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International Journal of Molecular... Apr 2020Adhesive secretion has a fundamental role in barnacles' survival, keeping them in an adequate position on the substrate under a variety of hydrologic regimes. It arouses...
Adhesive secretion has a fundamental role in barnacles' survival, keeping them in an adequate position on the substrate under a variety of hydrologic regimes. It arouses special interest for industrial applications, such as antifouling strategies, underwater industrial and surgical glues, and dental composites. This study was focused on the goose barnacle adhesion system, a species that lives in the Eastern Atlantic strongly exposed intertidal rocky shores and cliffs. The protein composition of cement multicomplex and cement gland was quantitatively studied using a label-free LC-MS high-throughput proteomic analysis, searched against a custom transcriptome-derived database. Overall, 11,755 peptide sequences were identified in the gland while 2880 peptide sequences were detected in the cement, clustered in 1616 and 1568 protein groups, respectively. The gland proteome was dominated by proteins of the muscle, cytoskeleton, and some uncharacterized proteins, while the cement was, for the first time, reported to be composed by nearly 50% of proteins that are not canonical cement proteins, mainly unannotated proteins, chemical cues, and protease inhibitors, among others. Bulk adhesive proteins accounted for one-third of the cement proteome, with CP52k being the most abundant. Some unannotated proteins highly expressed in the proteomes, as well as at the transcriptomic level, showed similar physicochemical properties to the known surface-coupling barnacle adhesive proteins while the function of the others remains to be discovered. New quantitative and qualitative clues are provided to understand the diversity and function of proteins in the cement of stalked barnacles, contributing to the whole adhesion model in Cirripedia.
Topics: Animals; Cell Adhesion Molecules; Exocrine Glands; Proteome; Thoracica
PubMed: 32260514
DOI: 10.3390/ijms21072524 -
Metabolites Oct 2021Two species of oak are dominant in French forests: pedunculate oak () and sessile oak (.). Their differentiation is not straightforward but is essential to better...
Two species of oak are dominant in French forests: pedunculate oak () and sessile oak (.). Their differentiation is not straightforward but is essential to better understand their respective molecular content in order to better valorize them. Thus, to improve oak species identification, an untargeted UHPLC-HRMS/MS method associated with a two-step data treatment was developed to analyze a wide range of specialized metabolites enabling the comparison of both species of oak extracts. Pooled extracts from sessile and pedunculate oaks, composed of extracts from several trees of pure species from various origins, were compared using first the Venn diagram, as a quick way to get an initial idea of how close the extracts are, and then using a molecular network to visualize, on the one hand, the ions shared between the two species and, on the other hand, the compounds specific to one species. The molecular network showed that the two species shared common clusters mainly representative of tannins derivatives and that each species has specific molecules with similar fragmentation patterns, associated in specific clusters. This methodology was then applied to compare these two pooled extracts to unknown individuals in order to determine the species. The Venn diagram allowed for the quick presumption of the species of the individual and then the species could be assigned more precisely with the molecular network, at the level of specific clusters. This method, developed for the first time, has several interests. First, it makes it possible to discriminate the species and to correctly assign the species of unknown samples. Moreover, it gave an overview of the metabolite composition of each sample to better target oak tree utilization and valorization.
PubMed: 34677399
DOI: 10.3390/metabo11100684 -
Plant Physiology Nov 2022Drought and waterlogging impede tree growth and may even lead to tree death. Oaks, an emblematic group of tree species, have evolved a range of adaptations to cope with...
Drought and waterlogging impede tree growth and may even lead to tree death. Oaks, an emblematic group of tree species, have evolved a range of adaptations to cope with these constraints. The two most widely distributed European species, pedunculate (PO; Quercus robur L.) and sessile oak (SO; Quercus petraea Matt. Lieb), have overlapping ranges, but their respective distribution are highly constrained by local soil conditions. These contrasting ecological preferences between two closely related and frequently hybridizing species constitute a powerful model to explore the functional bases of the adaptive responses in oak. We exposed oak seedlings to waterlogging and drought, conditions typically encountered by the two species in their respective habitats, and studied changes in gene expression in roots using RNA-seq. We identified genes that change in expression between treatments differentially depending on species. These "species × environment"-responsive genes revealed adaptive molecular strategies involving adventitious and lateral root formation, aerenchyma formation in PO, and osmoregulation and ABA regulation in SO. With this experimental design, we also identified genes with different expression between species independently of water conditions imposed. Surprisingly, this category included genes with functions consistent with a role in intrinsic reproductive barriers. Finally, we compared our findings with those for a genome scan of species divergence and found that the expressional candidate genes included numerous highly differentiated genetic markers between the two species. By combining transcriptomic analysis, gene annotation, pathway analyses, as well as genome scan for genetic differentiation among species, we were able to highlight loci likely involved in adaptation of the two species to their respective ecological niches.
Topics: Quercus; Water; Soil; Trees; Gene Expression
PubMed: 36066428
DOI: 10.1093/plphys/kiac420 -
PloS One 2021Natural succession of vegetation on abandoned farmland provides opportunities for passive rewilding to re-establish native woodlands, but in Western Europe the patterns...
Natural succession of vegetation on abandoned farmland provides opportunities for passive rewilding to re-establish native woodlands, but in Western Europe the patterns and outcomes of vegetation colonisation are poorly known. We combine time series of field surveys and remote sensing (lidar and photogrammetry) to study woodland development on two farmland fields in England over 24 and 59 years respectively: the New Wilderness (2.1 ha) abandoned in 1996, and the Old Wilderness (3.9 ha) abandoned in 1961, both adjacent to ancient woodland. Woody vegetation colonisation of the New Wilderness was rapid, with 86% vegetation cover averaging 2.9 m tall after 23 years post-abandonment. The Old Wilderness had 100% woody cover averaging 13.1 m tall after 53 years, with an overstorey tree-canopy (≥ 8 m tall) covering 91%. By this stage, the structural characteristics of the Old Wilderness were approaching those of neighbouring ancient woodlands. The woody species composition of both Wildernesses differed from ancient woodland, being dominated by animal-dispersed pedunculate oak Quercus robur and berry-bearing shrubs. Tree colonisation was spatially clustered, with wind-dispersed common ash Fraxinus excelsior mostly occurring near seed sources in adjacent woodland and hedgerows, and clusters of oaks probably resulting from acorn hoarding by birds and rodents. After 24 years the density of live trees in the New Wilderness was 132/ha (57% oak), with 390/ha (52% oak) in the Old Wilderness after 59 years; deadwood accounted for 8% of tree stems in the former and 14% in the latter. Passive rewilding of these 'Wilderness' sites shows that closed-canopy woodland readily re-established on abandoned farmland close to existing woodland, it was resilient to the presence of herbivores and variable weather, and approached the height structure of older woods within approximately 50 years. This study provides valuable long-term reference data in temperate Europe, helping to inform predictions of the potential outcomes of widespread abandonment of agricultural land in this region.
Topics: Conservation of Natural Resources; Ecosystem; Forests; Trees
PubMed: 34133452
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0252466 -
Integrative and Comparative Biology Nov 2021Many marine invertebrates have complex life histories that begin with a planktonic larval stage. Similar to other plankton, these larval invertebrates often possess...
Many marine invertebrates have complex life histories that begin with a planktonic larval stage. Similar to other plankton, these larval invertebrates often possess protruding body extensions, but their function beyond predator deterrence is not well-documented. For example, the planktonic nauplii of crustaceans have spines. Using the epibiotic pedunculate barnacle Octolasmis spp., we investigated how the dorsal thoracic spine affects swimming and fluid disturbance by comparing nauplii with their spines partially removed against those with intact spines. Our motion analysis showed that amputated Octolasmis spp. swam slower, in jerkier trajectories, and were less efficient per stroke cycle than those with intact spines. Amputees showed alterations in limb beat pattern: larger beat amplitude, increased phase lag, and reduced contralateral symmetry. These changes might partially help increase propulsive force generation and streamline the flow, but were insufficient to restore full function. Particle image velocimetry further showed that amputees had a larger relative area of influence, implying elevated risk by rheotactic predator. Body extensions and their interactions with limb motion play important biomechanical roles in shaping larval performance, which likely influences the evolution of form.
Topics: Animals; Biomechanical Phenomena; Larva; Rheology; Spine; Swimming; Thoracica
PubMed: 33905496
DOI: 10.1093/icb/icab036 -
Materials (Basel, Switzerland) Jan 2022This paper describes an experimental study of the relationships between thermal diffusivity and mechanical characteristics including Brinell hardness, microhardness, and...
This paper describes an experimental study of the relationships between thermal diffusivity and mechanical characteristics including Brinell hardness, microhardness, and Young's modulus of common pine ( L.), pedunculate oak ( L.), and small-leaf lime ( Mill.) wood. A dependence of Brinell hardness and thermal diffusivity tensor components upon humidity for common pine wood is found. The results of the measurement of Brinell hardness, microhardness, Young's modulus, and main components of thermal diffusivity tensor for three perpendicular cuts are found to be correlated. It is shown that the mechanical properties correlate better with the ratio of longitude to transversal thermal diffusivity coefficients than with the respective individual absolute values. The mechanical characteristics with the highest correlation with the abovementioned ratio are found to be the ratio of Young's moduli in longitude and transversal directions. Our technique allows a comparative express assessment of wood mechanical properties by means of a contactless non-destructive measurement of its thermal properties using dynamic thermal imaging instead of laborious and material-consuming destructive mechanical tests.
PubMed: 35057348
DOI: 10.3390/ma15020632 -
Frontiers in Plant Science 2022Plants interact with a multitude of microorganisms and insects, both below- and above ground, which might influence plant metabolism. Despite this, we lack knowledge of...
Plants interact with a multitude of microorganisms and insects, both below- and above ground, which might influence plant metabolism. Despite this, we lack knowledge of the impact of natural soil communities and multiple aboveground attackers on the metabolic responses of plants, and whether plant metabolic responses to single attack can predict responses to dual attack. We used untargeted metabolic fingerprinting (gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, GC-MS) on leaves of the pedunculate oak, , to assess the metabolic response to different soil microbiomes and aboveground single and dual attack by oak powdery mildew () and the common oak aphid (). Distinct soil microbiomes were not associated with differences in the metabolic profile of oak seedling leaves. Single attacks by aphids or mildew had pronounced but different effects on the oak leaf metabolome, but we detected no difference between the metabolomes of healthy seedlings and seedlings attacked by both aphids and powdery mildew. Our findings show that aboveground attackers can have species-specific and non-additive effects on the leaf metabolome of oak. The lack of a metabolic signature detected by GC-MS upon dual attack might suggest the existence of a potential negative feedback, and highlights the importance of considering the impacts of multiple attackers to gain mechanistic insights into the ecology and evolution of species interactions and the structure of plant-associated communities, as well as for the development of sustainable strategies to control agricultural pests and diseases and plant breeding.
PubMed: 35991442
DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2022.897186 -
Comparative population genetics of swimming crab host ( and common symbiotic barnacle () in Vietnam.PeerJ 2021By comparing spatial geographical structures of host populations with that of their symbionts light can be shed on their biological interactions, and the degree of...
BACKGROUND
By comparing spatial geographical structures of host populations with that of their symbionts light can be shed on their biological interactions, and the degree of congruence between host and symbiont phylogeographies should reflect their life histories and especially dispersal mechanisms.
METHODS
Here, we analyzed the genetic diversity and structure of a host, the blue swimming crab, , and its symbiotic pedunculate barnacle from six location sites representing three geographic regions (north, central and south) along the Vietnam coastline. High levels of congruence in their phylogeographic patterns were expected as they both undergo planktonic larval stages.
RESULTS
Based on the COI mtDNA markers, populations showed higher genetic diversity in comparison with their host (number of haplotype/individuals, haplotype and nucleotide diversity are 119/192, 0.991 ± 0.002 and 0.02; and 89/160, 0.913 ± 0.02 and 0.015, respectively). Pairwise Fst and AMOVA analyses showed a more pronounced population structure in the symbiotic barnacle than in its crab host. The DAPC analyses identified three genetic clusters. However, both haplotype networks and scatter plots supported connectivity of the host and the symbiotic barnacle throughout their distribution range, except for low subdivision of southern population. Isolation by distance were detected only for the symbiont (R = 0.332, = 0.05), while dbMEM supported spatial structure of both partners, but only at MEM-1 (Obs. 0.2686, < 0.01 and Obs. 0.2096, < 0.01, respectively).
PubMed: 34277149
DOI: 10.7717/peerj.11671 -
Journal of Biogeography Dec 2022Leaves support a large diversity of fungi, which are known to cause plant diseases, induce plant defences or influence leaf senescence and decomposition. To advance our...
AIM
Leaves support a large diversity of fungi, which are known to cause plant diseases, induce plant defences or influence leaf senescence and decomposition. To advance our understanding of how foliar fungal communities are structured and assembled, we assessed to what extent leaf flush and latitude can explain the within- and among-tree variation in foliar fungal communities.
LOCATION
A latitudinal gradient spanning . 20 degrees in latitude in Europe.
TAXA
The foliar fungal community associated with a foundation tree species, the pedunculate oak .
METHODS
We examined the main and interactive effects of leaf flush and latitude on the foliar fungal community by sampling 20 populations of the pedunculate oak across the tree's range. We used the ITS region as a target for characterization of fungal communities using DNA metabarcoding.
RESULTS
Species composition, but not species richness, differed between leaf flushes. Across the latitudinal gradient, species richness was highest in the central part of the oak's distributional range, and foliar fungal community composition shifted along the latitudinal gradient. Among fungal guilds, the relative abundance of plant pathogens and mycoparasites was lower on the first leaf flush, and the relative abundance of plant pathogens and saprotrophs decreased with latitude.
CONCLUSIONS
Changes in community composition between leaf flushes and along the latitudinal gradient were mostly a result of species turnover. Overall, our findings demonstrate that leaf flush and latitude explain 5%-22% of the small- and large-scale spatial variation in the foliar fungal community on a foundation tree within the temperate region. Using space-for-time substitution, we expect that foliar fungal community structure will change with climate warming, with an increase in the abundance of plant pathogens and mycoparasites at higher latitudes, with major consequences for plant health, species interactions and ecosystem dynamics.
PubMed: 36636040
DOI: 10.1111/jbi.14508 -
Plant Disease Nov 2023Tea (Camellia sinensis (L.) Kuntze) is among the most significant industrial crops due to its distinctive fragrance and flavor generated (Bag et al. 2022). From October...
Tea (Camellia sinensis (L.) Kuntze) is among the most significant industrial crops due to its distinctive fragrance and flavor generated (Bag et al. 2022). From October to December in 2021, a leaf spot disease affected the quality and yield of tea (C. sinensis var. assamica cv. Yunkang 10), in Pu'er (100.57°E, 22.45°N), Yunnan province, China. Based on the survey, the incidence was approximately 15% in a plantation of 4500 m2 (2050 tea trees approximately). The symptoms on leaves were regular circular, dark brown lesions with black conidiomata in gray centers. Twenty symptomatic leaves were collected from 10 trees. After rinsing and surface sterilization (75% ethanol for 30 s and 3% NaClO for 90 s, rinsed 3 times with sterile distilled water), diseased tissues (5 × 5 mm) were cut at the junction of infected and healthy site and placed on potato dextrose agar (PDA) (3 pieces per plate) and incubated in the dark at 28℃ for 5 days (Mao et al. 2023). Three single-spore isolates 6a-H-1, 6a-H-2 and 6a-H-3 were obtained, which showed identical in morphology and molecular analysis. Therefore, the targeted isolate 6a-H-2 was used for further study. Fungal colonies were white, then gradually turning into goose yellow (Fig.2. A-C). Chlamydospores were dark brown and oval (Fig.2. G). Asci produced after 30 days approximately, were orange-red, nearly spherical, rough-surface, and measured as 470 µm ± 11.68 µm (n = 50) (Fig.2. H). Ascospores were released from the asci orifice (Fig.2. I) which were hyaline, fusoid with rounded ends, straight to slightly curved, two septate, slightly constricted at the septum, and ranged from 48.77 ± 2.76 µm × 6.22 ± 0.41 µm (n = 50) (Fig.2. D-F). Macroconidia were cylindrical (Fig.2. J), rounded at both ends, straight, with an average length of 63.5 ± 0.31 μm × 2.62 ± 0.03 μm without septa (n=50) (Fig.2. M-O). Stipe extension terminated in sphaero-pedunculate vesicles (Fig.2. K-L). The morphological features were consistent with the descriptions of Calonectria ilicicola (Pei et al. 2015; Polizzi et al. 2012). The pathogen was confirmed to be C. ilicicola by amplification and sequencing of the histone (HIS3), translation elongation factor 1-alpha (TEF1) and calmodulin (CAL) genes using primers H3-3F/H3-3R, EF1-728F/EF1-986R and CAL-228F/CAL-2Rd, respectively (Crous et al. 2004). The sequences of PCR products were deposited in GenBank with accession numbers OR188222 (HIS3), OR188223 (TEF1) and OR188221 (CAL). BLAST searches of the obtained sequences revealed 99.22% (510/514 nucleotides), 98.37% (241/245 nucleotides) and 99.58% (472/474 nucleotides) homology with those of C. ilicicola (CBS 190.50) in GenBank (AY725676, AY725726 and AY725764), respectively. Phylogenetic analysis (MEGA 7.0) using the Maximum Likelihood method placed the isolate 6a-H-2 in a well-supported cluster with C. ilicicola. The pathogenicity of 6a-H-2 was tested through a pot assay. Five healthy plants had their leaves scratched with a sterilized needle, then inoculated by spraying 20 mL of spore suspension (105 spores mL-1) of 6a-H-2. Five additional tea plants sprayed with sterile distilled water served as controls. All plants were placed in a growth chamber at 28℃, with 70% relative humidity. The symptoms developed on all inoculated leaves but not on the control leaves. The lesions were first visible 72 h after inoculation, and typical lesions similar to those observed on field plants appeared after 10 days. The same fungus was reisolated and identified based on the morphology and molecular analyses (HIS3, TEF1 and CAL) from the infected leaves but not from the non-inoculated leaves. To our knowledge, this is the first report of leaf spot on tea caused by C. ilicicola in China. This study provides valuable information for the identification and control of the leaf spot on tea.
PubMed: 38037201
DOI: 10.1094/PDIS-09-23-1745-PDN