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A time-course transcriptomic analysis during the cork growing season highlights the regulatory and developmental processes from phellogen to phellem formation

ABSTRACT: The phellogen or cork cambium is a bifacial stem cell population from which derivatives are formed by periclinal divisions and specified on opposing sides as phelloderm (inwardly) and phellem or cork (outwardly). Altogether the three layers constitute the periderm which covers and protects the radially-grown organs (stems, roots and tubers) and wounded tissues from dehydration and pathogen attack. The phellem is the final responsible of the protective function of periderm and despite its vital importance, just the suberin biosynthetic process has been studied molecularly while other processes are poorly understood. To shed some light on the phellem cell development from its formation to its final maturation, we used the innercork living material of cork planks extracted from cork oak (Quercus suber) in which we analysed the transcriptome at three time-points: at the beginning (April), maximum (June) and final (July) cork seasonal growth. Since cork presents seasonal growth and the process from phellogen derivative proliferation and specification to phellem cells is continuous, the time-course cork samples were used to approach the phellem cell formation and development. The June enrichment of phellem cells undergoing suberization was confirmed transcriptionally, observing highest expression of suberin-related genes in this month, thus validating our strategy. To highlight the major molecular processes embracing from phellogen to mature phellem cell, the differentially expressed genes between time-points were clustered based on their expression pattern. April transcriptome upregulates the processes involved in the meristem proliferation and maintenance and the triggering of cell differentiation, in agreement with the enrichment of phellogenic cells from which phellem cells are specified. The processes upregulated in Juny and July cork samples, were secondary metabolic processes compatible with the biosynthesis of secondary metabolites deposited within phellem cell wall such as suberin, lignin, extractives including fatty aciyl-derived compounds and triterpenes and also soluble aromatic compounds. The processes with a maximum in July showed upregulation of polyssacharides- and lignin-related processes compatible with a reinforcement of the cork cell wall, presumably related with the latecork formation with smaller and thickened-cells at the end of the growing season. For the above mentioned processes, we discuss the putative function of the most relevant genes in the context of phellem ontogeny. This work provides the most important molecular mechanisms during phellem cell development and provide relevant data for the understanding of the seasonal growth of cork, a material of important circular economic value.

ORGANISM(S): Quercus suber

PROVIDER: GSE155544 | GEO | 2021/06/16

REPOSITORIES: GEO

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Project description:Analysis of gene-expression profiles by microarrays can be very useful to characterize new potential candidate genes, key regulatory networks, and to define phenotypes or molecular signatures to improve the diagnosis or classification of the disease. We have used this approach in the study of one of the major causes of allergic diseases in Mediterranean countries, the olive pollen response, in order to find differential molecular markers among five clinical groups, Non-allergic, Asymptomatic, Allergic but not to olive pollen, Non-treated, olive pollen allergic patients and Olive pollen allergic patients (under specific-immunotherapy). The results of gene-expression by principal components analysis (PCA) clearly showed five clusters of samples that correlated with the five clinical groups. Analysis of differential gene-expression by multiple testing, and functional analysis by KEGG and Gene-Ontology revealed differential genes and pathways among the 5 clinical groups. The study population comprised 28 subjects, selected from a previous immunological study (Aguerri et al. Eur. J. Inflammation 2012, in press), from Andalusia, who were recruited in 2 olive pollen exposure situations: during (April-June) and outside the pollen season (October-December). We established 5 groups, and 6 subjects from each group were selected for gene-expression analysis: Group 1, non-allergic subjects; Group 2, asymptomatic subjects (diagnosed with olive pollen allergy by skin testing, with no seasonal respiratory symptoms [rhinitis and/or asthma], and who consulted for adverse reaction to drugs); Group 3, patients who were allergic, but not to olive pollen; Group 4, non-treated olive pollenM-bM-^@M-^Sallergic; and Group 5, olive pollenM-bM-^@M-^Sallergic patients (receiving olive pollenM-bM-^@M-^Sspecific immunotherapy).The subjects were unrelated and recruited at the Allergy Service of 4 hospitals in Andalusia (Granada, JaM-CM-)n, Sevilla, and MM-CM-!laga). Olive pollenM-bM-^@M-^Sallergic patients fulfilled the following criteria: seasonal rhinitis and/or asthma from April to June, a positive skin prick test result for O. europaea pollen extract (ALK AbellM-CM-3, Madrid, Spain), and no previous immunotherapy. Informed consent was obtained from each subject. Ethical approval for the study was obtained from the Ethical and Research Committee of the participating hospitals. PBMCs were isolated from heparin-containing peripheral blood samples taken during and outside pollen season, by gradient centrifugation on Lymphoprep (Comercial Rafer, Zaragoza, Spain) following the manufacturerM-bM-^@M-^Ys instructions.

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A time-course transcriptomic analysis during the cork growing season highlights the regulatory and developmental processes from phellogen to phellem formation

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