Cold tolerance in cypress (Cupressus sempervirens L.): a physiological and molecular study

Abstract

Twenty cypress accessions were tested for freezing tolerance. After freezing to −15°C, differences among cypress accessions were tested by measuring electrolyte leakage and chlorophyll fluorescence. Based on these data, cypress accessions showing contrasting freezing tolerance were subjected to transcript profiling of candidate genes upon the development of cold hardening, with the ultimate goal of providing a scientific basis for selecting/breeding cypress genotypes with higher tolerance to low temperature. Nine different cypress genes were selected: a heat shock protein, a putative chaperonin, a chlorophyll-binding protein, a serine/threonine protein kinase, a putative exonuclease, a dehydrin, and three senescenceassociated proteins. Transcript levels of these genes were profiled during cold hardening under controlled conditions using real-time reverse-transcription-polymerase chain reaction. While the genes showed regulation patterns common to both cypress accessions, in the case of chaperonin, exonuclease, and some senescence-associated proteins, clonal differences in gene regulation were found. The potential relationship of these differences with cold tolerance is discussed.

Modular organization of the white spruce (Picea glauca) transcriptome reveals functional organization and evolutionary signatures

“…For example, Sun et al (2011) identified genes responsive to fungal elicitation in Scot's pine (Pinus sylvestris) while Verne et al (2011) identified up-and down-regulated genes in white pine weevil-resistant individuals in interior spruce (P. glauca 9 Picea engelmannii). In the context of global environmental change, Yeaman et al (2014) investigated patterns of gene expression related to acclimation across environmental conditions in lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta) and interior spruce; and Baldi et al (2011) identified candidate genes for cold tolerance in cypress (Cupressus sempervirens). Considering the ecological and economic importance of conifer woods, another area of interest is transcriptome variation and reorganization during secondary xylem growth.…”

“…() investigated patterns of gene expression related to acclimation across environmental conditions in lodgepole pine ( Pinus contorta ) and interior spruce; and Baldi et al . () identified candidate genes for cold tolerance in cypress ( Cupressus sempervirens ). Considering the ecological and economic importance of conifer woods, another area of interest is transcriptome variation and reorganization during secondary xylem growth.…”

Methods for Measuring Frost Tolerance of Conifers: A Systematic Map

“…The type of growing condition used would depend on the objective of the study. Frost tolerance is measured to evaluate many different things, such as the effect of environmental factors on frost tolerance [23][24][25]; the correlation with other physiological or phenological traits [26][27][28]; the differences in frost tolerance between different provenances, varieties, families and species, including ranking them by their frost tolerance [29][30][31]; the genetics of frost tolerance [32,33]; the rates of seasonal change in frost tolerance [34][35][36][37]; the mechanisms of frost tolerance [38,39]; and the effectiveness of the different frost tolerance measuring techniques [40,41].…”

Performance of seedlings from natural and afforested populations ofCupressus sempervirensunder different temperature and moisture regimes

“…horizontalis (Mill.). The species is native to the East Mediterranean region, and well adapted to the Mediterranean climate (Stankova et al 1996;Baldi et al 2011). It is widely cultivated across different bioclimatic regions throughout Syria (Ghazal 2008) and across the Mediterranean region (Brofas et al 2006;Giovanelli & De Carlo 2007).…”