Publications
NIBIOs employees contribute to several hundred scientific articles and research reports every year. You can browse or search in our collection which contains references and links to these publications as well as other research and dissemination activities. The collection is continously updated with new and historical material.
2009
Abstract
Two mature clones of Norway spruce (Picea abies (L.) Karst.) shown to have different level of resistance towards inoculation of Heterobasidion parviporum were compared with respect to spatiotemporal expression of transcripts related to biosynthesis of lignin, stilbenes and other phenolic compounds in response to fungal inoculation and physical wounding. Both clones responded to H. parviporum and physical wounding at transcriptional and chemical levels. Taxifolin, detected in the resistant clone only, increased in concentration following both wounding and inoculation. Concentrations of stilbenoid glucosides were highest in the susceptible clone. Following wounding or inoculation, concentrations of these glucosides increased in the susceptible clone, and quantities of their corresponding aglycones increased dramatically in both clones close to the treatment point. Significant changes in transcription were detected over the entire lesion length for all transcripts, and only the changes in a few transcripts indicated a response to inoculation with H. parviporum differing from that caused by wounding alone. The resistant clone had higher basal concentrations of lignin (LTGA) compared to the susceptible clone; concentrations increased in both clones after wounding and wounding plus inoculation treatments, but remained consistently higher in the resistant clone, suggesting higher lignin levels in the cell walls compared to the susceptible clone. In addition, the transcript level in the same clones was also measured the following year and we saw indications of primed defences for a number of gene products likely resulting from the inoculations performed 12 months prior.
Authors
Carl Gunnar Fossdal Igor A. Yakovlev Ari M. Hietala Halvor SolheimAbstract
To identify differentially expressed genes of the white-rot fungus Heterobasidion parviporum subtractive cDNA libraries were constructed using suppressive subtraction hybridization (SSH) technique with RNA extracted from an advanced stage of decay area and from colonization front next to the reaction zone of the stem of a mature Norway spruce trees. Besides cytochrome P450s and proteins with unknown function, the SSH libraries constructed contained genes involved in basic cellular processes, andcell wall degradation. To examine the role of selected candidate genes three trees, showing a variable degree of wood decay, were used for real-time RT-PCR profiling of candidate genes. In the decay transition areas the study revealed activity centers that showed remarkable similarity in the transcript profiles of monitored genes.
Authors
Carl Gunnar Fossdal Nadeem Yaqoob Halvor SolheimAbstract
The root-rot causing fungus Heterobasidion annosum senso lato is the most devastating pathogen of conifers in Europe. This pathogen enter Norway spruce trees trough the roots and colonizes the tree from within, growing as a saprophyte when established within the dead heartwood and acting as a necrotroph when in contact with living host tissue. The genome of this devastating pathogen has now been sequenced in collaboration with JGI and gene annotation is ongoing and genomic work is currently in progress (Stenlid et al. work in progress). We have worked with the host Norway spruce from a molecular perspective for more than ten years. Twenty percent of the trees in Norwegian spruce stands tend to be infected and this pathogen that can colonize ten meters up inside the trunk. The tree have defences against this pathogen and the attack can be fought off by the bark and living wood but not by the hearthwood. The tree has a unique defense against this internal attack by forming a reaction zone; in this case the host defense is directed inwardly by the still living sapwood toward the central colonized wood. We have in the last years studied the host responses to infection in Norway spruce clones at the transcriptional level and found that the speed of recognition and spatial defense signalling appears to be the hallmarks of trees with high degree of resistance. We strive to study both partners in this pathosystem from a molecular perspective, and are using suppressive subtractive hybridization (SSH) followed by Real-Time RT PCR verification to look at differentially expressed genes(Yakovlev et al. 2008). In addition the colonization profiles are followed on extracted gDNA using quantitative Real-Time PCR (Hietala et al. 2009).
2008
Abstract
The difficulty in subculturing biotrophic fungi complicates etiological studies related to the associated plant diseases. By employing internal transcribed spacer rDNA-targeted quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction, we now show that the heteroecious rust Thekopsora areolata, commonly associated in natural conditions to sapling shoots and cones of Norway spruce and leaves of wild bird cherry, frequently infects nurserygrown seedlings of the conifer. A spatial sampling scheme was used to investigate seedlings and saplings of Norway spruce showing phloem necrosis: the highest concentration of DNA of T. areolata was recorded in the area with necrotic phloem. The separate analysis of bark and wood tissues suggested that the initial spread of the rust to healthy tissues neighboring the infection site takes place in the bark. A Phomopsis species found to coexist with T. areolata in several seedlings showed very high DNA levels in the upper part of the lesion, and even in the visually healthy proximal tissues above the lesions, which indicates that the ascomycete, most probably a secondary invader following primary infection by T. areolata, has a latent stage during early host colonization. We hypothesize that this hemibiotrophic mode of infection contributes to the successful coexistence of Phomopsis with a biotrophic rust.
Abstract
No abstract has been registered
Authors
Nicola La Porta Paolo Capretti Iben Margarethe Thomsen Risto Kasanen Ari M. Hietala Kim von WeissenbergAbstract
Most atmospheric scientists agree that climate changes are going to increase the mean temperature in Europe with increased frequency of climatic extremes, such as drought, floods, and storms. Under such conditions, there is high probability that forests will be subject to increased frequency and intensity of stress due to climatic extremes. Therefore, impacts of climate change on forest health should be carefully evaluated...
Abstract
The area of wood protection is in a period of change. New wood protection systems have been developed while their mode of action remains insufficiently understood. The development of molecular methods provides potential tools to investigate the interaction between modified wood and decay fungi. One small step to tackle some of the unsolved questions about the mode of action of modified wood is taken in this study. A specific and quantitative real-time PCR (QRT-PCR) assay was now established for identifying and quantifying early stages of fungal colonisation in modified wood and for profiling growth dynamics of the white-rot fungus Trametes versicolor through different stages of decay. QRT-PCR of colonisation of three different wood modification systems (acetylation, furfurylation, thermal modification), two reference treatments (Cu-HDO, CCA) and Scots pine sapwood as control was performed. Incubation time was 2, 4, 6, 8 and 10 weeks...
Authors
Carl Gunnar Fossdal Ari M. Hietala Igor A. Yakovlev Halvor SolheimAbstract
The root-rot causing fungus Heterobasidion annosum sensu lato is the most devastating pathogen of conifers in Europe. This pathogen enters Norway spruce through the roots and can colonize the tree from within, growing as a saprophyte when established within the dead heartwood and acting as a necrotroph when in contact with living host tissue. Despite the high incidence of damage, trees have defences against this pathogen in the bark and living wood. Furthermore, spruce has a defense against internal attack by forming a reaction zone, in this case the host defense is directed inwardly by the still living sapwood toward the central colonized heartwood. We have studied the host responses to infection in Norway spruce clones at the transcriptional level and found that the speed of recognition and that spatial defense signalling appears to be the hallmarks of trees with high degree of resistance...
2007
Authors
Karlsson Magnus Ari Hietala Harald Kvaalen Halvor Solheim Åke Olson Jan Stenlid Carl Gunnar FossdalAbstract
No abstract has been registered
Abstract
The area of wood protection is in a period of change. New tools are needed to understand the mode of action, and to further improve the new wood protection systems. A set of useful tools are found among the molecular methods. This paper presents an overview of some of the tools available, and the methods are exemplified by papers within the frame of wood protection issues. However, there is still a great unexplored potential within the field of wood protection by the use of various molecular methods. The majority of the work using molecular methods has been performed on species identification issues and within species variation. This paper lists some new promising molecular methods for wood protection issues and a presentation of a new project. The new project will help to gain some new knowledge about how the fungal decay processes are affected by different wood modification systems.