD-seq experiment to achieve expected coverage of sequence variant markers for large plant populations using information of the genome sequence and ideally, though not necessarily, information of the sequence polymorphism distribution in the genome. Advent of the next generation sequencing techniques motivates recent interest in developing sequence-based identification and genotyping of genome-wide genetic variants in large populations, with RAD-seq being a typical example. Without taking proper account for the fact that chloroplast and rRNA genes may occupy up to 60 % of the resulting sequence reads, the current RAD-seq design could be very inefficient for plant and crop species. We presented here a generic computational tool to optimize RAD-seq design in any plant species and experimentally tested the optimized design by implementing it to screen for and genotype sequence variants in four plant populations of diploid and autotetraploid Arabidopsis and potato Solanum tuberosum. Sequence data from the optimized RAD-seq experiments shows that the undesirable chloroplast and rRNA contributed sequence reads can be controlled at 3-10 %. Additionally, the optimized RAD-seq method enables pre-design of the required uniformity and density in coverage of the high quality sequence polymorphic markers over the genome of interest and genotyping of large plant or crop populations at a competitive cost in comparison to other mainstream rivals in the literature.

Gene Expression Patterns of Wood Decay Fungi Postia placenta and Phanerochaete chrysosporium Are Influenced by Wood Substrate Composition during Degradation

Identification of the specific genes and enzymes involved in the fungal degradation of lignocellulosic biomass derived from feedstocks with various compositions is essential to the development of improved bioenergy processes. In order to elucidate the effect of substrate composition on gene expression in wood-rotting fungi, we employed microarrays based on the annotated genomes of the brown- and white-rot fungi, Rhodonia placenta (formerly Postia placenta) and Phanerochaete chrysosporium, respectively. We monitored the expression of genes involved in the enzymatic deconstruction of the cell walls of three 4-year-old Populus trichocarpa (poplar) trees of genotypes with distinct cell wall chemistries, selected from a population of several hundred trees grown in a common garden. The woody substrates were incubated with wood decay fungi for 10, 20, and 30 days. An analysis of transcript abundance in all pairwise comparisons highlighted 64 and 84 differentially expressed genes (>2-fold, P < 0.05) in P. chrysosporium and P. placenta, respectively. Cross-fungal comparisons also revealed an array of highly differentially expressed genes (>4-fold, P < 0.01) across different substrates and time points. These results clearly demonstrate that gene expression profiles of P. chrysosporium and P. placenta are influenced by wood substrate composition and the duration of incubation. Many of the significantly expressed genes encode "proteins of unknown function," and determining their role in lignocellulose degradation presents opportunities and challenges for future research.

IMPORTANCE

This study describes the variation in expression patterns of two wood-degrading fungi (brown- and white-rot fungi) during colonization and incubation on three different naturally occurring poplar substrates of differing chemical compositions, over time. The results clearly show that the two fungi respond differentially to their substrates and that several known and, more interestingly, currently unknown genes are highly misregulated in response to various substrate compositions. These findings highlight the need to characterize several unknown proteins for catalytic function but also as potential candidate proteins to improve the efficiency of enzymatic cocktails to degrade lignocellulosic substrates in industrial applications, such as in a biochemically based bioenergy platform.

New resources for genetic studies in Populus nigra: genome-wide SNP discovery and development of a 12k Infinium array

Whole genome resequencing of 51 Populus nigra (L.) individuals from across Western Europe was performed using Illumina platforms. A total number of 1 878 727 SNPs distributed along the P. nigra reference sequence were identified. The SNP calling accuracy was validated with Sanger sequencing. SNPs were selected within 14 previously identified QTL regions, 2916 expressional candidate genes related to rust resistance, wood properties, water-use efficiency and bud phenology and 1732 genes randomly spread across the genome. Over 10 000 SNPs were selected for the construction of a 12k Infinium Bead-Chip array dedicated to association mapping. The SNP genotyping assay was performed with 888 P. nigra individuals. The genotyping success rate was 91%. Our high success rate was due to the discovery panel design and the stringent parameters applied for SNP calling and selection. In the same set of P. nigra genotypes, linkage disequilibrium throughout the genome decayed on average within 5-7 kb to half of its maximum value. As an application test, ADMIXTURE analysis was performed with a selection of 600 SNPs spread throughout the genome and 706 individuals collected along 12 river basins. The admixture pattern was consistent with genetic diversity revealed by neutral markers and the geographical distribution of the populations. These newly developed SNP resources and genotyping array provide a valuable tool for population genetic studies and identification of QTLs through natural-population based genetic association studies in P. nigra.

Population genomics of divergence among extreme and intermediate color forms in a polymorphic insect

Geographic variation in insect coloration is among the most intriguing examples of rapid phenotypic evolution and provides opportunities to study mechanisms of phenotypic change and diversification in closely related lineages. The bumble bee Bombus bifarius comprises two geographically disparate color groups characterized by red‐banded and black‐banded abdominal pigmentation, but with a range of spatially and phenotypically intermediate populations across western North America. Microsatellite analyses have revealed that B. bifarius in the USA are structured into two major groups concordant with geography and color pattern, but also suggest ongoing gene flow among regional populations. In this study, we better resolve the relationships among major color groups to better understand evolutionary mechanisms promoting and maintaining such polymorphism. We analyze >90,000 and >25,000 single‐nucleotide polymorphisms derived from transcriptome (RNAseq) and double digest restriction site associated DNA sequencing (ddRAD), respectively, in representative samples from spatial and color pattern extremes in B. bifarius as well as phenotypic and geographic intermediates. Both ddRAD and RNAseq data illustrate substantial genome‐wide differentiation of the red‐banded (eastern) color form from both black‐banded (western) and intermediate (central) phenotypes and negligible differentiation among the latter populations, with no obvious admixture among bees from the two major lineages. Results thus indicate much stronger background differentiation among B. bifarius lineages than expected, highlighting potential challenges for revealing loci underlying color polymorphism from population genetic data alone. These findings will have significance for resolving taxonomic confusion in this species and in future efforts to investigate color‐pattern evolution in B. bifarius and other polymorphic bumble bee species.

Ectopic expression of R3 MYB transcription factor gene OsTCL1 in Arabidopsis, but not rice, affects trichome and root hair formation

In Arabidopsis, a MYB-bHLH-WD40 (MBW) transcriptional activator complex activates the homeodomain protein gene GLABRA2 (GL2), leading to the promotion of trichome formation and inhibition of root hair formation. The same MBW complex also activates single-repeat R3 MYB genes. R3 MYBs in turn, play a negative feedback role by competing with R2R3 MYB proteins for binding bHLH proteins, thus blocking the formation of the MBW complex. By BLASTing the rice (Oryza sativa) protein database using the entire amino acid sequence of Arabidopsis R3 MYB transcription factor TRICHOMELESS1 (TCL1), we found that there are two genes in rice genome encoding R3 MYB transcription factors, namely Oryza sativa TRICHOMELESS1 (OsTCL1) and OsTCL2. Expressing OsTCL1 in Arabidopsis inhibited trichome formation and promoted root hair formation, and OsTCL1 interacted with GL3 when tested in Arabidopsis protoplasts. Consistent with these observations, expression levels of GL2, R2R3 MYB transcription factor gene GLABRA1 (GL1) and several R3 MYB genes were greatly reduced, indicating that OsTCL1 is functional R3 MYB. However, trichome and root hair formation in transgenic rice plants overexpressing OsTCL1 remained largely unchanged, and elevated expression of OsGL2 was observed in the transgenic rice plants, indicating that rice may use different mechanisms to regulate trichome formation.

Molecular Breeding for Improved Second Generation Bioenergy Crops

There is increasing urgency to develop and deploy sustainable sources of energy to reduce our global dependency on finite, high-carbon fossil fuels. Lignocellulosic feedstocks, used in power and liquid fuel generation, are valuable sources of non-food plant biomass. They are cultivated with minimal inputs on marginal or degraded lands to prevent competition with arable agriculture and offer significant potential for sustainable intensification (the improvement of yield without the necessity for additional inputs) through advanced molecular breeding. This article explores progress made in next generation sequencing, advanced genotyping, association genetics, and genetic modification in second generation bioenergy production. Using poplar as an exemplar where most progress has been made, a suite of target traits is also identified giving insight into possible routes for crop improvement and deployment in the immediate future.

Evolutionary Quantitative Genomics of Populus trichocarpa

Forest trees generally show high levels of local adaptation and efforts focusing on understanding adaptation to climate will be crucial for species survival and management. Here, we address fundamental questions regarding the molecular basis of adaptation in undomesticated forest tree populations to past climatic environments by employing an integrative quantitative genetics and landscape genomics approach. Using this comprehensive approach, we studied the molecular basis of climate adaptation in 433 Populus trichocarpa (black cottonwood) genotypes originating across western North America. Variation in 74 field-assessed traits (growth, ecophysiology, phenology, leaf stomata, wood, and disease resistance) was investigated for signatures of selection (comparing Q_ST -F_ST) using clustering of individuals by climate of origin (temperature and precipitation). 29,354 SNPs were investigated employing three different outlier detection methods and marker-inferred relatedness was estimated to obtain the narrow-sense estimate of population differentiation in wild populations. In addition, we compared our results with previously assessed selection of candidate SNPs using the 25 topographical units (drainages) across the P. trichocarpa sampling range as population groupings. Narrow-sense Q_ST for 53% of distinct field traits was significantly divergent from expectations of neutrality (indicating adaptive trait variation); 2,855 SNPs showed signals of diversifying selection and of these, 118 SNPs (within 81 genes) were associated with adaptive traits (based on significant Q_ST). Many SNPs were putatively pleiotropic for functionally uncorrelated adaptive traits, such as autumn phenology, height, and disease resistance. Evolutionary quantitative genomics in P. trichocarpa provides an enhanced understanding regarding the molecular basis of climate-driven selection in forest trees and we highlight that important loci underlying adaptive trait variation also show relationship to climate of origin. We consider our approach the most comprehensive, as it uncovers the molecular mechanisms of adaptation using multiple methods and tests. We also provide a detailed outline of the required analyses for studying adaptation to the environment in a population genomics context to better understand the species’ potential adaptive capacity to future climatic scenarios.

Evolutionary insights from de novo transcriptome assembly and SNP discovery in California white oaks

Background

Reference transcriptomes provide valuable resources for understanding evolution within and among species. We de novo assembled and annotated a reference transcriptome for Quercus lobata and Q. garryana and identified single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) to provide resources for forest genomicists studying this ecologically and economically important genus. We further performed preliminary analyses of genes important in interspecific divergent (positive) selection that might explain ecological differences among species, estimating rates of nonsynonymous to synonymous substitutions (d_N/d_S) and Fay and Wu’s H. Functional classes of genes were tested for unusually high d_N/d_S or low H consistent with divergent positive selection.

Results

Our draft transcriptome is among the most complete for oaks, including 83,644 contigs (23,329 ≥ 1 kbp), 14,898 complete and 13,778 partial gene models, and functional annotations for 9,431 Arabidopsis orthologs and 19,365 contigs with Pfam hits. We identified 1.7 million possible sequence variants including 1.1 million high-quality diallelic SNPs — among the largest sets identified in any tree. 11 of 18 functional categories with significantly elevated d_N/d_S are involved in disease response, including 50+ genes with d_N/d_S > 1. Other high-d_N/d_S genes are involved in biotic response, flowering and growth, or regulatory processes. In contrast, median d_N/d_S was low (0.22), suggesting that purifying selection influences most genes. No functional categories have unusually low H.

Conclusions

These results offer preliminary support for the hypothesis that divergent selection at pathogen resistance are important factors in species divergence in these hybridizing California oaks. Our transcriptome provides a solid foundation for future studies of gene expression, natural selection, and speciation in Quercus.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12864-015-1761-4) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Comparative interrogation of the developing xylem transcriptomes of two wood-forming species: Populus trichocarpa and Eucalyptus grandis

Wood formation is a complex developmental process governed by genetic and environmental stimuli. Populus and Eucalyptus are fast-growing, high-yielding tree genera that represent ecologically and economically important species suitable for generating significant lignocellulosic biomass. Comparative analysis of the developing xylem and leaf transcriptomes of Populus trichocarpa and Eucalyptus grandis together with phylogenetic analyses identified clusters of homologous genes preferentially expressed during xylem formation in both species. A conserved set of 336 single gene pairs showed highly similar xylem preferential expression patterns, as well as evidence of high functional constraint. Individual members of multi-gene orthologous clusters known to be involved in secondary cell wall biosynthesis also showed conserved xylem expression profiles. However, species-specific expression as well as opposite (xylem versus leaf) expression patterns observed for a subset of genes suggest subtle differences in the transcriptional regulation important for xylem development in each species. Using sequence similarity and gene expression status, we identified functional homologs likely to be involved in xylem developmental and biosynthetic processes in Populus and Eucalyptus. Our study suggests that, while genes involved in secondary cell wall biosynthesis show high levels of gene expression conservation, differential regulation of some xylem development genes may give rise to unique xylem properties.

Molecular tools and bumble bees: revealing hidden details of ecology and evolution in a model system

Bumble bees are a longstanding model system for studies on behaviour, ecology and evolution, due to their well-studied social lifestyle, invaluable role as wild and managed pollinators, and ubiquity and diversity across temperate ecosystems. Yet despite their importance, many aspects of bumble bee biology have remained enigmatic until the rise of the genetic and, more recently, genomic eras. Here, we review and synthesize new insights into the ecology, evolution and behaviour of bumble bees that have been gained using modern genetic and genomic techniques. Special emphasis is placed on four areas of bumble bee biology: the evolution of eusociality in this group, population-level processes, large-scale evolutionary relationships and patterns, and immunity and resistance to pesticides. We close with a prospective on the future of bumble bee genomics research, as this rapidly advancing field has the potential to further revolutionize our understanding of bumble bees, particularly in regard to adaptation and resilience. Worldwide, many bumble bee populations are in decline. As such, throughout the review, connections are drawn between new molecular insights into bumble bees and our understanding of the causal factors involved in their decline. Ongoing and potential applications to bumble bee management and conservation are also included to demonstrate how genetics- and genomics-enabled research aids in the preservation of this threatened group.

Transcript profiling of Populus tomentosa genes in normal, tension, and opposite wood by RNA-seq

BACKGROUND

Wood formation affects the chemical and physical properties of wood, and thus affects its utility as a building material or a feedstock for biofuels, pulp and paper. To obtain genome-wide insights on the transcriptome changes and regulatory networks in wood formation, we used high-throughput RNA sequencing to characterize cDNA libraries of mature xylem from tension wood (TW), opposite wood (OW), and normal wood (NW), in the industrial tree species Populus tomentosa.

RESULTS

Our sequencing generated 140,978,316 (TW), 128,972,228 (OW), and 117,672,362 (NW) reads, corresponding to 10,127 (TW), 10,129 (OW), and 10,129 (NW) unique genes. Of these, 361 genes were differentially transcribed between TW and OW (log2FC ≥ 1 or ≤ -1, FDR < 0.05), 2,658 differed between OW and NW, and 2,417 differed between TW and NW. This indicates that NW differs significantly from the wood in branches; GO term analysis also indicated that OW experienced more transcriptome remodeling. The differentially expressed genes included 97 encoding transcription factors (TFs), 40 involved in hormone signal transduction, 33 in lignin biosynthesis, 21 in flavonoid biosynthesis, and 43 in cell wall metabolism, including cellulose synthase, sucrose synthase, and COBRA. More than half of the differentially expressed TF showed more than 4-fold lower transcript levels in NW compared with TW or OW, indicating that TF abundances differed dramatically in different wood types and may have important roles in the formation of reaction wood. In addition, transcripts of most of the genes involved in lignin biosynthesis were more abundant in OW compared with TW, consistent with the higher lignin content of OW. We constructed two transcriptomic networks for the regulation of lignin and cellulose biosynthesis, including TFs, based on the co-expression patterns of different genes. Lastly, we used reverse transcription quantitative PCR to validate the differentially expressed genes identified.

CONCLUSIONS

Here, we identified the global patterns and differences in gene expression among TW, OW, and NW, and constructed two transcriptomic regulatory networks involved in TW formation in P. tomentosa. We also identified candidate genes for molecular breeding of wood quality, and provided a starting point to decipher the molecular mechanisms of wood formation in Populus.

Using Populus as a lignocellulosic feedstock for bioethanol

Populus species along with species from the sister genus Salix will provide valuable feedstock resources for advanced second-generation biofuels. Their inherent fast growth characteristics can particularly be exploited for short rotation management, a time and energy saving cultivation alternative for lignocellulosic feedstock supply. Salicaceae possess inherent cell wall characteristics with favorable cellulose to lignin ratios for utilization as bioethanol crop. We review economically important traits relevant for intensively managed biofuel crop plantations, genomic and phenotypic resources available for Populus, breeding strategies for forest trees dedicated to bioenergy provision, and bioprocesses and downstream applications related to opportunities using Salicaceae as a renewable resource. Challenges need to be resolved for every single step of the conversion process chain, i.e., starting from tree domestication for improved performance as a bioenergy crop, bioconversion process, policy development for land use changes associated with advanced biofuels, and harvest and supply logistics associated with industrial-scale biorefinery plants using Populus as feedstock. Significant hurdles towards cost and energy efficiency, environmental friendliness, and yield maximization with regards to biomass pretreatment, saccharification, and fermentation of celluloses and the sustainability of biorefineries as a whole still need to be overcome.

Expression of wild-type PtrIAA14.1, a poplar Aux/IAA gene causes morphological changes in Arabidopsis

Aux/IAA proteins are transcriptional repressors that control auxin signaling by interacting with auxin response factors (ARFs). So far all of the identified Aux/IAA mutants with auxin-related phenotypes in Arabidopsis and rice (Oryza sativa) are dominant gain-of-function mutants, with mutations in Domain II that affected stability of the corresponding Aux/IAA proteins. On the other hand, morphological changes were observed in knock-down mutants of Aux/IAA genes in tomato (Solanum lycopersicum), suggesting that functions of Aux/IAA proteins may be specific for certain plant species. We report here the characterization of PtrIAA14.1, a poplar (Populus trichocarpa) homolog of IAA7. Bioinformatics analysis showed that PtrIAA14.1 is a classic Aux/IAA protein. It contains four conserved domains with the repressor motif in Domain I, the degron in Domain II, and the conserved amino acid signatures for protein-protein interactions in Domain III and Domain IV. Protoplast transfection assays showed that PtrIAA14.1 is localized in nucleus. It is unable in the presence of auxin, and it represses auxin response reporter gene expression. Expression of wild-type PtrIAA14.1 in Arabidopsis resulted in auxin-related phenotypes including down-curling leaves, semi-draft with increased number of branches, and greatly reduced fertility, but expression of the Arabidopsis Aux/IAA genes tested remain largely unchanged in the transgenic plants. Protein-protein interaction assays in yeast and protoplasts showed that PtrIAA14.1 interacted with ARF5, but not other ARFs. Consistent with this observation, vascular patterning was altered in the transgenic plants, and the expression of AtHB8 (Arabidopsis thaliana homeobox gene 8) was reduced in transgenic plants.

An auxin responsive CLE gene regulates shoot apical meristem development in Arabidopsis

Plant hormone auxin regulates most, if not all aspects of plant growth and development, including lateral root formation, organ pattering, apical dominance, and tropisms. Peptide hormones are peptides with hormone activities. Some of the functions of peptide hormones in regulating plant growth and development are similar to that of auxin, however, the relationship between auxin and peptide hormones remains largely unknown. Here we report the identification of OsCLE48, a rice (Oryza sativa) CLE (CLAVATA3/ENDOSPERM SURROUNDING REGION) gene, as an auxin response gene, and the functional characterization of OsCLE48 in Arabidopsis and rice. OsCLE48 encodes a CLE peptide hormone that is similar to Arabidopsis CLEs. RT-PCR analysis showed that OsCLE48 was induced by exogenously application of IAA (indole-3-acetic acid), a naturally occurred auxin. Expression of integrated OsCLE48p:GUS reporter gene in transgenic Arabidopsis plants was also induced by exogenously IAA treatment. These results indicate that OsCLE48 is an auxin responsive gene. Histochemical staining showed that GUS activity was detected in all the tissue and organs of the OsCLE48p:GUS transgenic Arabidopsis plants. Expression of OsCLE48 under the control of the 35S promoter in Arabidopsis inhibited shoot apical meristem development. Expression of OsCLE48 under the control of the CLV3 native regulatory elements almost completely complemented clv3-2 mutant phenotypes, suggesting that OsCLE48 is functionally similar to CLV3. On the other hand, expression of OsCLE48 under the control of the 35S promoter in Arabidopsis has little, if any effects on root apical meristem development, and transgenic rice plants overexpressing OsCLE48 are morphologically indistinguishable from wild type plants, suggesting that the functions of some CLE peptides may not be fully conserved in Arabidopsis and rice. Taken together, our results showed that OsCLE48 is an auxin responsive peptide hormone gene, and it regulates shoot apical meristem development when expressed in Arabidopsis.

Association genetics, geography and ecophysiology link stomatal patterning in Populus trichocarpa with carbon gain and disease resistance trade-offs

Stomata are essential for diffusive entry of gases to support photosynthesis, but may also expose internal leaf tissues to pathogens. To uncover trade-offs in range-wide adaptation relating to stomata, we investigated the underlying genetics of stomatal traits and linked variability in these traits with geoclimate, ecophysiology, condensed foliar tannins and pathogen susceptibility in black cottonwood (Populus trichocarpa). Upper (adaxial) and lower (abaxial) leaf stomatal traits were measured from 454 accessions collected throughout much of the species range. We calculated broad-sense heritability (H(2) ) of stomatal traits and, using SNP data from a 34K Populus SNP array, performed a genome-wide association studies (GWAS) to uncover genes underlying stomatal trait variation. H(2) values for stomatal traits were moderate (average H(2) = 0.33). GWAS identified genes associated primarily with adaxial stomata, including polarity genes (PHABULOSA), stomatal development genes (BRASSINOSTEROID-INSENSITIVE 2) and disease/wound-response genes (GLUTAMATE-CYSTEINE LIGASE). Stomatal traits correlated with latitude, gas exchange, condensed tannins and leaf rust (Melampsora) infection. Latitudinal trends of greater adaxial stomata numbers and guard cell pore size corresponded with higher stomatal conductance (gs ) and photosynthesis (Amax ), faster shoot elongation, lower foliar tannins and greater Melampsora susceptibility. This suggests an evolutionary trade-off related to differing selection pressures across the species range. In northern environments, more adaxial stomata and larger pore sizes reflect selection for rapid carbon gain and growth. By contrast, southern genotypes have fewer adaxial stomata, smaller pore sizes and higher levels of condensed tannins, possibly linked to greater pressure from natural leaf pathogens, which are less significant in northern ecosystems.

SNP identification by transcriptome sequencing and candidate gene-based association analysis for heat tolerance in the bay scallop Argopecten irradians

The northern bay scallop Argopecten irradians irradians (Lamarck) and the southern bay scallop Argopecten irradians concentricus (Say) were introduced into China in the 1980s and 1990s, and are now major aquaculture molluscs in China. Here, we report the transcriptome sequencing of the two subspecies and the subsequent association analysis on candidate gene on the trait of heat tolerance. In total, RNA from six tissues of 67 and 42 individuals of northern and southern bay scallops, respectively, were used and 55.5 and 34.9 million raw reads were generated, respectively. There were 82,267 unigenes produced in total, of which 32,595 were annotated. Altogether, 32,206 and 23,312 high-quality SNPs were identified for northern and southern bay scallops, respectively. For case-control analysis, two intercrossed populations were heat stress treated, and both heat-susceptible and heat-resistant individuals were collected. According to annotation and SNP allele frequency analysis, 476 unigenes were selected, and 399 pairs of primers were designed. Genotyping was conducted using the high-resolution melting method, and Fisher’s exact test was performed for allele frequency comparison between the heat-susceptible and heat-resistant groups. SNP all-53308-760 T/C showed a significant difference in allele frequency between the heat-susceptible and heat-resistant groups. Notably, considerable difference in allele frequency at this locus was also observed between the sequenced natural populations. These results suggest that SNP all-53308-760 T/C may be related to the heat tolerance of the bay scallop. Moreover, quantitative expression analysis revealed that the expression level of all-53308 was negatively correlated with heat tolerance of the bay scallop.

Genome-wide association implicates numerous genes underlying ecological trait variation in natural populations of Populus trichocarpa

In order to uncover the genetic basis of phenotypic trait variation, we used 448 unrelated wild accessions of black cottonwood (Populus trichocarpa) from much of its range in western North America. Extensive data from large-scale trait phenotyping (with spatial and temporal replications within a common garden) and genotyping (with a 34 K Populus single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) array) of all accessions were used for gene discovery in a genome-wide association study (GWAS). We performed GWAS with 40 biomass, ecophysiology and phenology traits and 29,355 filtered SNPs representing 3518 genes. The association analyses were carried out using a Unified Mixed Model accounting for population structure effects among accessions. We uncovered 410 significant SNPs using a Bonferroni-corrected threshold (P<1.7×10(-6)). Markers were found across 19 chromosomes, explained 1-13% of trait variation, and implicated 275 unique genes in trait associations. Phenology had the largest number of associated genes (240 genes), followed by biomass (53 genes) and ecophysiology traits (25 genes). The GWAS results propose numerous loci for further investigation. Many traits had significant associations with multiple genes, underscoring their genetic complexity. Genes were also identified with multiple trait associations within and/or across trait categories. In some cases, traits were genetically correlated while in others they were not.

Regulation of secondary cell wall biosynthesis by poplar R2R3 MYB transcription factor PtrMYB152 in Arabidopsis

Poplar has 192 annotated R2R3 MYB genes, of which only three have been shown to play a role in the regulation of secondary cell wall formation. Here we report the characterization of PtrMYB152, a poplar homolog of the Arabidopsis R2R3 MYB transcription factor AtMYB43, in the regulation of secondary cell wall biosynthesis. The expression of PtrMYB152 in secondary xylem is about 18 times of that in phloem. When expressed in Arabidopsis under the control of either 35S or PtrCesA8 promoters, PtrMYB152 increased secondary cell wall thickness, which is likely caused by increased lignification. Accordingly, elevated expression of genes encoding sets of enzymes in secondary wall biosynthesis were observed in transgenic plants expressing PtrMYB152. Arabidopsis protoplast transfection assays suggested that PtrMYB152 functions as a transcriptional activator. Taken together, our results suggest that PtrMYB152 may be part of a regulatory network activating expression of discrete sets of secondary cell wall biosynthesis genes.

Parallel tagged amplicon sequencing of transcriptome-based genetic markers for Triturus newts with the Ion Torrent next-generation sequencing platform

Next-generation sequencing is a fast and cost-effective way to obtain sequence data for nonmodel organisms for many markers and for many individuals. We describe a protocol through which we obtain orthologous markers for the crested newts (Amphibia: Salamandridae: Triturus), suitable for analysis of interspecific hybridization. We use transcriptome data of a single Triturus species and design 96 primer pairs that amplify c. 180 bp fragments positioned in 3-prime untranslated regions. Next, these markers are tested with uniplex PCR for a set of species spanning the taxonomical width of the genus Triturus. The 52 markers that consistently show a single band of expected length at gel electrophoreses for all tested crested newt species are then amplified in five multiplex PCRs (with a plexity of ten or eleven) for 132 individual newts: a set of 84 representing the seven (candidate) species and a set of 48 from a presumed hybrid population. After pooling multiplexes per individual, unique tags are ligated to link amplicons to individuals. Subsequently, individuals are pooled equimolar and sequenced on the Ion Torrent next-generation sequencing platform. A bioinformatics pipeline identifies the alleles and recodes these to a genotypic format. Next, we test the utility of our markers. baps allocates the 84 crested newt individuals representing (candidate) species to their expected (candidate) species, confirming the markers are suitable for species delineation. newhybrids, a hybrid index and hiest confirm the 48 individuals from the presumed hybrid population to be genetically admixed, illustrating the potential of the markers to identify interspecific hybridization. We expect the set of markers we designed to provide a high resolving power for analysis of hybridization in Triturus.

Geographical and environmental gradients shape phenotypic trait variation and genetic structure in Populus trichocarpa

• Populus trichocarpa is widespread across western North America spanning extensive variation in photoperiod, growing season and climate. We investigated trait variation in P. trichocarpa using over 2000 trees from a common garden at Vancouver, Canada, representing replicate plantings of 461 genotypes originating from 136 provenance localities. • We measured 40 traits encompassing phenological events, biomass accumulation, growth rates, and leaf, isotope and gas exchange-based ecophysiology traits. With replicated plantings and 29,354 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) from 3518 genes, we estimated both broad-sense trait heritability (H(2)) and overall population genetic structure from principal component analysis. • Populus trichocarpa had high phenotypic variation and moderate/high H(2) for many traits. H(2) ranged from 0.3 to 0.9 in phenology, 0.3 to 0.8 in biomass and 0.1 to 0.8 in ecophysiology traits. Most traits correlated strongly with latitude, maximum daylength and temperature of tree origin, but not necessarily with elevation, precipitation or heat : moisture indices. Trait H(2) values reflected trait correlation strength with geoclimate variables. The population genetic structure had one significant principal component (PC1) which correlated with daylength and showed enrichment for genes relating to circadian rhythm and photoperiod. • Robust relationships between traits, population structure and geoclimate in P. trichocarpa reflect patterns which suggest that range-wide geographical and environment gradients have shaped its genotypic and phenotypic variability.

Extensive functional pleiotropy of REVOLUTA substantiated through forward genetics

In plants, genes may sustain extensive pleiotropic functional properties by individually affecting multiple, distinct traits. We discuss results from three genome-wide association studies of approximately 400 natural poplar (Populus trichocarpa) accessions phenotyped for 60 ecological/biomass, wood quality, and rust fungus resistance traits. Single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the poplar ortholog of the class III homeodomain-leucine zipper transcription factor gene REVOLUTA (PtREV) were significantly associated with three specific traits. Based on SNP associations with fungal resistance, leaf drop, and cellulose content, the PtREV gene contains three potential regulatory sites within noncoding regions at the gene's 3' end, where alternative splicing and messenger RNA processing actively occur. The polymorphisms in this region associated with leaf abscission and cellulose content are suggested to represent more recent variants, whereas the SNP associated with leaf rust resistance may be more ancient, consistent with REV's primary role in auxin signaling and its functional evolution in supporting fundamental processes of vascular plant development.

Control of trichome formation in Arabidopsis by poplar single-repeat R3 MYB transcription factors

In Arabidopsis, trichome formation is regulated by the interplay of R3 MYBs and several others transcription factors including the WD40-repeat protein TRANSPARENT TESTA GLABRA1 (TTG1), the R2R3 MYB transcription factor GLABRA1 (GL1), the bHLH transcription factor GLABRA3 (GL3) or ENHANCER OF GLABRA3 (EGL3), and the homeodomain protein GLABRA2 (GL2). R3 MYBs including TRICHOMELESS1 (TCL1), TCL2, TRYPTICHON (TRY), CAPRICE (CPC), ENHANCER OF TRY AND CPC1 (ETC1), ETC2 and ETC3 negatively regulate trichome formation by competing with GL1 for binding GL3 or EGL3, thus blocking the formation of TTG1-GL3/EGL3-GL1, an activator complex required for the activation of the trichome positive regulator gene GL2. However, it is largely unknown if R3 MYBs in other plant species especially woody plants have similar functions. By BLASTing the Populus trichocarpa protein database using the entire amino acid sequence of TCL1, an Arabidopsis R3 MYB transcription factor, we identified a total of eight R3 MYB transcription factor genes in poplar, namely P. trichocarpa TRICHOMELESS1 through 8 (PtrTCL1-PtrTCL8). The amino acid signature required for interacting with bHLH transcription factors and the amino acids required for cell-to-cell movement of R3 MYBs are not fully conserved in all PtrTCLs. When tested in Arabidopsis protoplasts, however, all PtrTCLs interacted with GL3. Expressing each of the eight PtrTCL genes in Arabidopsis resulted in either glabrous phenotypes or plants with reduced trichome numbers, and expression levels of GL2 in all transgenic plants tested were greatly reduced. Expression of PtrTCL1 under the control of TCL1 native promoter almost completely complemented the mutant phenotype of tcl. In contrast, expression of PtrTCL1 under the control of TRY native promoter in the try mutant, or under the control of CPC native promoter in the cpc mutant resulted in glabrous phenotypes, suggesting that PtrTCL1 functions similarly to TCL1, but not TRY and CPC.

A simple strategy for development of single nucleotide polymorphisms from non-model species and its application in Panax

Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) are widely employed in the studies of population genetics, molecular breeding and conservation genetics. In this study, we explored a simple route to develop SNPs from non-model species based on screening the library of single copy nuclear genes (SCNGs). Through application of this strategy in Panax, we identified 160 and 171 SNPs from P. quinquefolium and P. ginseng, respectively. Our results demonstrated that both P. ginseng and P. quinquefolium possessed a high level of nucleotide diversity. The number of haplotype per locus ranged from 1 to 12 for P. ginseng and from 1 to 9 for P. quinquefolium, respectively. The nucleotide diversity of total sites (πT) varied between 0.000 and 0.023 for P. ginseng and 0.000 and 0.035 for P. quinquefolium, respectively. These findings suggested that this approach is well suited for SNP discovery in non-model organisms and is easily employed in standard genetics laboratory studies.

Genomic resources for multiple species in the Drosophila ananassae species group

The development of genomic resources in non-model taxa is essential for understanding the genetic basis of biological diversity. Although the genomes of many Drosophila species have been sequenced, most of the phenotypic diversity in this genus remains to be explored. To facilitate the genetic analysis of interspecific and intraspecific variation, we have generated new genomic resources for seven species and subspecies in the D. ananassae species subgroup. We have generated large amounts of transcriptome sequence data for D. ercepeae, D. merina, D. bipectinata, D. malerkotliana malerkotliana, D. m. pallens, D. pseudoananassae pseudoananassae, and D. p. nigrens. de novo assembly resulted in contigs covering more than half of the predicted transcriptome and matching an average of 59% of annotated genes in the complete genome of D. ananassae. Most contigs, corresponding to an average of 49% of D. ananassae genes, contain sequence polymorphisms that can be used as genetic markers. Subsets of these markers were validated by genotyping the progeny of inter- and intraspecific crosses. The ananassae subgroup is an excellent model system for examining the molecular basis of speciation and phenotypic evolution. The new genomic resources will facilitate the genetic analysis of inter- and intraspecific differences in this lineage. Transcriptome sequencing provides a simple and cost-effective way to identify molecular markers at nearly single-gene density, and is equally applicable to any non-model taxa.

Single-nucleotide polymorphism discovery in Leptographium longiclavatum, a mountain pine beetle-associated symbiotic fungus, using whole-genome resequencing

Single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) are rapidly becoming the standard markers in population genomics studies; however, their use in nonmodel organisms is limited due to the lack of cost-effective approaches to uncover genome-wide variation, and the large number of individuals needed in the screening process to reduce ascertainment bias. To discover SNPs for population genomics studies in the fungal symbionts of the mountain pine beetle (MPB), we developed a road map to discover SNPs and to produce a genotyping platform. We undertook a whole-genome sequencing approach of Leptographium longiclavatum in combination with available genomics resources of another MPB symbiont, Grosmannia clavigera. We sequenced 71 individuals pooled into four groups using the Illumina sequencing technology. We generated between 27 and 30 million reads of 75 bp that resulted in a total of 1, 181 contigs longer than 2 kb and an assembled genome size of 28.9 Mb (N50 = 48 kb, average depth = 125x). A total of 9052 proteins were annotated, and between 9531 and 17,266 SNPs were identified in the four pools. A subset of 206 genes (containing 574 SNPs, 11% false positives) was used to develop a genotyping platform for this species. Using this roadmap, we developed a genotyping assay with a total of 147 SNPs located in 121 genes using the Illumina(®) Sequenom iPLEX Gold. Our preliminary genotyping (success rate = 85%) of 304 individuals from 36 populations supports the utility of this approach for population genomics studies in other MPB fungal symbionts and other fungal nonmodel species.

Network analysis reveals the relationship among wood properties, gene expression levels and genotypes of natural Populus trichocarpa accessions

High-throughput approaches have been widely applied to elucidate the genetic underpinnings of industrially important wood properties. Wood traits are polygenic in nature, but gene hierarchies can be assessed to identify the most important gene variants controlling specific traits within complex networks defining the overall wood phenotype. We tested a large set of genetic, genomic, and phenotypic information in an integrative approach to predict wood properties in Populus trichocarpa. Nine-yr-old natural P. trichocarpa trees including accessions with high contrasts in six traits related to wood chemistry and ultrastructure were profiled for gene expression on 49k Nimblegen (Roche NimbleGen Inc., Madison, WI, USA) array elements and for 28,831 polymorphic single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). Pre-selected transcripts and SNPs with high statistical dependence on phenotypic traits were used in Bayesian network learning procedures with a stepwise K2 algorithm to infer phenotype-centric networks. Transcripts were pre-selected at a much lower logarithm of Bayes factor (logBF) threshold than SNPs and were not accommodated in the networks. Using persistent variables, we constructed cross-validated networks for variability in wood attributes, which contained four to six variables with 94-100% predictive accuracy. Accommodated gene variants revealed the hierarchy in the genetic architecture that underpins substantial phenotypic variability, and represent new tools to support the maximization of response to selection.

Genome-wide association mapping for wood characteristics in Populus identifies an array of candidate single nucleotide polymorphisms

Establishing links between phenotypes and molecular variants is of central importance to accelerate genetic improvement of economically important plant species. Our work represents the first genome-wide association study to the inherently complex and currently poorly understood genetic architecture of industrially relevant wood traits. Here, we employed an Illumina Infinium 34K single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) genotyping array that generated 29,233 high-quality SNPs in c. 3500 broad-based candidate genes within a population of 334 unrelated Populus trichocarpa individuals to establish genome-wide associations. The analysis revealed 141 significant SNPs (α ≤ 0.05) associated with 16 wood chemistry/ultrastructure traits, individually explaining 3-7% of the phenotypic variance. A large set of associations (41% of all hits) occurred in candidate genes preselected for their suggested a priori involvement with secondary growth. For example, an allelic variant in the FRA8 ortholog explained 21% of the total genetic variance in fiber length, when the trait's heritability estimate was considered. The remaining associations identified SNPs in genes not previously implicated in wood or secondary wall formation. Our findings provide unique insights into wood trait architecture and support efforts for population improvement based on desirable allelic variants.