Species-Specific and Pollution-Induced Changes in Gene Expression and Metabolome of Closely Related <i>Noccaea</i> Species Under Natural Conditions
Hyperaccumulators within the <i>Noccaea</i> genus possess many promising genetic and metabolic adaptations that could be potentially exploited to support phytoremediation efforts and/or crop improvement and biofortification. Although hyperaccumulation is very common in this genus, indivi...
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2024-11-01
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| author | Valentina Bočaj Paula Pongrac Sina Fischer Matevž Likar |
| author_facet | Valentina Bočaj Paula Pongrac Sina Fischer Matevž Likar |
| author_sort | Valentina Bočaj |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Hyperaccumulators within the <i>Noccaea</i> genus possess many promising genetic and metabolic adaptations that could be potentially exploited to support phytoremediation efforts and/or crop improvement and biofortification. Although hyperaccumulation is very common in this genus, individual species display specific traits as they can accumulate different elements (e.g., zinc, cadmium, and/or nickel). Moreover, there appears to be some populational variability with natural selection increasing the metal tolerance in metallicolous populations. Therefore, employing robust methods, such as integrated analysis of the transcriptome and metabolome, is crucial for uncovering pivotal candidate genes and pathways orchestrating the response to metal stress in <i>Noccaea</i> hyperaccumulators. Our study highlights several species-specific traits linked to the detoxification of metals and metal-induced oxidative stress in hyperaccumulating <i>N. praecox</i> when compared to a closely related model species, <i>N. caerulescens</i>, when grown in the field. Transcriptome analysis revealed distinct differences between the three studied natural <i>Noccaea</i> populations. Notably, we observed several pathways frequently connected to metal stress, i.e., glutathione metabolism, phenylpropanoid biosynthesis, and flavonoid biosynthesis, which were enriched. These differences were observed despite the relative evolutionary closeness of studied species, which emphasizes the importance of further expanding our knowledge on hyperaccumulators if we want to exploit their mechanisms for phytoremediation efforts or food quality improvements. |
| format | Article |
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| issn | 2223-7747 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2024-11-01 |
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| spelling | doaj-art-e891d81f02294cd6aa87e0773dd447b12025-08-20T02:27:36ZengMDPI AGPlants2223-77472024-11-011322314910.3390/plants13223149Species-Specific and Pollution-Induced Changes in Gene Expression and Metabolome of Closely Related <i>Noccaea</i> Species Under Natural ConditionsValentina Bočaj0Paula Pongrac1Sina Fischer2Matevž Likar3Biotechnical Faculty, University of Ljubljana, Jamnikarjeva 101, SI-1000 Ljubljana, SloveniaBiotechnical Faculty, University of Ljubljana, Jamnikarjeva 101, SI-1000 Ljubljana, SloveniaSchool of Biosciences, University of Nottingham, Loughborough LE12 5RD, UKBiotechnical Faculty, University of Ljubljana, Jamnikarjeva 101, SI-1000 Ljubljana, SloveniaHyperaccumulators within the <i>Noccaea</i> genus possess many promising genetic and metabolic adaptations that could be potentially exploited to support phytoremediation efforts and/or crop improvement and biofortification. Although hyperaccumulation is very common in this genus, individual species display specific traits as they can accumulate different elements (e.g., zinc, cadmium, and/or nickel). Moreover, there appears to be some populational variability with natural selection increasing the metal tolerance in metallicolous populations. Therefore, employing robust methods, such as integrated analysis of the transcriptome and metabolome, is crucial for uncovering pivotal candidate genes and pathways orchestrating the response to metal stress in <i>Noccaea</i> hyperaccumulators. Our study highlights several species-specific traits linked to the detoxification of metals and metal-induced oxidative stress in hyperaccumulating <i>N. praecox</i> when compared to a closely related model species, <i>N. caerulescens</i>, when grown in the field. Transcriptome analysis revealed distinct differences between the three studied natural <i>Noccaea</i> populations. Notably, we observed several pathways frequently connected to metal stress, i.e., glutathione metabolism, phenylpropanoid biosynthesis, and flavonoid biosynthesis, which were enriched. These differences were observed despite the relative evolutionary closeness of studied species, which emphasizes the importance of further expanding our knowledge on hyperaccumulators if we want to exploit their mechanisms for phytoremediation efforts or food quality improvements.https://www.mdpi.com/2223-7747/13/22/3149<i>Noccaea praecox</i><i>Noccaea caerulescens</i>glutathionephenylpropanoid pathwayflavonoid biosynthesis |
| spellingShingle | Valentina Bočaj Paula Pongrac Sina Fischer Matevž Likar Species-Specific and Pollution-Induced Changes in Gene Expression and Metabolome of Closely Related <i>Noccaea</i> Species Under Natural Conditions Plants <i>Noccaea praecox</i> <i>Noccaea caerulescens</i> glutathione phenylpropanoid pathway flavonoid biosynthesis |
| title | Species-Specific and Pollution-Induced Changes in Gene Expression and Metabolome of Closely Related <i>Noccaea</i> Species Under Natural Conditions |
| title_full | Species-Specific and Pollution-Induced Changes in Gene Expression and Metabolome of Closely Related <i>Noccaea</i> Species Under Natural Conditions |
| title_fullStr | Species-Specific and Pollution-Induced Changes in Gene Expression and Metabolome of Closely Related <i>Noccaea</i> Species Under Natural Conditions |
| title_full_unstemmed | Species-Specific and Pollution-Induced Changes in Gene Expression and Metabolome of Closely Related <i>Noccaea</i> Species Under Natural Conditions |
| title_short | Species-Specific and Pollution-Induced Changes in Gene Expression and Metabolome of Closely Related <i>Noccaea</i> Species Under Natural Conditions |
| title_sort | species specific and pollution induced changes in gene expression and metabolome of closely related i noccaea i species under natural conditions |
| topic | <i>Noccaea praecox</i> <i>Noccaea caerulescens</i> glutathione phenylpropanoid pathway flavonoid biosynthesis |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2223-7747/13/22/3149 |
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