Adaptation of Argania spinosa L. in Northern Tunisia: Soil analysis and morphological traits variability

Louati, Marwa; Khouja, Arbi; Araar, Abdelkrim; Salhi-Hannachi, Amel; Baraket, Ghada

doi:10.1016/j.scienta.2019.05.035

Cited by 11 publications

(9 citation statements)

References 11 publications

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“…The xerophyte microbiome is a still-overlooked source of microbial resources potentially useful for environmental and agriculture biotechnology application. Currently, no reports are available concerning the bacterial communities associated to the tree Argania spinosa L. Skeels although UNESCO has defined their forest in South Morocco as a biosphere reserve [26]. The 16S rRNA Illumina sequencing dataset showed that the root system portions of A. spinosa hosted different bacterial communities according to their degree of association with the plants.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Previous studies suggested a key role of endophytic bacteria in terms of plant adaptation to drought [24,25]; however, studies on the diversity and composition of the microbiota associated to xerophytes are still scarce. Surprisingly, we realized that no data are available for the xerophilic species A. spinosa despite its economic value and the crucial ecological role it plays in the native region, where it represents a unique tool to counteract desertification [26].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Unveiling the Microbiota Diversity of the Xerophyte Argania spinosa L. Skeels Root System and Residuesphere

et al. 2020

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The microbiota associated to xerophyte is a “black box” that might include microbes involved in plant adaptation to the extreme conditions that characterize their habitat, like water shortage. In this work, we studied the bacterial communities inhabiting the root system of Argania spinosa L. Skeels, a tree of high economic value and ecological relevance in Northern Africa. Illumina 16S rRNA gene sequencing and cultivation techniques were applied to unravel the bacterial microbiota’s structure in environmental niches associated to argan plants (i.e., root endosphere, rhizosphere, root-surrounding soil), not associated to the plant (i.e., bulk soil), and indirectly influenced by the plant being partially composed by its leafy residue and the associated microbes (i.e., residuesphere). Illumina dataset indicated that the root system portions of A. spinosa hosted different bacterial communities according to their degree of association with the plant, enriching for taxa typical of the plant microbiome. Similar alpha- and beta-diversity trends were observed for the total microbiota and its cultivable fraction, which included 371 isolates. In particular, the residuesphere was the niche with the highest bacterial diversity. The Plant Growth Promotion (PGP) potential of 219 isolates was investigated in vitro, assessing several traits related to biofertilization and biocontrol, besides the production of exopolysaccharides. Most of the multivalent isolates showing the higher PGP score were identified in the residuesphere, suggesting it as a habitat that favor their proliferation. We hypothesized that these bacteria can contribute, in partnership with the argan root system, to the litter effect played by this tree in its native arid lands.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Unveiling the Microbiota Diversity of the Xerophyte Argania spinosa L. Skeels Root System and Residuesphere

et al. 2020

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“…These sites are located in four different cities that have different climatic conditions in regards to the altitude and different composition of soil (Table 7). The trees growing in the botanical garden were planted in the 1960s and are from Moroccan origins from many provinces in Morocco [61], while the other sites are from unknown origins.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Genetic, Morphological, and Biochemical Diversity of Argan Tree (Argania spinosa L.) (Sapotaceae) in Tunisia

Louati

Uçarlı

Arıkan

et al. 2019

Plants

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Argan trees are normally endemic to Morocco and Algeria, but hundreds of argan trees exist in Tunisia, some introduced from Morocco and some from unknown origins. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the genetic, morphological, and biochemical diversity of the argan trees in Tunisia. In this study, we used morphometric data collected from vegetative tissue, as well as pomological characteristics related to fruits, stones, and kernels. Genetic variation in 60 trees of Tunisian Argania spinosa L. was estimated using inter-simple sequence repeats (ISSRs). Mutation screening and genotyping by high-resolution melting (HRM) was performed to detect delta-6-desaturase (D6D) variants in the tested individuals, and finally fatty acid analysis of argan leaves with gas chromatography (GC) was performed. The plant materials used in this study originated from four different sites in Tunisia. Analysis of morphological characteristics showed large variability both within and between the studied collections. The analysis of ISSR polymorphisms gave information about the diversity within and between populations. HRM analysis showed that all 60 argan individuals were grouped into 10 different categories. The results of the gas chromatography analysis showed that the presence of omega-3 fatty acids EPA and DHA was noticeable in some argan leaves.

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“…This could be the consequence of influence at different levels: geographic origin, genotype (tree/location), and genotype x environment interaction. The flowering-fruiting cycle covers a period of 9 to 16 months for the Argan trees in Morocco, from flower opening to fruit maturation [ 12 ]. Season was the main source of variation in the number of glomeruli on Argan shoots, which may explain conflicting reports on flowering times in the literature [ 36 ].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…While many studies have been previously carried out to characterize the fruits, kernels, and leaves of the Argan [ 7 , 9 , 10 , 11 ], there is limited information concerning flower development [ 12 , 13 , 14 , 15 ]. Even more, to date, there is no available information of genes specifically involved in flower or fruit development in these species.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Isolation and Functional Analysis of a PISTILLATA-like MADS-Box Gene from Argan Tree (Argania spinosa)

Louati

Salazar-Sarasua

Roque

et al. 2021

Plants

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Argan trees (Argania spinosa) belong to a species native to southwestern Morocco, playing an important role in the environment and local economy. Argan oil extracted from kernels has a unique composition and properties. Argan trees were introduced in Tunisia, where hundreds of trees can be found nowadays. In this study, we examined reproductive development in Argan trees from four sites in Tunisia and carried out the functional characterization of a floral homeotic gene in this non-model species. Despite the importance of reproductive development, nothing is known about the genetic network controlling flower development in Argania spinosa. Results obtained in several plant species established that floral organ development is mostly controlled by MADS-box genes and, in particular, APETALA3 (AP3) and PISTILLATA (PI) homologs are required for proper petal and stamen identity. Here, we describe the isolation and functional characterization of a MADS-box gene from Argania spinosa. Phylogenetic analyses showed strong homology with PI-like proteins, and the expression of the gene was found to be restricted to the second and third whorls. Functional homology with Arabidopsis PI was demonstrated by the ability of AsPI to confer petal and stamen identity when overexpressed in a pi-1 mutant background. The identification and characterization of this gene support the strong conservation of PI homologs among distant angiosperm plants.

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Adaptation of Argania spinosa L. in Northern Tunisia: Soil analysis and morphological traits variability

Cited by 11 publications

References 11 publications

Unveiling the Microbiota Diversity of the Xerophyte Argania spinosa L. Skeels Root System and Residuesphere

Unveiling the Microbiota Diversity of the Xerophyte Argania spinosa L. Skeels Root System and Residuesphere

Genetic, Morphological, and Biochemical Diversity of Argan Tree (Argania spinosa L.) (Sapotaceae) in Tunisia

Isolation and Functional Analysis of a PISTILLATA-like MADS-Box Gene from Argan Tree (Argania spinosa)

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