Xiao Han1,2, Yi An3,2, Yangyan Zhou2, Chao Liu2, Weilun Yin4, Xinli Xia5. 1. State Key Laboratory of Subtropical Silviculture, College of Forestry and Biotechnology, Zhejiang A&F University, Lin'an, Hangzhou, 311300, China. 2. Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Tree Breeding by Molecular Design, National Engineering Laboratory for Tree Breeding, College of Biological Sciences and Technology, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, 100083, China. 3. Sino-Australia Plant Cell Wall Research Centre, State Key Laboratory of Subtropical Silviculture, College of Forestry and Biotechnology, Zhejiang A&F University, Lin'an, Hangzhou, 311300, China. 4. Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Tree Breeding by Molecular Design, National Engineering Laboratory for Tree Breeding, College of Biological Sciences and Technology, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, 100083, China. yinwl@bjfu.edu.cn. 5. Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Tree Breeding by Molecular Design, National Engineering Laboratory for Tree Breeding, College of Biological Sciences and Technology, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, 100083, China. xiaxl@bjfu.edu.cn.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Wood provides an important biomass resource for biofuel production around the world. The radial growth of tree stems is central to biomass production for forestry and biofuels, but it is challenging to dissect genetically because it is a complex trait influenced by many genes. In this study, we adopted methods of physiology, transcriptomics and genetics to investigate the regulatory mechanisms of tree radial growth and wood development. RESULTS: Physiological comparison showed that two Populus genotypes presented different rates of radial growth of stems and accumulation of woody biomass. A comparative transcriptional network approach was used to define and characterize functional differences between two Populus genotypes. Analyses of transcript profiles from wood-forming tissue of the two genotypes showed that 1542, 2295 and 2110 genes were differentially expressed in the pre-growth, fast-growth and post-growth stages, respectively. The co-expression analyses identified modules of co-expressed genes that displayed distinct expression profiles. Modules were further characterized by correlating transcript levels with genotypes and physiological traits. The results showed enrichment of genes that participated in cell cycle and division, whose expression change was consistent with the variation of radial growth rates. Genes related to secondary vascular development were up-regulated in the faster-growing genotype in the pre-growth stage. We characterized a BEL1-like (BELL) transcription factor, PeuBELL15, which was up-regulated in the faster-growing genotype. Analyses of transgenic Populus overexpressing as well as CRISPR/Cas9-induced mutants for BELL15 showed that PeuBELL15 improved accumulation of glucan and lignin, and it promoted secondary vascular growth by regulating the expression of genes relevant for cellulose synthases and lignin biosynthesis. CONCLUSIONS: This study illustrated that active division and expansion of vascular cambium cells and secondary cell wall deposition of xylem cells contribute to stem radial increment and biomass accumulation, and it identified relevant genes for these complex growth traits, including a BELL transcription factor gene PeuBELL15. This provides genetic resources for improving and breeding elite genotypes with fast growth and high wood biomass.
BACKGROUND: Wood provides an important biomass resource for biofuel production around the world. The radial growth of tree stems is central to biomass production for forestry and biofuels, but it is challenging to dissect genetically because it is a complex trait influenced by many genes. In this study, we adopted methods of physiology, transcriptomics and genetics to investigate the regulatory mechanisms of tree radial growth and wood development. RESULTS: Physiological comparison showed that two Populus genotypes presented different rates of radial growth of stems and accumulation of woody biomass. A comparative transcriptional network approach was used to define and characterize functional differences between two Populus genotypes. Analyses of transcript profiles from wood-forming tissue of the two genotypes showed that 1542, 2295 and 2110 genes were differentially expressed in the pre-growth, fast-growth and post-growth stages, respectively. The co-expression analyses identified modules of co-expressed genes that displayed distinct expression profiles. Modules were further characterized by correlating transcript levels with genotypes and physiological traits. The results showed enrichment of genes that participated in cell cycle and division, whose expression change was consistent with the variation of radial growth rates. Genes related to secondary vascular development were up-regulated in the faster-growing genotype in the pre-growth stage. We characterized a BEL1-like (BELL) transcription factor, PeuBELL15, which was up-regulated in the faster-growing genotype. Analyses of transgenic Populus overexpressing as well as CRISPR/Cas9-induced mutants for BELL15 showed that PeuBELL15 improved accumulation of glucan and lignin, and it promoted secondary vascular growth by regulating the expression of genes relevant for cellulose synthases and lignin biosynthesis. CONCLUSIONS: This study illustrated that active division and expansion of vascular cambium cells and secondary cell wall deposition of xylem cells contribute to stem radial increment and biomass accumulation, and it identified relevant genes for these complex growth traits, including a BELL transcription factor gene PeuBELL15. This provides genetic resources for improving and breeding elite genotypes with fast growth and high wood biomass.
Authors: G A Tuskan; S Difazio; S Jansson; J Bohlmann; I Grigoriev; U Hellsten; N Putnam; S Ralph; S Rombauts; A Salamov; J Schein; L Sterck; A Aerts; R R Bhalerao; R P Bhalerao; D Blaudez; W Boerjan; A Brun; A Brunner; V Busov; M Campbell; J Carlson; M Chalot; J Chapman; G-L Chen; D Cooper; P M Coutinho; J Couturier; S Covert; Q Cronk; R Cunningham; J Davis; S Degroeve; A Déjardin; C Depamphilis; J Detter; B Dirks; I Dubchak; S Duplessis; J Ehlting; B Ellis; K Gendler; D Goodstein; M Gribskov; J Grimwood; A Groover; L Gunter; B Hamberger; B Heinze; Y Helariutta; B Henrissat; D Holligan; R Holt; W Huang; N Islam-Faridi; S Jones; M Jones-Rhoades; R Jorgensen; C Joshi; J Kangasjärvi; J Karlsson; C Kelleher; R Kirkpatrick; M Kirst; A Kohler; U Kalluri; F Larimer; J Leebens-Mack; J-C Leplé; P Locascio; Y Lou; S Lucas; F Martin; B Montanini; C Napoli; D R Nelson; C Nelson; K Nieminen; O Nilsson; V Pereda; G Peter; R Philippe; G Pilate; A Poliakov; J Razumovskaya; P Richardson; C Rinaldi; K Ritland; P Rouzé; D Ryaboy; J Schmutz; J Schrader; B Segerman; H Shin; A Siddiqui; F Sterky; A Terry; C-J Tsai; E Uberbacher; P Unneberg; J Vahala; K Wall; S Wessler; G Yang; T Yin; C Douglas; M Marra; G Sandberg; Y Van de Peer; D Rokhsar Journal: Science Date: 2006-09-15 Impact factor: 47.728
Authors: Henri E Cuny; Cyrille B K Rathgeber; David Frank; Patrick Fonti; Harri Mäkinen; Peter Prislan; Sergio Rossi; Edurne Martinez Del Castillo; Filipe Campelo; Hanuš Vavrčík; Jesus Julio Camarero; Marina V Bryukhanova; Tuula Jyske; Jožica Gričar; Vladimír Gryc; Martin De Luis; Joana Vieira; Katarina Čufar; Alexander V Kirdyanov; Walter Oberhuber; Vaclav Treml; Jian-Guo Huang; Xiaoxia Li; Irene Swidrak; Annie Deslauriers; Eryuan Liang; Pekka Nöjd; Andreas Gruber; Cristina Nabais; Hubert Morin; Cornelia Krause; Gregory King; Meriem Fournier Journal: Nat Plants Date: 2015-10-26 Impact factor: 15.793