Distinctive Traits of European Mistletoe (<i>Viscum album</i> spp. <i>austriacum</i>) and Its Impact on Host Tree Wood (<i>Pinus sylvestris</i>)
European mistletoe is a hemi-parasitic plant increasingly infesting forests in Central Europe, causing premature tree death, and is anticipated to expand its range due to global warming. This study aimed to describe the unique anatomical features of mistletoe and examine the morpho-anatomical respon...
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2025-05-01
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| author | Alicja Dołkin-Lewko Esra Pulat Roman Wójcik Barbaros Yaman Urszula Zajączkowska Tomasz Oszako Mirela Tulik |
| author_facet | Alicja Dołkin-Lewko Esra Pulat Roman Wójcik Barbaros Yaman Urszula Zajączkowska Tomasz Oszako Mirela Tulik |
| author_sort | Alicja Dołkin-Lewko |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | European mistletoe is a hemi-parasitic plant increasingly infesting forests in Central Europe, causing premature tree death, and is anticipated to expand its range due to global warming. This study aimed to describe the unique anatomical features of mistletoe and examine the morpho-anatomical response of pine trees to infestation. Anatomical analyses were conducted on mistletoe internodes and the branch wood of affected pines. The findings revealed that mistletoe infestation triggers callose deposition in the cell walls of pine tracheids, a defense mechanism that restricts water flow to the mistletoe. Unique structural features of mistletoe were also identified, including structural dimorphism with the inner system forming only vessels and parenchyma cells, in contrast to the outer system, composed of protective, ground, and conductive tissues, and which displays an uneven distribution of chlorophyll and starch grains along the plant axis. Additionally, starch and chlorophyll were present in the parenchyma cells of the haustorium. Starch presence there may potentially enable internal photosynthesis, and the compounds formed after starch hydrolysis may facilitate water uptake from the host’s xylem sap. These results provide new insights into the anatomical adaptations of mistletoe and the defensive responses of pine trees, contributing to a deeper understanding of host–parasite interactions in forest ecosystems. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-cc11138e35b34aed8da9c2b648e2e1b3 |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 2223-7747 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-05-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
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| series | Plants |
| spelling | doaj-art-cc11138e35b34aed8da9c2b648e2e1b32025-08-20T02:33:51ZengMDPI AGPlants2223-77472025-05-011410148910.3390/plants14101489Distinctive Traits of European Mistletoe (<i>Viscum album</i> spp. <i>austriacum</i>) and Its Impact on Host Tree Wood (<i>Pinus sylvestris</i>)Alicja Dołkin-Lewko0Esra Pulat1Roman Wójcik2Barbaros Yaman3Urszula Zajączkowska4Tomasz Oszako5Mirela Tulik6Department of Forest Botany, Warsaw University of Life Sciences, 02-787 Warsaw, PolandDepartment of Forest Botany, Bartin University, 74110 Bartin, TurkeyDepartment of Forest Management Dendrometry and Economics of Forestry, Warsaw University of Life Sciences, 02-787 Warsaw, PolandDepartment of Forest Botany, Bartin University, 74110 Bartin, TurkeyDepartment of Forest Botany, Warsaw University of Life Sciences, 02-787 Warsaw, PolandDepartment of Forest Protection, Forest Research Institute, 05-090 Sękocin Stary, PolandDepartment of Forest Botany, Warsaw University of Life Sciences, 02-787 Warsaw, PolandEuropean mistletoe is a hemi-parasitic plant increasingly infesting forests in Central Europe, causing premature tree death, and is anticipated to expand its range due to global warming. This study aimed to describe the unique anatomical features of mistletoe and examine the morpho-anatomical response of pine trees to infestation. Anatomical analyses were conducted on mistletoe internodes and the branch wood of affected pines. The findings revealed that mistletoe infestation triggers callose deposition in the cell walls of pine tracheids, a defense mechanism that restricts water flow to the mistletoe. Unique structural features of mistletoe were also identified, including structural dimorphism with the inner system forming only vessels and parenchyma cells, in contrast to the outer system, composed of protective, ground, and conductive tissues, and which displays an uneven distribution of chlorophyll and starch grains along the plant axis. Additionally, starch and chlorophyll were present in the parenchyma cells of the haustorium. Starch presence there may potentially enable internal photosynthesis, and the compounds formed after starch hydrolysis may facilitate water uptake from the host’s xylem sap. These results provide new insights into the anatomical adaptations of mistletoe and the defensive responses of pine trees, contributing to a deeper understanding of host–parasite interactions in forest ecosystems.https://www.mdpi.com/2223-7747/14/10/1489forest diebackcallosestructural dimorphismparasite–host interactionwood |
| spellingShingle | Alicja Dołkin-Lewko Esra Pulat Roman Wójcik Barbaros Yaman Urszula Zajączkowska Tomasz Oszako Mirela Tulik Distinctive Traits of European Mistletoe (<i>Viscum album</i> spp. <i>austriacum</i>) and Its Impact on Host Tree Wood (<i>Pinus sylvestris</i>) Plants forest dieback callose structural dimorphism parasite–host interaction wood |
| title | Distinctive Traits of European Mistletoe (<i>Viscum album</i> spp. <i>austriacum</i>) and Its Impact on Host Tree Wood (<i>Pinus sylvestris</i>) |
| title_full | Distinctive Traits of European Mistletoe (<i>Viscum album</i> spp. <i>austriacum</i>) and Its Impact on Host Tree Wood (<i>Pinus sylvestris</i>) |
| title_fullStr | Distinctive Traits of European Mistletoe (<i>Viscum album</i> spp. <i>austriacum</i>) and Its Impact on Host Tree Wood (<i>Pinus sylvestris</i>) |
| title_full_unstemmed | Distinctive Traits of European Mistletoe (<i>Viscum album</i> spp. <i>austriacum</i>) and Its Impact on Host Tree Wood (<i>Pinus sylvestris</i>) |
| title_short | Distinctive Traits of European Mistletoe (<i>Viscum album</i> spp. <i>austriacum</i>) and Its Impact on Host Tree Wood (<i>Pinus sylvestris</i>) |
| title_sort | distinctive traits of european mistletoe i viscum album i spp i austriacum i and its impact on host tree wood i pinus sylvestris i |
| topic | forest dieback callose structural dimorphism parasite–host interaction wood |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2223-7747/14/10/1489 |
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