Challenges and Perspectives in the Epigenetics of Climate Change-Induced Forests Decline

García-García, Isabel; Méndez‐Cea, Belén; Martín‐Gálvez, David; Seco, José Ignacio; Gallego, Francisco Javier; Linares, Juan Carlos

doi:10.3389/fpls.2021.797958

Cited by 16 publications

(18 citation statements)

References 143 publications

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“…Trees are sessile organisms with a long generation time, which makes them vulnerable to climate change and hindered by fast adaptations [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]. The frequency and intensity of drought events are increasing worldwide, triggering extensive dieback and mortality in many forest ecosystems [ 4 , 5 , 6 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Tree-Level Growth Patterns and Genetic Associations Depict Drought Legacies in the Relict Forests of Abies marocana

Méndez‐Cea

García-García

Sánchez‐Salguero

et al. 2023

Plants

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The frequency and intensity of drought events are increasing worldwide, challenging the adaptive capacity of several tree species. Here, we evaluate tree growth patterns and climate sensitivity to precipitation, temperature, and drought in the relict Moroccan fir Abies marocana. We selected two study sites, formerly stated as harboring contrasting A. marocana taxa (A. marocana and A. tazaotana, respectively). For each tree, dendrochronological methods were applied to quantify growth patterns and climate–growth sensitivity. Further, ddRAD-seq was performed on the same trees and close saplings to obtain single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and related genotype–phenotype associations. Genetic differentiation between the two studied remnant populations of A. marocana was weak. Growth patterns and climate–growth relationships were almost similar at the two sites studied, supporting a negative effect of warming. Growth trends and tree size showed associations with SNPs, although there were no relationships with phenotypes related to climatic sensitivity. We found significant differences in the SNPs subjected to selection in the saplings compared to the old trees, suggesting that relict tree populations might be subjected to genetic differentiation and local adaptation to climate dryness. Our results illustrate the potential of tree rings and genome-wide analysis to improve our understanding of the adaptive capacity of drought-sensitive forests to cope with ongoing climate change.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Tree-Level Growth Patterns and Genetic Associations Depict Drought Legacies in the Relict Forests of Abies marocana

Méndez‐Cea

García-García

Sánchez‐Salguero

et al. 2023

Plants

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“…Despite scientific evidence supporting the involvement of epigenetic modifications in adaptation and responses to the environment, it is unknown to what extent genetic and epigenetic factors determine important traits related to fitness under these circumstances [ 77 ]. Such knowledge can be translated into biotechnology to address the worrisome increase in tree mortality observed in recent decades [ 78 ].…”

Section: The “Omics” and Their Integration With Other Approaches (How)mentioning

confidence: 99%

Multiomics Molecular Research into the Recalcitrant and Orphan Quercus ilex Tree Species: Why, What for, and How

Maldonado‐Alconada

Castillejo

Rey

et al. 2022

IJMS

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The holm oak (Quercus ilex L.) is the dominant tree species of the Mediterranean forest and the Spanish agrosilvopastoral ecosystem, “dehesa.” It has been, since the prehistoric period, an important part of the Iberian population from a social, cultural, and religious point of view, providing an ample variety of goods and services, and forming the basis of the economy in rural areas. Currently, there is renewed interest in its use for dietary diversification and sustainable food production. It is part of cultural richness, both economically (tangible) and environmentally (intangible), and must be preserved for future generations. However, a worrisome degradation of the species and associated ecosystems is occurring, observed in an increase in tree decline and mortality, which requires urgent action. Breeding programs based on the selection of elite genotypes by molecular markers is the only plausible biotechnological approach. To this end, the authors’ group started, in 2004, a research line aimed at characterizing the molecular biology of Q. ilex. It has been a challenging task due to its biological characteristics (long life cycle, allogamous, high phenotypic variability) and recalcitrant nature. The biology of this species has been characterized following the central dogma of molecular biology using the omics cascade. Molecular responses to biotic and abiotic stresses, as well as seed maturation and germination, are the two main objectives of our research. The contributions of the group to the knowledge of the species at the level of DNA-based markers, genomics, epigenomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, and metabolomics are discussed here. Moreover, data are compared with those reported for Quercus spp. All omics data generated, and the genome of Q. ilex available, will be integrated with morphological and physiological data in the systems biology direction. Thus, we will propose possible molecular markers related to resilient and productive genotypes to be used in reforestation programs. In addition, possible markers related to the nutritional value of acorn and derivate products, as well as bioactive compounds (peptides and phenolics) and allergens, will be suggested. Subsequently, the selected molecular markers will be validated by both genome-wide association and functional genomic analyses.

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“…To cope with the fast-changing climate and novel stresses, populations need rapid responses like phenotypic plasticity to provide the required reproductive success. It has been shown that stresses can modify epigenetic marks and generate a rapid epigenetic response(s) in the form of a wide range of novel and stable ecological phenotypes in just a few generations through gene expression regulation ( Grativol et al, 2012 ; Heer et al, 2018a ; Ashapkin et al, 2020 ; Ashe et al, 2021 ; Baduel et al, 2021 ; Boquete et al, 2021 ; García–García et al, 2022 ). Among all the known epigenetic mechanisms, DNA methylation is relatively stable with transgenerational heritability and contributes importantly to phenotypic variability under stress.…”

Section: Underpinning Of Epigenetic Adaptive Responses In Natural Pop...mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…To sum up, evidence indicates that 1) epigenetic marks lead to phenotypic changes in plants and serve as important drivers to rapidly widen the total phenotypic plasticity and phenotypic variance of natural populations, 2) plant epigenomes show high diversity and rapidly generate responses to external stimuli, 3) epigenetic mechanisms help to provide the required variability for selection and expand the plants’ repertoire of adaptive responses 4) epi-variability creates epialleles, that serve as an additional tier of diversity for adaptive evolution 5) epigenetic variability is amenable to selection and may eventually become heritable, 6) epigenetic and genetic fields may complement each other for better execution of phenotypic plasticity and adaptive responses and 7) various biological processes, ecological factors and habitats strongly influence the epigenetic regulatory processes in natural populations ( Robertson and Wolf 2012 ; Trucchi et al, 2016 ; Amaral et al, 2020 ; Ashapkin et al, 2020 ; Ashe et al, 2021 ; Baduel et al, 2021 ; Boquete et al, 2021 ; Qiu et al, 2021 ; García–García et al, 2022 ). It has been shown that both genetic and epigenetic variations contribute to environmental stress-induced heritable phenotypic divergence.…”

Section: Conclusion and Future Perspectivesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Epigenetic variation: A major player in facilitating plant fitness under changing environmental conditions

Rajpal

Rathore

Mehta

et al. 2022

Front. Cell Dev. Biol.

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Recent research in plant epigenetics has increased our understanding of how epigenetic variability can contribute to adaptive phenotypic plasticity in natural populations. Studies show that environmental changes induce epigenetic switches either independently or in complementation with the genetic variation. Although most of the induced epigenetic variability gets reset between generations and is short-lived, some variation becomes transgenerational and results in heritable phenotypic traits. The short-term epigenetic responses provide the first tier of transient plasticity required for local adaptations while transgenerational epigenetic changes contribute to stress memory and help the plants respond better to recurring or long-term stresses. These transgenerational epigenetic variations translate into an additional tier of diversity which results in stable epialleles. In recent years, studies have been conducted on epigenetic variation in natural populations related to various biological processes, ecological factors, communities, and habitats. With the advent of advanced NGS-based technologies, epigenetic studies targeting plants in diverse environments have increased manifold to enhance our understanding of epigenetic responses to environmental stimuli in facilitating plant fitness. Taking all points together in a frame, the present review is a compilation of present-day knowledge and understanding of the role of epigenetics and its fitness benefits in diverse ecological systems in natural populations.

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Challenges and Perspectives in the Epigenetics of Climate Change-Induced Forests Decline

Cited by 16 publications

References 143 publications

Tree-Level Growth Patterns and Genetic Associations Depict Drought Legacies in the Relict Forests of Abies marocana

Tree-Level Growth Patterns and Genetic Associations Depict Drought Legacies in the Relict Forests of Abies marocana

Multiomics Molecular Research into the Recalcitrant and Orphan Quercus ilex Tree Species: Why, What for, and How

Epigenetic variation: A major player in facilitating plant fitness under changing environmental conditions

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