Transcriptome response of the foundation plant Spartina alterniflora to the Deepwater Horizon oil spill

Abstract

Despite the severe impacts of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, the foundation plant species Spartina alterniflora proved resilient to heavy oiling, providing an opportunity to identify mechanisms of response to the anthropogenic stress of crude oil exposure. We assessed plants from oil-affected and unaffected populations using a custom DNA microarray to identify genomewide transcription patterns and gene expression networks that respond to crude oil exposure. In addition, we used T-DNA insertion lines of the model grass Brachypodium distachyon to assess the contribution of four novel candidate genes to crude oil response. Responses in S. alterniflora to hydrocarbon exposure across the transcriptome as well as xenobiotic specific response pathways had little overlap with those previously identified in the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana. Among T-DNA insertion lines of B. distachyon, we found additional support for two candidate genes, one (ATTPS21) involved in volatile production, and the other (SUVH5) involved in epigenetic regulation of gene expression, that may be important in the response to crude oil. The architecture of crude oil response in S. alterniflora is unique from that of the model species A. thaliana, suggesting that xenobiotic response may be highly variable across plant species. In addition, further investigations of regulatory networks may benefit from more information about epigenetic response pathways.

Tissue-specific epigenetic inheritance after paternal heat exposure in male wild guinea pigs

“…Studies on wild species in comparison to inbred strains or animals kept for generations under artificial conditions can yield very different responses to the same environmental changes their inbred relatives had been exposed to. This has been shown in plants, where the two plant species Arabidopsis thaliana and Spartina alterniflora had been either less or more resilient to oil pollution, respectively, than their laboratory conspecifics (Alvarez et al 2018). Differences in resilience were accompanied with differences in transcription and xenobiotic response pathways.…”

Reduced representation characterization of genetic and epigenetic differentiation to oil pollution in the foundation plant Spartina alterniflora

“…We grew these individuals in pots under greenhouse conditions for at least 298 three years before beginning our experiments and propagated multiple replicates of each 299 genotype by rhizome cutting. Individual ramets were separated and potted in 4 inch pots in a 50-300 50 mixture of peat and sand (Cypress Creek, Tampa, USA; Alvarez, 2016). 301…”

“…We distributed three potted replicates of each of the 10 genotypes in each of two plastic 302 containment chambers, for a total of 60 biological samples. One chamber received only 303 uncontaminated fresh water, while the oil treatment chamber received 2.5% oil (sweet Louisiana 304 crude) in 62 liters of water, which we previously determined would induce strong phenotypic 305 response (Alvarez, 2016). Tides were simulated once per day by filling containment chambers 306 with the water or water-oil mixture and allowing the fluid to drain into a catchment.…”

Do Specialized Cells Play a Major Role in Organic Xenobiotic Detoxification in Higher Plants?

“…Similar experiments were performed in species from Spartina, described to be highly tolerant to PAHs (Alvarez et al, 2018;Cavé -Radet et al, 2019). Here, we focused on the two hexaploid parents S. maritima and S. alterniflora, and the allododecaploid S. anglica which resulted from genome doubling of their interspecific hybrid.…”