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Enrico FRANCIA
Professore Associato
Dipartimento di Scienze della Vita sede ex-Agraria
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Pubblicazioni
2023
- A Molecular Toolbox to Identify and Quantify Grape Varieties: On the Trace of “Glera”
[Articolo su rivista]
Carrara, I.; Terzi, V.; Ghizzoni, R.; Delbono, S.; Tumino, G.; Crespan, M.; Gardiman, M.; Francia, E.; Morcia, C.
abstract
A pillar of wine authenticity is the variety/ies used. Ampelographic descriptors and SSR markers, included in several national and international databases, are extensively used for varietal identification purposes. Recently, SNP markers have been proposed as useful for grape varietal identification and traceability. Our study has been directed toward the development of a molecular toolbox able to track grape varieties from the nursery to the must. Two complementary approaches were developed, exploiting SNP markers with two different technologies, i.e., a high-throughput platform for varietal identification and a digital PCR system for varietal quantification. As proof-of-concept, the toolbox was successfully applied to the identification and quantification of the “Glera” variety along the Prosecco wine production chain. The assays developed found their limits in commercial, aged wines.
2023
- Effect of plant age, light-spectra, and winter/spring vernalization alleles on the cold acclimation of barley photosynthetic apparatus
[Abstract in Atti di Convegno]
Borbély, Péter; Pálmai, Tamás; Ahres, Mohamed; Caccialupi, Giovanni; Francia, Enrico; Galiba, Gábor
abstract
Cold temperature has a Janus-face effect on winter-hardy cereals: cold acclimation increasing
their frost tolerance, while it also induces vernalization, resulting in a vegetative-generative
transition. The degree of cold hardiness is determined by the CBF-regulon while the vernalization requirement is determined by the VRN1 gene. VRN1 has an epistatic effect on the
CBF genes, as plants lose their freezing tolerance when the vernalization requirement is fulfilled. However, sudden frost spells could occur both during the vegetative-generative transition phase as well as when the generative transition has completed. By the approaching of the
cold season in temperate climate, red:far-red (R:FR) photon ratio decreases, while blue:red
(B:R) photon ratio increases in the sunlight spectrum. In contrast to this, from spring to
summer, changes with the opposite direction could be observed. Many publications discuss
the influence of light spectra on the development of frost tolerance in cereals. Recently, we
reported that when frost-tolerant winter barley genotype ‘Nure’ illuminated by White light
(W) with FR enrichment (WFR) increased its frost tolerance. The process was more successful, when WFR light was further enriched with blue light. These effects have been observed
even at 15°C, where the cold-induced acclimation processes are mostly inactive. However,
this effect is known to be negligible in spring varieties. Diminished freezing tolerance can
also result from less efficient cold acclimation of the photosynthetic apparatus, however, the
spectral dependence of the process is less investigated. Chlorophyll fluorescence parameters
could serve as a physiological marker of photosystem II acclimation to cold as well as an
indicator of freezing damages. Therefore, we aimed to investigate how winter/spring VRN1
alleles (vrn-H1/Vrn-H1) influence the light-induced cold acclimation of the photosynthetic
apparatus of barley plants under different spectral illumination (W, WFR, WFRB) at 15°C
for 10 days after a pre-growing phase in W. The pre- and early post-freezing chlorophyll
fluorescence parameters of detached leaves were compared in vegetative-generative transition- and early generative developmental phases between two reciprocal Near Isogenic Lines
(Cod.43s: Nure background carrying the Tremois Fr-H1 and Nure Fr-H2 alleles; Cod.30s:
Tremois background carrying Nure Fr-H1 allele and Tremois Fr-H2 alleles) and the two
parents. Interestingly the Nure vrn-H1 allele improved the quantum yield of photosystem II
in the Tremois background after freezing, which was further enhanced by WFR treatment.
2023
- Evaluating the impact of drought stress in Nure and Tremois barleys (Hordeum vulgare) treated with plant growth promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) at seedling phase
[Poster]
Caccialupi, Giovanni; Cattabiani, Nicolò; Nur Avci, Fatma; Milc, Justyna; Francia, Enrico; Caradonia, Federica
abstract
Barley is the fifth cultivated herbaceous crop in the world, and its important is due to its economic and nutritional value. Climate change is posing a new challenge to barley production. While drought stress was traditionally associated with the flowering and caryopsis filling stages in barley plants, a new form of drought is now emerging in seedling stage.
To mitigate the impact of environmental stresses, plant growth promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) have been proposed to promote nutrient absorption and plant growth with the production of a range of beneficial substances, such as phytohormones, organic acids, and enzymes.
The aim of this study was to evaluate the genotype response and the impact of PGPR treatment on two cultivars of barley, Nure (Italian feeding barley, winter habitus) and Tremois (French malting barley, spring habitus) in seedling phase under drought stress. At sowing, the soil was treated with PGPR and after two weeks of control condition two different water regimes were applied on seedlings (control at 25% and stressed at 12% of soil moisture). The results showed that both genotypes exhibited analogous stress response, however the PGPR treatment showed different effects on the two cultivars. Specifically, PGPR treatment increased root dry weight in stress conditions in Nure seedlings (by 36.6%) and increased dry weight in control conditions in Tremois seedlings (by 31.1%). Furthermore, the treatment increased the photosynthesis efficiency (PhiPS2) in Tremois seedlings (by 6.2%) and generally in both cultivars (by 7.6%) under drought stress. These findings suggest that the use of PGPR could be a useful tool for protecting barley seedlings against drought stress in early stages of development. However, further research is needed to fully understand the mechanisms of action to determine the optimal conditions for using this approach in the field.
2023
- Grafting and Plant Density Influence Tomato Production in Organic Farming System
[Articolo su rivista]
Caradonia, F.; Francia, E.; Alfano, V.; Ronga, D.
abstract
The tomato is a key crop cultivated worldwide for the fresh and processing markets. Only a small percentage of the tomatoes processed by industries were produced following the guidelines of the organic farming system. Potential reasons for the limited share of organic tomato production are probably related to the lower yield obtained in organic farming in comparison with conventional farming. In this study, the use of the cherry tomato genotype 'Tomito' as a rootstock and two different plant densities (2.5 and 1.25 plant m(-2)) were evaluated in order to improve the agronomic performances of the commercial processing tomato genotype 'H3402 & PRIME; cultivated in the organic farming system. Agronomic and quality parameters were assessed at harvest time. The plant density influenced the plant biometric parameters, mass and marketable yield, and fruit health and quality. The use of a rootstock improved the marketable yield per plant (more than 59%), with the quality of the fruit decreasing the number of sunburnt fruits (-27.7%). The use of the 'Tomito' as a rootstock and a plant density of 2.5 plant m(-2) are the better choices to achieve good performances in optimal environmental conditions. However, further studies are required to validate these results both in other environments and using different scions.
2023
- The Triticeae CBF Gene Cluster—To Frost Resistance and Beyond
[Articolo su rivista]
Caccialupi, Giovanni; Milc, Justyna; Caradonia, Federica; Nasar, Muhammad Fazail; Francia, Enrico
abstract
2022
- Agronomic and morphological traits affecting tomato yield in organic farming system: a preliminary study
[Relazione in Atti di Convegno]
Ronga, Domenico; Caradonia, Federica; Francia, Enrico; Tava, Aldo; Vitelli, R.; Sandei, Luca
abstract
2022
- Characterization of Leaf Transcriptome of Grafted Tomato Seedlings after Rhizospheric Inoculation with Azospirillum baldaniorum or Paraburkholderia graminis
[Articolo su rivista]
Caradonia, Federica; Buti, Matteo; Flore, Alessia; Gatti, Roberto; Morcia, Caterina; Terzi, Valeria; Ronga, Domenico; Moulin, Lionel; Francia, Enrico; Milc, Justyna Anna
abstract
2022
- Effect of foliar fertlizers from fish by-product on growth and development of Lettuce (L. sativa)in green-house conditions
[Poster]
Ben Hassine, M.; Caradonia, F.; Milc, J. A.; Caccialupi, G.; Masino, F.; Pulvirenti, A.; Francia, E.; Antonelli, A.
abstract
In Liguria Region, as in all coastal areas, fish represents a relevant part of human diet due to its high-quality protein content, low fat content, and importance as a source of vitamins and minerals (Prato and Biandolino, 2015). Therefore, in the contest of circular economy, the huge quantity of fish by-product produced could be a resource instead of an environmental issue, thus producing materials with high added value. Such an example are fertilizers or biostimulants obtained from fish by-product that can be used to increase the sustainability of crops cultivation. Under the frame of project “FISH – Fertilizzante Innovativo Suolo e Habitat” (PSR Regione Liguria 2014 – 2020 Misura 16), the effect of foliar fertilizers obtained from fish by-product were evaluated on the growth and development of lettuce (Lactuca sativa L. ‘Summerbel’) in green-house conditions.
2022
- Effects of Fish protein hydrolysate on lettuce growth/development under controlled conditions.
[Abstract in Atti di Convegno]
Mortadha, B. H.; Caradonia, F.; Milc, J. A.; Pulvirenti, A.; Cocchiara, S.; Masino, F.; Antonelli, A.; Francia, Enrico; E., (2022).
abstract
2022
- Extensive allele mining discovers novel genetic diversity in the loci controlling frost tolerance in barley
[Articolo su rivista]
Guerra, D.; Morcia, C.; Badeck, F.; Rizza, F.; Delbono, S.; Francia, E.; Milc, J. A.; Monostori, I.; Galiba, G.; Cattivelli, L.; Tondelli, A.
abstract
Key message: Exome sequencing-based allele mining for frost tolerance suggests HvCBF14 rather than CNV at Fr-H2 locus is the main responsible of frost tolerance in barley. Abstract: Wild relatives, landraces and old cultivars of barley represent a reservoir of untapped and potentially important genes for crop improvement, and the recent sequencing technologies provide the opportunity to mine the existing genetic diversity and to identify new genes/alleles for the traits of interest. In the present study, we use frost tolerance and vernalization requirement as case studies to demonstrate the power of allele mining carried out on exome sequencing data generated from > 400 barley accessions. New deletions in the first intron of VRN-H1 were identified and linked to a reduced vernalization requirement, while the allelic diversity of HvCBF2a, HvCBF4b and HvCBF14 was investigated by combining the analysis of SNPs and read counts. This approach has proven very effective to identify gene paralogs and copy number variants of HvCBF2 and the HvCBF4b-HvCBF2a segment. A multiple linear regression model which considers allelic variation at these genes suggests a major involvement of HvCBF14, rather than copy number variation of HvCBF4b-HvCBF2a, in controlling frost tolerance in barley. Overall, the present study provides powerful resource and tools to discover novel alleles at relevant genes in barley.
2022
- Mendelizing Barley VRN-H1/FR-H1 and FR-H2 Quantitative Trait Loci in alternative backgrounds
[Poster]
Caccialupi, Giovanni; Rizza, Fulvia; Badeck, Franz; Terzi, Valeria; Milc, Justyna Anna; Francia, Enrico
abstract
Freezing temperatures is one of the major limitations among the abiotic stress in cereals. In Triticeae tribe, several genetic studies have revealed the phenotypic variation for frost tolerance (FT) is attributed to two QTLs located in the long arm of homoeologous group 5 chromosome: Frost Resistance 1 (FR-1) and Frost Resistance 2 (FR-2). Besides these QTLs, the genotype background might also play a role in the phenotype. Considering barley as a model specie for the Triticeae tribe, in order to study the impact of the FR-H1 (VRN-H1), FR-H2 (cluster of 13 CBFs) locus and the genotype background, a series of experiments in controlled environment (Votsch chamber) has been carried out to test the freezing resistance of the QTL-NILs (Nure or Tremois x DH/RIL), Nure (winter genotype, resistance FT) and Tremois (spring genotype, susceptible FT). Temperature stress ranges from -10°C to -12°C. Plants at seedling stage (1-2 leaves) were firstly acclimated at 3/1°C (200 uE, 8/16H light/dark regime) for 4 weeks. Frost resistance score was measured using chlorophyll fluorescence analysis (Fv/Fm parameter). A marker-assisted backcross scheme was used to develop four QTL-Near Isogenic Lines aiming at separating FR-H1 and FR-H2 genomic regions in different alternative backgrounds. PCR-based molecular markers for HvCBF3 (Fr-H2) and HvBM5 (Vrn-H1/Fr-H1) were used to select plant with the desired allelic state, and after at least BC4 generation, heterozygous plants multiple selfing generations were obtained. At early selfing generations, the genotypic status of the lines was tested using 19 polymorphic SSR markers scattered throughout the barley genome. Moreover, a Cod42 Nu-Fr-H2 in Tremois background and Cod44 Tr-Fr-H2 in Nure were genotyped with barley 50K chip (Trait genetics). The result of the freezing tests showed that putatively the Fr-H2 (CBF cluster) appears to have a greater effect compared to FR-H1 (VRN-H1). Moreover, the data showed a difference between Nure and the QTL-NILs with Nure background with at least one allele from the spring Tremois. It can be hypothesized that the spring allelic state at the locus negatively affected the phenotype even in a winter background. All the treatments showed that the role of the background is secondary compared to the two FR locus. To confirm these hypothesises, gene expression analysis will be carried out to evaluate VRN-H1, the impact of the whole cluster and each CBF gene on the FT phenotype. Additionally, further investigation will be assessed on open field trials to evaluate recombinants genotype coming from the cross between Nure (winter genotype, resistance FT) and Pamina (facultative genotype, highly resistance FT).
2022
- Plant Biostimulants Increase the Agronomic Performance of Lavandin (Lavandula x intermedia) in Northern Apennine Range
[Articolo su rivista]
Caccialupi, Giovanni; Caradonia, Federica; Ronga, Domenico; BEN HASSINE, Mortadha; Truzzi, Eleonora; Benvenuti, Stefania; Francia, Enrico
abstract
Lavandin (Lavandula x intermedia) belongs to the Lamiaceae family and is a shrub cultivated in the Mediterranean region for essential oils used to produce cosmetic, aromatherapy, and pharmaceutical ingredients. Nowadays, interest in plant biostimulants is rising due to their ability to increase biomass production in a sustainable way. The scope of the present study was to assess the effects of two plant biostimulants, one based on hydrolyzed proteins (FITOSIM®) and one based on seaweed extracts (FITOSTIM ALGA®), on the cultivar Grosso for two consecutive years in three different farms, located in the Italian Tuscan-Emilian Apennine Mountains. A difference in the efficiency of treatments among farms was shown, probably due to the plant age. In 2020, FITOSTIM ALGA® increased inflorescence fresh weights (+35%), while FITOSTIM® and FITOSTIM ALGA® enhanced stem and total fresh weights (+23% and +22%, respectively) compared to the untreated control. In 2021, both treatments enhanced the fresh and dry weights of inflorescence (+47% and +38%, respectively), while FITOSTIM ALGA® also improved the total plant dry weights (+34%). The plant biostimulants did not affect the chemical composition of essential oils. Our results indicate plant biostimulants as a supplement for sustainable management practices, enhancing Lavandin’s performance in mountainous agricultural areas.
2022
- Plant Biostimulants in Sustainable Potato Production: an Overview
[Articolo su rivista]
Caradonia, F.; Ronga, D.; Tava, A.; Francia, E.
abstract
In modern agriculture, the reduction of environmental impact, ensuring both high and stable yield and high quality, is a primary goal. To avoid an excessive use of external inputs, without compromising crop performance, the increase of soil nutrient availability and nutrient use efficiency is fundamental in a sustainable potato production. In this framework, the use of plant biostimulants, such as humic substances, seaweed and microalgal extracts, hydrolysed proteins and amino acids and microorganisms, could give a great help to farmers. Due to the agronomic importance and the keen interest in these substances, the aim of this review was to survey and summarise the outputs derived from scientific published studies on the combination of potato and plant biostimulants. In the literature, several in vitro, growth chamber, glasshouse and field experiments were reported. Field experiments were conducted in different environmental conditions, using different genotypes, and all the applied plant biostimulants showed beneficial effects on both productive and qualitative potato parameters. Seaweed extract and humic substances could also reduce the normal dose of fertiliser without reducing yield. Among quality features, tuber size, contents of protein, vitamin C, starch and phenols are the principal parameters influenced by plant biostimulants. Weaknesses related to the use of plant biostimulants were shown and were related to different effectiveness of products due to their origin, production process and microbial species. In addition, product/strain-genotype interactions have been shown. Environmental factor, agricultural practice and timing of treatment can influence the effectiveness of both microbial and non-microbial plant biostimulants.
2022
- Un nuovo biostimolante dai sottoprodotti della filiera ittica
[Articolo su rivista]
Caser, M; Masino, F; Gervasio, S; Fassio, F; Ben Hassine, M; Benedetti, P; Caradonia, F; Cocchiara, S; Milc, J. A.; Caccialupi, G; Pulvirenti, A; Antonelli, A; Torri, L; Cevasco, R; Rovera, F; Scariot, V; Francia, E; Bertora, C; Ertani, A; Bertelli, C.
abstract
I sottoprodotti della pesca contengono proteine, grassi e amminoacidi, rendendoli così ottimi
candidati per la produzione di biostimolanti. Il progetto FiSH (Fertilizzante idrolizzato Suolo e
Habitat), al quale collaborano sei aziende agricole liguri, ha come obiettivo lo studio di un
idrolizzato proteico fermentato derivato da scarti del pescato sulla crescita, resa e qualità di diverse
colture floricole e orticole (Ranunculus asiaticus, Anemone x hybrida ‘Mistral Blu’, Solanum
tuberosum ‘Quarantina’, Ocimum basilicum, Cucurbita pepo ‘Trombetta d’Albenga’, Allium
sativum e Allium cepa). Durante il primo anno di progetto (2020-2021) sono stati testati in campo
quattro concentrazioni (0,3 ml/L, 0,5 ml/L, 1 ml/L e 2 ml/L) del prototipo Fish n.7 in applicazione
fogliare. Su patata è stata prevista anche un’applicazione su tubero preimpianto e valutato l’attacco
di peronospora (Phytophthora infestans). I risultati ottenuti hanno evidenziato un’ampia variabilità
di risposta. Tra le sei varietà di ranuncolo, ‘Elengance bianco’ ha mostrato una tendenza a produrre
piante più rigogliose e fiori più grandi in risposta alla dose più elevata di Fish n.7, mentre la dose
0,5 ml/L ha indotto un maggiore sviluppo vegetativo e maggior produzione di rizomi nella varietà
‘Venere’. Su patata i risultati suggeriscono di evitare l’immersione del tubero, di mantenere i
trattamenti rameici e di utilizzare concentrazioni < 1 ml/L. Su basilico e zucchina è stata osservata
una maggiore produzione di biomassa nelle piante trattate alla concentrazione 2 ml/L. Nessun
effetto è emerso in anemone, cipolla e aglio anche se, i dati delle ultime due specie sembrano
indicare un beneficio fornito dalla dose 1 ml/L. Sulla base dei risultati, sono in corso valutazioni
con otto nuovi prodotti.
2022
- Use of biostimulants to increase biomass production in Lavandin (Lavandula x intermedia) cultivated in Tuscan-Emilian Apennines
[Poster]
Caccialupi, Giovanni; Caradonia, Federica; BEN HASSINE, Mortadha; Truzzi, Eleonora; Benvenuti, Stefania; Ronga, Domenico; Francia, Enrico
abstract
Lavandin Lavandula x intermedia is one the most important perennial aromatic shrub widespread in the Italian marginal areas and is mainly cultivated for essentials oils production. Nowadays, in rural areas, biostimulants are gaining interest as useful product to enhance the biomass production, following the concept of sustainable agriculture. The present work aimed to evaluate the effects on biomass production of two biostimulants on lavandin crop cv “Grosso.” The biostimulants evaluated were: FITOSIM® composed from hydrolysed animal epithelium and FITOSIM ALGA® formulated from brown marine algae. The trial was conducted in three farms located in the Tuscan-Emilian Apennine area (Northern Italy). The products were applied as foliar spray fertilization during the blooming phase (weekly, in two times) of the years 2020 and 2021. The crops were transplanted in three different years: at Preci farm in 2016, at Campazzo farm in 2013 and at Pedroni farm in 2009. In the 2020, results showed that FITOSIM ALGA® increased the fresh weight of the inflorescence, moreover FITOSIM® and FITOSIM ALGA® treatments enhanced the stem and total fresh weights compared to the control. In 2021, treatments enhanced the inflorescence and total fresh weights, and the dry weight of the inflorescence, while FITOSTIM ALGA improved only the total plant dry weigh. Furthermore, the results showed that the year of transplant influenced the agronomic performances of the investigated biostimulants. In conclusion, this work suggests the ability of the biostimulants to enhance the biomass production on lavandin crop. However, further investigation will be required to evaluate the most efficient number of treatments, the effect of the biostimulants on yield parameters and on the quality of the essential oils.
2021
- Agronomic comparisons of heirloom and modern processing tomato genotypes cultivated in organic and conventional farming systems
[Articolo su rivista]
Ronga, D.; Caradonia, F.; Vitti, A.; Francia, E.
abstract
The yield and fruit quality of processing tomatoes (Solanum lycopersicum L.) have increased markedly over the past decades. The aim of this work was to assess the effects of the organic (OFS) and conventional farming systems (CFS) on the main agronomic parameters involved in processing tomato yield components and fruit quality traits of heirloom and modern genotypes. Marketable yield increased from heirloom to modern genotypes, both in OFS and in CFS, showing a difference of ≈20 t per hectare in favor of CFS. Total fruit yield (TY) was not improved from heirloom to modern assessed genotypes, and a difference of ≈35 t per hectare was observed in favor of CFS. In both farming systems, the highest marketable yield of modern genotypes was due to a higher number of fruits per plant, harvest index, nitrogen agronomic efficiency (NAE), and fruit water productivity. Moreover, the main growth parameters involved in the yield differences between OFS and CFS were the number of leaves per plant, the average fruit weight, the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), and NAE. It is noteworthy that fruit quality improvement in terms of color and brix per hectare was paralleled by a decrease of tomato pH in both farming systems. According to our results, we conclude that to reduce the current yield gap between OFS and CFS, agronomic and breeding efforts should be undertaken to increase leaf area index, fruit number per plant, and NAE for better genotype adaptation to organic farming systems.
2021
- Effects of biostimulants on the chemical composition of essential oil and hydrosol of lavandin (Lavandula x intermedia emeric ex loisel.) cultivated in tuscan-emilian apennines
[Articolo su rivista]
Truzzi, E.; Benvenuti, S.; Bertelli, D.; Francia, E.; Ronga, D.
abstract
In recent years, it has been shown that biostimulants can efficiently enhance plant metabolic processes, leading to an increased production of essential oil (EO) in aromatic plants. The present study aimed to evaluate the effects of two different commercial biostimulants composed of amino acids and seaweed extract, normally used for food organic crops, on the production and composition of EO and hydrosol of Lavandula x intermedia, cultivar “Grosso”. The products were applied during 2020 growing season on lavender crops in three different locations of the Northern Italian (Emilia-Romagna Region) Apennines. Plants were harvested and EOs extracted by steam distillation and analyzed by gas chromatography. Both biostimulants affected the yield of EO per plant (+11% to +49% depending on the treatment/farm combination) without significantly changing the chemical composition of EOs and hydrosols. Conversely, the composition of EOs and hydrosols are related to the location, and the main compounds of “Grosso” cultivar, limonene, 1,8-cineole, cis-ocimene, linalool, camphor, borneol, terpinen-4-ol, and linalyl acetate, show different ratios at the experimental test sites. The differences might be due to the sunlight exposure and various maintenance of the crops over the years. In conclusion, these results suggest that the employment of biostimulants on lavandin crops do not endanger the quality of the EO while increasing biomass production and promoting the sustainability of the crop.
2021
- Genetic and Management Effects on Barley Yield and Phenology in the Mediterranean Basin
[Articolo su rivista]
Cammarano, D.; Ronga, D.; Francia, E.; Akar, T.; Al-Yassin, A.; Benbelkacem, A.; Grando, S.; Romagosa, I.; Stanca, A. M.; Pecchioni, N.
abstract
Heading time in barley is considered a key developmental stage controlling adaptation to the environment and it affects grain yield; with the combination of agronomy (planting dates) and genetics being some of the determinants of adaptation to environmental conditions in order to escape late frost, heat, and terminal drought stresses. The objectives of this study are (i) to apply a gene-based characterization of 118 barley doubled haploid recombinants for vernalization, photoperiod, and earliness per se; (ii) use such information to quantify the optimal combination of genotype/sowing date that escapes extreme weather events; and (iii) how water and nitrogen management impact on grain yield. The doubled haploid barley genotypes with different allelic combinations for vernalization, photoperiod, and earliness per se were grown in eight locations across the Mediterranean basin. This information was linked with the crop growth model parameters. The photoperiod and earliness per se alleles modify the length of the phenological cycle, and this is more evident in combination with the recessive allele of the vernalization gene VRN-H2. In hot environments such as Algeria, Syria, and Jordan, early sowing dates (October 30 and December15) would be chosen to minimize the risk of exposing barley to heat stress. To maintain higher yields in the Mediterranean basin, barley breeding activities should focus on allelic combinations that have recessive VRN-H2 and EPS2 genes, since the risk of cold stress is much lower than the one represented by heat stress.
2021
- Techno-economic study of a small scale gasifier applied to an indoor hemp farm: From energy savings to biochar effects on productivity
[Articolo su rivista]
Pedrazzi, S.; Santunione, G.; Mustone, M.; Cannazza, G.; Citti, C.; Francia, E.; Allesina, G.
abstract
The hemp market is fast growing due to demand for cannabidiol, nutraceutical and hemp fiber products. This work demonstrates the economical advantage of biomass gasification application to indoor hemp production. Gasifiers provide electrical energy, heat and biochar: these are highly valuable products for indoor growers where lights and thermal management are key costs of the business. Energy produced in an autonomous and renewable way increases the sustainability and in the facility. In this paper a small scale gasifier is fueled with certified “A1 plus” wood pellets to test its behavior and its biochar production rate. Biochar is used for hemp growing tests in an indoor hemp production facility. Results show how a 22 kW power plant is sufficient to guarantee almost complete sustainability in a 80 m2 facility. In the best case scenario where energy saving, biochar and thermal energy selling are considered, the gasifier investment has a payback time of about 3.5 years. At the end of the gasifier lifespan, the Net Present Value reaches 249 k€ considering a discount rate of 6%. Consequential results were also obtained from biochar application to pot growing substrates: there was a 7.7% increase in dry flower production and a 33.9% increase in total plant fresh biomass. Cannabinoids profiles resulted not affected by biochar application.
2020
- Bioplastic Film From Black Soldier Fly Prepupae Proteins Used As Mulch: Preliminary Results
[Articolo su rivista]
Setti, Leonardo; Francia, Enrico; Pulvirenti, Andrea; De Leo, Riccardo; Martinelli, Simone; Maistrello, Lara; Macavei, Laura Ioana; Montorsi, Monia; Barbi, Silvia; Ronga, Domenico
abstract
A protein‐based film (PBF), obtained from black soldier fly prepupae proteins, was
assessed for its agronomic performance as mulch. PBF was investigated in a potting experiment and
compared with Mater‐Bi (MB), polyethylene (PE) and bare soil. During the experiment, degraded
surface area, weight and thickness of the film, water evaporated from the pot, and the soil
microbiological content (SMC) were recorded. In addition, films were buried to assess their
biodegradability and impact on SMC. During the mulching process, the PBF showed a significant
degradation. In terms of evaporated water, the PBF performed similarly to MB and worse than PE.
Regarding SMC, film of any nature caused an increase in the Clostridia spp. and a decrease of total
mesophilic aerobic bacteria and fungi contents. When buried, only PBF recorded a faster
biodegradability, showing a reduction of surface area, thickness and weight. PBF and MB
highlighted a significant increase in contents of Clostridia spp., mesophilic aerobic bacteria and
fungi. Our results reported, for the first time, the valorization of black soldier fly (BSF) prepupae
proteins as a biodegradable film for mulching purposes. However, further study is needed to reduce
the PBF biodegradability and allow it to be used for the most important mulched crops.
2020
- Biostimulants and cherry rootstock increased tomato fruit yield and quality in sustainable farming systems
[Articolo su rivista]
Caradonia, F.; Ronga, D.; Flore, A.; Barbieri, R.; Moulin, L.; Terzi, V.; Francia, E.
abstract
Nowadays one of the main challenges in agriculture is to increase crop yield and quality in a sustainable way. Organic farming system (OFS) is considered more eco-friendly than the conventional farming system (CFS). However, cash crops showed a reduced yield when cultivated in OFS, and among them processing tomato reported the highest yield gap between OFS and CFS. Therefore, the objective of this study was to investigate, both in greenhouse and field experiments, the combined effects of a cherry rootstock, genotype ‘Tomito’, and the applications of different microbial biostimulants (single species and consortia). The agronomic performance of a commercial processing tomato genotype, ‘H3402’, was assessed in order to increase fruit yield and quality in sustainable farming systems. In greenhouse experiment, the use of ‘Tomito’ as rootstock highlighted both the highest plant height (35 e cm) and leaf chlorophyll content (25.20), while plants inoculated with A. brasiliensis showed the highest number of flowers (4.5). In field experiment, the combined use of grafting and microbial biostimulants increased marketable (on average 2.3 kg plant–1) and total yields (on average 2.5 kg plant–1) in comparison with the genotype ‘H3402’. All the investigated treatments reduced the number of fruits affected by blossom-end rot (on average-4.7 fruits plant–1), and A. brasiliensis also improved the fruit solid soluble content, recording values of 6.23 °Brix and 3.54 of Brix t ha–1.
2020
- Characterization of Celiac Disease-Related Epitopes and Gluten Fractions, and Identification of Associated Loci in Durum Wheat
[Articolo su rivista]
Taranto, F.; D'Agostino, N.; Catellani, M.; Laviano, L.; Ronga, D.; Milc, J.; Prandi, B.; Boukid, F.; Sforza, S.; Graziano, S.; Gulli, M.; Visioli, G.; Marmiroli, N.; Badeck, F. W.; Minervini, A. P.; Pecorella, I.; Pecchioni, N.; de Vita, P.; Francia, E.
abstract
While durum wheat is a major food source in Mediterranean countries, storage (i.e., gluten) proteins are however responsible for celiac disease (CD), a serious autoimmune disease that occurs in genetically predisposed subjects. Different gluten epitopes—defined as “immunogenic” (IP) and “toxic” (TP) peptides—are involved in the pathology and their content in wheat grain depends on environmental and genetic factors. Detection of IP and TP is not trivial, and no work has been conducted so far to identify the genomic regions associated with their accumulation in wheat. In the present study, a genome-wide association study was performed on a durum wheat collection to identify marker–trait associations (MTAs) between 5730 high quality SNPs and the accumulation of CD-related peptides and gluten protein composition measured in two consecutive cropping seasons (2015/2016 and 2016/2017). High-molecular-weight glutenin subunits (HMW-GS) were more stable between the two years, and differences in total gluten proteins were mainly due to low-molecular-weight glutenin subunits (LMW-GS) and accumulation of gliadins. In the first instance, association tests were conducted on yellow pigment content (YP), a highly inheritable trait with a well-known genetic basis, and several significant MTAs were found corresponding to loci already known for being related to YP. These findings showed that MTAs found for the rest of the measured traits were reliable. In total, 28 significant MTAs were found for gluten composition, while 14 were found to be associated with IP and TP. Noteworthy, neither significant (−log10p > 4.7) nor suggestive (−log10p > 3.3) MTAs for the accumulation of CD-triggering epitopes were found on Gli-A1/Glu-A3 and Gli-B1/Glu-B3 loci, thus suggesting regulatory rather than structural gene effect. A PBF transcription factor on chromosome 5B, known to be involved in the regulation of the expression of CD-related peptides, was identified among the positional candidate genes in the LD-decay range around significant SNPs. Results obtained in the present study provide useful insights and resources for the long-term objective of selecting low-toxic durum wheat varieties while maintaining satisfactory gluten quality.
2020
- In silico identification of myb and bhlh families reveals candidate transcription factors for secondary metabolic pathways in cannabis sativa L
[Articolo su rivista]
Bassolino, L.; Buti, M.; Fulvio, F.; Pennesi, A.; Mandolino, G.; Milc, J.; Francia, E.; Paris, R.
abstract
Plant secondary metabolic pathways are finely regulated by the activity of transcription factors, among which members of the bHLH and MYB subfamilies play a main role. Cannabis sativa L. is a unique officinal plant species with over 600 synthesized phytochemicals having diverse scale-up industrial and pharmaceutical usage. Despite comprehensive knowledge of cannabinoids’ metabolic pathways, very little is known about their regulation, while the literature on flavonoids’ metabolic pathways is still scarce. In this study, we provide the first genome-wide analysis of bHLH and MYB families in C. sativa reference cultivar CBDRx and identification of candidate coding sequences for these transcription factors. Cannabis sativa bHLHs and MYBs were then classified into functional subfamilies through comparative phylogenetic analysis with A. thaliana transcription factors. Analyses of gene structure and motif distribution confirmed that CsbHLHs and CsMYBs belonging to the same evolutionary clade share common features at both gene and amino acidic level. Candidate regulatory genes for key metabolic pathways leading to flavonoid and cannabinoid synthesis in Cannabis were also retrieved. Furthermore, a candidate gene approach was used to identify structural enzyme-coding genes for flavonoid and cannabinoid synthesis. Taken as a whole, this work represents a valuable resource of candidate genes for further investigation of the C. sativa cannabinoid and flavonoid metabolic pathways for genomic studies and breeding programs.
2020
- Influence of CNV on transcript levels of HvCBF genes at Fr-H2 locus revealed by resequencing in resistant barley cv. ‘Nure’ and expression analysis
[Articolo su rivista]
Mareri, L.; Milc, J.; Laviano, L.; Buti, M.; Vautrin, S.; Cauet, S.; Mascagni, F.; Natali, L.; Cavallini, A.; Berges, H.; Pecchioni, N.; Francia, E.
abstract
Resequencing in resistant cultivar ‘Nure’ and structural comparison with the same region of susceptible ‘Morex’ was performed in order to gain a better insight into barley Frost-resistance-H2 locus. Accurate annotation showed copy number variation (CNV) in the proximal part of the locus. In ‘Nure’, two exact copies of the HvCBF4-HvCBF2A region and one of the HvCBF4-HvCBF2B segment were observed, while in ‘Morex’ the corresponding region harboured a single HvCBF4-HvCBF2A (22 kb) segment. Abundance and diversity of repetitive element classes, gene function gain/losses, regulatory motifs and SNPs in gene sequences were identified. An expression study of key HvCBFs with/without CNV on selected genotypes contrasting for frost resistance and estimated HvCBF4-HvCBF2B copy number (2–10 copies) was also performed. Under light stimulus at warm temperature (23 °C), CNV of HvCBF2A and HvCBF4 correlated with their expression levels and reported frost resistance of genotypes; moreover, expression levels of HvCBF2A and HvCBF14 were strongly correlated (r = 0.908, p < 0.01). On the other hand, frost resistance correlated to HvCBF14 expression (r = 0.871, p < 0.01) only after cold induction (6°C) in the dark. A complex interplay of HvCBFs expression levels under different light/temperature stimuli is discussed in light of CNV and presence/number of regulatory elements that integrate different signal transduction pathways.
2020
- Influence of environmental and genetic factors on content of toxic and immunogenic wheat gluten peptides
[Articolo su rivista]
Ronga, D.; Laviano, L.; Catellani, M.; Milc, J.; Prandi, B.; Boukid, F.; Sforza, S.; Dossena, A.; Graziano, S.; Gulli, M.; Visioli, G.; Marmiroli, N.; De Vita, P.; Pecchioni, N.; Francia, E.
abstract
The impact of environment, genetic selection and their interactions on grain yield of durum wheat genotypes has been extensively studied; however, limited information is available for their influence on gluten quality associated with effects on the amount and composition of glutenins, gliadins and celiac disease (CD)-triggering peptides. In this study, a set of six commonly cultivated durum wheat genotypes were assessed in a multi-environment trial of eight site-year combinations in different Italian regions during two consecutive harvest years (2016 and 2017). While high-molecular-weight glutenin subunits (HMW-GS) were more stable between years, differences in total gluten proteins were mainly due to low-molecular-weight glutenin subunits (LMW-GS) and gliadins accumulation. After mass separation and quantification, two gliadin proteins – γ-Gli-5 and α-GliA2-6 (41.1 and 33.8 kDa, respectively) – were further studied together with toxic (TP) and immunogenic (IP) celiac disease-triggering peptides obtained via simulated gastrointestinal digestion. While TP accumulation was strongly influenced by the genotypes, IP showed marked variation in the different sites with significant genotype-by-year and genotype-by-site interaction. Specific agrometeorological variables (i.e. growing degree days and aridity index) in different growing phases showed a strong negative correlation with α-GliA2-6 and CD-associated peptides. Statistical analysis revealed that the level of gliadins and TP/IP peptides were uncorrelated with grain protein content and yield. The selection of plant materials with good technological properties but with a low content of CD-triggering peptides should combine with ad hoc environment (e.g. site) selection and management practices reducing crop evapotranspiration in the vegetative phase.
2020
- Interspecific rootstock can enhance yield of processing tomatoes (Solanum lycopersicum L.) in organic farming
[Articolo su rivista]
Caradonia, F.; Francia, E.; Barbieri, R.; Setti, L.; Hagassou, D.; Ronga, D.
abstract
At present, consumer concern about the impact of food production on the environment is driving increased demand for high quality and healthy tomatoes. However, the yield of processing tomatoes in organic systems are generally lower than that in conventional systems and only a limited number of genotypes suitable for low input or organic systems are available for farmers. The technique of grafting commercial genotypes onto selected rootstocks offers a faster alternative to the classic breeding process. Therefore, in this study, the use of the interspecific rootstock RS01658654 (RT1) was assessed, aiming to improve the marketable yield of processing tomatoes grown in an organic cropping system. The non-commercial processing tomato genotype TC266 was grafted onto the interspecific rootstock RT1 and the plants were then grown under organic conditions. In two growing seasons, morphological, physiological and agronomic performances of grafted processing tomato plants were compared to non-grafted and self-grafted plants. TC226 grafted onto RT1 had a higher number of flowers and leaves compared with the non-grafted and the self-grafted plants. In addition, the marketable yield (significant in 2017 only), the number of fruits and the fruit dry weight were higher for plants grown on the interspecific rootstock RT1, without affecting the quality of the fruit. The results of this study showed that the use of the interspecific rootstock RT1 could provide a good option for improving the production of processing tomatoes in organic farming.
2020
- Production and use of co-composted biochar as soil amendment for cannabis sativa sp. Growth
[Relazione in Atti di Convegno]
Santunionea, G.; Turi, E.; Paris, R.; Francia, E.; Montanari, M.; Cannazza, G.
abstract
Biochar is a carbonaceous by-product of thermochemical conversion of ligno-cellulosic biomass. Its application to soil positively influences various soil physico-chemical properties. Biochar high specific surface area and high micro and macro porosity raise the soil water retention and nutrients absorptivity from the soil, enhancing biomass yield. However, biochar itself contains low nutrients amount and its amendment properties could be improved through organic matter addition, rich in microelements and nutrients. This work studies the integration of fresh organic matter and biochar in co-composting biochar process in order to investigate co-composted biochar (hereby called COMBI) effects on soil amelioration compared to biochar only. Specifically, biochar used in this study is the result of thermochemical conversion of lingo-cellulosic biomass waste through PP30 30 kW gasification power plant. Green matter comes from CREA Institute in Anzola (Bologna) hemp fields: After the fibers harvest, the organic wastes was collected and co-composted with biochar (15% v/v) to achieve a mature COMBI. The co-composting biochar process has been carried out in a 105 L volume composter for 3 weeks. It has been mixed by turning the composter to allow oxygenation during organic matter degradation reactions. The temperature profile, the humidity and the C/N content were monitored during the maturation process of COMBI. Then, COMBI has been applied to Cannabis sativa sp. pot growth test (Finola cultivar), where the effects of no amendment soil was used for control plants (C), 5% v/v biochar only amendment (5% B), 10% and 20% v/v co-composting biochar (10% COMBI and 20% COMBI) amendment soil were investigated and compared. The biomass production of Finola plants, the flowers weight and THC-CBD content were analyzed and ANOVA statistical analysis was performed among the four groups of plants.
2020
- Using digestate and biochar as fertilizers to improve processing tomato production sustainability
[Articolo su rivista]
Ronga, D.; Caradonia, F.; Parisi, M.; Bezzi, G.; Parisi, B.; Allesina, G.; Pedrazzi, S.; Francia, E.
abstract
The principal goal of the organic farming system (OFS) is to develop enterprises that are sustainable and harmonious with the environment. Unfortunately, the OFS yields fewer products per land than the non-organic farming system in many agricultural products. The objective of our study was to assess the effects of digestate and biochar fertilizers on yield and fruit quality of processing tomato produced under the OFS. The experiment was carried out in Po Valley, during the 2017 and 2018 growing seasons. Liquid digestate (LD), LD + biochar (LD + BC) and pelleted digestate (PD) were evaluated and compared to biochar (BC) application and unfertilized control. The results showed that plants fertilized with LD + BC recorded the maximum marketable yield (72 t ha-1), followed by BC (67 t ha-1), PD (64 t ha-1) and LD (59 t ha-1); while the lowest production (47 t ha-1) was recorded in unfertilized plants. Over the two cropping seasons, LD + BC, BC, PD, and LD, increased fruit number per plant (+15%), fruit weight (+24%), Brix t ha-1 (+41%) and reduced Bostwick index (-16%), if compared to the untreated control. Considering the overall agronomic performances, digestate and biochar can be useful options for increasing yield and quality of processing tomato production in the OFS. Hence, these fertilizers can be assessed in future research both on other crops and farming systems.
2019
- A meta-analysis of comparative transcriptomic data reveals a set of key genes involved in the tolerance to abiotic stresses in rice
[Articolo su rivista]
Buti, M.; Baldoni, E.; Formentin, E.; Milc, J.; Frugis, G.; Schiavo, F. L.; Genga, A.; Francia, E.
abstract
Several environmental factors, such as drought, salinity, and extreme temperatures, negatively affect plant growth and development, which leads to yield losses. The tolerance or sensitivity to abiotic stressors are the expression of a complex machinery involving molecular, biochemical, and physiological mechanisms. Here, a meta-analysis on previously published RNA-Seq data was performed to identify the genes conferring tolerance to chilling, osmotic, and salt stresses, by comparing the transcriptomic changes between tolerant and susceptible rice genotypes. Several genes encoding transcription factors (TFs) were identified, suggesting that abiotic stress tolerance involves upstream regulatory pathways. A gene co-expression network defined the metabolic and signalling pathways with a prominent role in the differentiation between tolerance and susceptibility: (i) the regulation of endogenous abscisic acid (ABA) levels, through the modulation of genes that are related to its biosynthesis/catabolism, (ii) the signalling pathways mediated by ABA and jasmonic acid, (iii) the activity of the “Drought and Salt Tolerance” TF, involved in the negative regulation of stomatal closure, and (iv) the regulation of flavonoid biosynthesis by specific MYB TFs. The identified genes represent putative key players for conferring tolerance to a broad range of abiotic stresses in rice; a fine-tuning of their expression seems to be crucial for rice plants to cope with environmental cues.
2019
- Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi and Plant Growth Promoting Rhizobacteria Avoid Processing Tomato Leaf Damage during Chilling Stress
[Articolo su rivista]
Caradonia, F.; Francia, E.; Morcia, C.; Ghizzoni, R.; Moulin, L.; Terzi, V.; Ronga, D.
abstract
Chilling stress limits processing tomato growth and yield, leading to high losses.
An approach to increase the sustainability of crop production could involve the use of beneficial
microorganisms. The objectives of this research were to investigate: (i) the ecacy of Funneliformis
mosseae and Paraburkholderia graminis C4D1M in avoiding processing tomato damage during severe
chilling stress; (ii) the synergic eect of the two microorganisms inoculated as a consortium; (iii) if
the putative microorganism eects depended on the processing tomato genotype. To achieve these
objectives, two experiments were carried out. In the first experiment, a modern genotype was
assessed, while three genotypes were evaluated in the second experiment. At sowing, F. mosseae was
mixed with peat. Nine days after sowing, P. graminis was inoculated close to the plant’s root collar.
After 40 days of seed sowing, chilling treatment was performed at 1 C for 24 h. F. mosseae mainly
reduced the cell membrane injuries in term of electrolytic leakage and eciency of photosystem II,
after the chilling stress in both experiments. Conversely, in the second experiment, the consortium
improved the seedling regrowth, increasing the eciency of photosystem II. In addition, modern
genotypes inoculated with microorganisms showed a better seedling regrowth.
2019
- Blossom end-rot in tomato ( Solanum lycopersicum L.): A multi-disciplinary overview of inducing factors and control strategies
[Articolo su rivista]
Hagassou, Djangsou; Francia, Enrico; Ronga, Domenico; Buti, Matteo
abstract
Blossom-end rot (BER) is a physiological disorder causing severe losses in tomato crops. Despite its economic importance and the large collection of studies concerning its onset, BER occurrence is still poorly understood, making its prediction and prevention very difficult. Currently, two theories are accredited to explain the BER onset: the first one identifies a reduced root uptake and an aberrant regulation of cellular partitioning of calcium as the major physiopathy agent, while the second one hypothesizes a primary role to abiotic stresses, as they induce reactive oxygen species (ROS) production in the plant, leading to membranes disintegration and loss of cell turgor. To date, there are no unequivocal proofs that allow us to definitively go beyond one of the two hypotheses. Rather, a multitude of genetic, physiological and environmental factors form a complex network of interactions and synergies contributing to BER occurrence. This is why the “multi-disciplinary approach” is maybe the most appropriate one to understand this physiopathy and to develop new and effective BER-contrasting tools with genetic and agronomic methods. This review adopts this kind of approach to investigate the causes of BER and to describe the practices preventing its occurrence, possibly providing the most complete compendium about this disorder to date.
2019
- Carbon footprint and energetic analysis of tomato production in the organic vs the conventional cropping systems in Southern Italy
[Articolo su rivista]
Ronga, D.; Gallingani, Tommaso; Zaccardelli, M.; Perrone, D.; Francia, E.; Milc, J.; Pecchioni, N.
abstract
Sustainable agriculture aims to reduce its environmental impact. In this research, the carbon footprint and energetic analysis have been performed for three consecutive years to investigate the actual environmental impact of processing tomato production, in the organic (OS) vs the conventional cropping systems (CS), in a specialized Mediterranean area in Southern Italy. The global warming potential (GWP, in term of kg CO 2 -eq) and primary energy demand (PED, in term of MJ) of processing tomato produced in the two systems (average of three years) were compared in this study. Our results indicate that GWP was on average + 22% in the OS than in CS using 1 ton of marketable fresh fruits as FU. On the other hand, GWP recorded in the OS was, on average, −40% compared to the CS, if 1 ha was considered. A similar impact was registered for PED. The OS showed +28% vs −38% of PED than the CS, using 1 t of marketable fresh fruit vs 1 ha. Pesticide and fungicide applications and soil tillage had the highest impacts among management inputs on GWP and PED, for both farming systems. Hence, the environmental efficiency of these practices could be largely improved in the production of processing tomato aiming at sustainable farming. In conclusion, the differences of sustainability observed between the two farming systems were mainly due to the far lower marketable yield recorded in the OS vs the CS. Therefore, the priority future challenge of organic processing tomato farming should be the reduction of the yield gap between the OS and the CS, through the development of both new genotypes and innovative management methods, designed to reduce the gap, but not increasing the environmental impact on the agroecosystem.
2019
- Changes in yield components, morphological, physiological and fruit quality traits in processing tomato cultivated in Italy since the 1930’s
[Articolo su rivista]
Ronga, Domenico; Francia, Enrico; Rizza, Fulvia; Badeck, Franz-W.; Caradonia, Federica; Montevecchi, Giuseppe; Pecchioni, Nicola
abstract
Yield of processing tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) increased (∼50%) in Italy since the 1930’s. The aim of this
work was to assess the changes in yield components associated with morphological, physiological and fruit
quality traits in processing tomato cultivars cropped in Italy from the mid-1930s until nowadays, introduced by
breeding in six representative cultivars. Marketable yield showed an increase of 0.6% per year of release since
the 1930’s. The highest marketable yield was obtained in modern cultivars due to a higher harvest index, fruit
number and the ratio between ripe fruit and total fruit in comparison with the old ones. However, no single trait
drove the highest marketable yield in modern cultivars. In fact, both morphological (smaller plant height and
leaf area index) and physiological (accelerated plant senescence, higher leaf nitrogen status, and lower potential
plant water and chlorophyll contents) traits contributed to increase marketable yield in modern cultivars.
Moreover, total plant dry weight (shoot+fruit) of a single plant decreased, whereas its total fruit fresh weight
and fruit dry matter content were stable and not correlated with the year of release, thus suggesting that a higher
sink strength and homogeneity of fruit ripening were also involved in the highest marketable yield showed by
modern cultivars. A great effort of breeders was done in the improvement of important fruit quality traits
required by Italian canning industries. Fruit colour and Brix yield were positively correlated with the year of
release, while viscosity and total carotenoids were negatively correlated with the year of release. However, no
improvement was achieved for important traits such as soluble solids content, fruit dry weight and total fruit
yield, which instead should be considered in the future breeding programmes, to improve both yield and quality
of processing tomato.
2019
- Combined effect of cadmium and lead on durum wheat
[Articolo su rivista]
Aprile, A.; Sabella, E.; Francia, E.; Milc, J.; Ronga, D.; Pecchioni, N.; Ferrari, E.; Luvisi, A.; Vergine, M.; De Bellis, L.
abstract
Cadmium (Cd) and lead (Pb) are two toxic heavy metals (HMs) whose presence in soil is generally low. However, industrial and agricultural activities in recent years have significantly raised their levels, causing progressive accumulations in plant edible tissues, and stimulating research in this field. Studies on toxic metals are commonly focused on a single metal, but toxic metals occur simultaneously. The understanding of the mechanisms of interaction between HMs during uptake is important to design agronomic or genetic strategies to limit contamination of crops. To study the single and combined effect of Cd and Pb on durum wheat, a hydroponic experiment was established to examine the accumulation of the two HMs. Moreover, the molecular mechanisms activated in the roots were investigated paying attention to transcription factors (bHLH family), heavy metal transporters and genes involved in the biosynthesis of metal chelators (nicotianamine and mugineic acid). Cd and Pb are accumulated following different molecular strategies by durum wheat plants, even if the two metals interact with each other influencing their respective uptake and translocation. Finally, we demonstrated that some genes (bHLH 29, YSL2, ZIF1, ZIFL1, ZIFL2, NAS2 and NAAT) were induced in the durum wheat roots only in response to Cd.
2019
- Comparative transcriptome profiling of the response to Pyrenochaeta lycopersici in resistant tomato cultivar Mogeor and its background genotype—susceptible Moneymaker
[Articolo su rivista]
Milc, J.; Bagnaresi, P.; Aragona, M.; Valente, M. T.; Biselli, C.; Infantino, A.; Francia, E.; Pecchioni, N.
abstract
Breeding for resistance is the most effective tool for controlling the corky root disease of tomato caused by Pyrenochaeta lycopersici. A comparative RNA-Seq-based transcriptomic analysis was conducted at 96 hpi (hours post infection) on two tomato cultivars: resistant Mogeor and its genetic background, and susceptible Moneymaker to investigate the differences in their transcriptomic response and identify the molecular bases of this plant-pathogen interaction. The number of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) identified was much higher in the susceptible than in the resistant genotype; however, the proportion of upregulated genes was higher in Mogeor (70.81%) than in Moneymaker (52.95%). Gene Ontology (GO) analysis enabled identification of 24 terms shared by the two cultivars that were consistent with responses to external stimulus, such as fungal infection. On the other hand, as many as 54 GO were enriched solely in Moneymaker, including terms related to defense response and cell wall metabolism. Our results could support the previous observations in other pathosystems, that susceptibility and resistance have overlapping signaling pathways and responses, suggesting that the P. lycopersici resistance gene pyl might be a recessive allele at a susceptibility locus, for which different candidate genes were identified based on the differences in induction or expression levels, observed between the resistant and susceptible genotype. MapMan analysis highlighted a complex hormone and transcription factors interplay where SA- and JA-induced pathways are modulated in a similar way in both genotypes and thus take part in a common response while the ethylene signaling pathways, induced mainly in susceptible Moneymaker, seem putatively contribute to its susceptibility.
2019
- Effects of innovative biofertilizers on yield of processing tomato cultivated in organic cropping systems in northern Italy
[Relazione in Atti di Convegno]
Ronga, D.; Caradonia, F.; Setti, L.; Hagassou, D.; Giaretta Azevedo, C. V.; Milc, J.; Pedrazzi, S.; Allesina, G.; Arru, L.; Francia, E.
abstract
Nowadays agriculture needs to increase crop sustainability and the organic cropping system has emerged as an interesting alternative approach with respect to the conventional one. On the other hand, the current unfavorable yield gap between organic and conventional systems reduces the organic system’s value. Processing tomato is a globally important horticultural crop and used as crop model. The objective of this study was to investigate different biofertilizers that could improve the yield and quality of processing tomato in organic cropping system. An experiment was conducted in Po Valley, northern Italy, during spring-summer 2017. The cultivar used was ‘Barone Rosso’ blocky fruit genotype, using 2.8 plants m-2, in randomized complete block design with seven biofertilizer treatments (pelleted digestate, granular biofertilizer, biochar, compost tea as foliar spray biostimulant, SiO2 as foliar spray biostimulant, compost tea + SiO2 as foliar spray biostimulant, zero biofertilizer as a control) and three replications. Agronomical and physiological parameters were recorded during the crop cycle. Results showed that tomato grown with biochar recorded the maximum commercial yield (136 t ha-1), followed by pelleted digestate (117 t ha-1) and compost tea + SiO2 as foliar spray biostimulant (113 t ha-1) while the minimum production (71 t ha-1) was recorded in untreated plots. On average, the results revealed that biochar, pelleted digestate and compost tea + SiO2 as foliar spray biostimulant, increased the vegetative vigor of plant (+10%), the number of flowers (+13%) and fruits (+41%), the average weight of fruits (+20%), the total biomass production (+48%), the harvest index (+15%) and the Brix t ha-1 (+49%), with respect to the control. Considering the overall performance, innovative biofertilizers could be promising to improve yield and quality of processing tomato cultivated in organic cropping systems, reducing the yield gap with conventional one.
2019
- Effects of solid and liquid digestate for hydroponic baby leaf lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) cultivation
[Articolo su rivista]
Ronga, Domenico; Setti, Leonardo; Salvarani, Chiara; De Leo, Riccardo; Bedin, Elisa; Pulvirenti, Andrea; Milc, Justyna; Pecchioni, Nicola; Francia, Enrico
abstract
Digestate was evaluated as an alternative and sustainable growing medium and nutrient solution in the hydroponic cultivation of baby leaf lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.). Nine hydroponic combinations of substrate and fertilization (agriperlite + standard solution, agriperlite + liquid digestate, solid digestate + standard solution, solid digestate + liquid digestate, soil + standard solution, peat moss + standard solution; peat moss + liquid digestate, pelleted digestate + standard solution and pelleted digestate + liquid digestate) were tested and compared for the cultivation of baby leaf lettuce, in three different experiments. During the crop cycles, yield as other agronomical and microbiological parameters were investigated. The combination of agriperlite + liquid digestate, solid digestate + standard solution and pelleted digestate + standard solution enhanced plant growth by affecting the root, the shoot, the total dry weight and SPAD parameters, in the all investigated experiments (+32%, +40%, +29%, +17% respectively). Based on the obtained results, digestate represents a sustainable and alternative growing media or nutrient solution for the production of baby leaf lettuce cultivated in hydroponic system.
2019
- Interaction of tomato genotypes and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi under reduced irrigation
[Articolo su rivista]
Ronga, D.; Caradonia, F.; Francia, E.; Morcia, C.; Rizza, F.; Badeck, F.; Ghizzoni, R.; Terzi, V.
abstract
Climate change is increasing drought events and decreasing water availability. Tomato is commonly transplanted to an open field after seedling production in a nursery, requiring large volumes of water. Arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi help plants cope with drought stress; however, their effects depend on plant genotype and environmental conditions. In this study, we assessed the interactions among different tomato seedling genotypes and two AM fungi, Funneliformis mosseae and Rhizophagus intraradices, under two water regimes, full and reduced. Our results showed that F. mosseae was more effective than R. intraradices in the mitigation of drought stress both in old and modern genotypes. However, seedlings inoculated with R. intraradices recorded the highest values of leaf area. ‘Pearson’ and ‘Everton’ genotypes inoculated with F. mosseae recorded the highest values of root, leaf, and total dry weights under full and reduced irrigation regimes, respectively. In addition, ‘Pearson’ and ‘H3402’ genotypes inoculated with F. mosseae under a reduced irrigation regime displayed high values of water use efficiency. Our results highlight the importance of using AM fungi to mitigate drought stress in nursery production of tomato seedlings. However, the development of ad hoc AM fungal formulations, which consider genotype x AM fungi interactions, is fundamental for achieving the best agronomic performances.
2019
- Nitrogen fertilizers shape the composition and predicted functions of the microbiota of field-grown tomato plants
[Articolo su rivista]
Caradonia, F.; Ronga, D.; Catellani, M.; Giaretta Azevedo, C. V.; Terrazas, R. A.; Robertson-Albertyn, S.; Francia, E.; Bulgarelli, D.
abstract
The microbial communities thriving at the root_soil interface have the potential to improve plant growth and sustainable crop production. Yet, how agricultural practices, such as the application of either mineral or organic nitrogen fertilizers, impact on the composition and functions of these communities remains to be fully elucidated. By deploying a two-pronged 16S rRNA gene sequencing and predictive metagenomics approach, we demonstrated that the bacterial microbiota of field-grown tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) plants is the product of a selective process that progressively differentiates between rhizosphere and root microhabitats. This process initiates as early as plants are in a nursery stage and it is then more marked at late developmental stages, in particular at harvest. This selection acts on both the bacterial relative abundances and phylogenetic assignments, with a bias for the enrichment of members of the phylum Actinobacteria in the root compartment. Digestate-based and mineral-based nitrogen fertilizers trigger a distinct bacterial enrichment in both rhizosphere and root microhabitats. This compositional diversification mirrors a predicted functional diversification of the root-inhabiting communities, manifested predominantly by the differential enrichment of genes associated to ABC transporters and the two-component system. Together, our data suggest that the microbiota thriving at the tomato root_soil interface is modulated by and in responses to the type of nitrogen fertilizer applied to the field.
2019
- Technological Quality and Nutritional Value of Two Durum Wheat Varieties Depend on Both Genetic and Environmental Factors
[Articolo su rivista]
Graziano, Sara; Marando, Silvia; Prandi, Barbara; Boukid, Fatma; Marmiroli, Nelson; Francia, Enrico; Pecchioni, Nicola; Sforza, Stefano; Visioli, Giovanna; Gullì, Mariolina
abstract
Durum wheat (Triticum turgidum L. subsp. durum (Desf.) Husn) is a major food source in Mediterranean countries since it is utilized for the production of pasta, leavened and unleavened breads, couscous, and other traditional foods. The technological and nutritional properties of durum wheat semolina depend mainly on the type of gluten proteins and on their amount, which is a genotype- and environment-dependent trait. Gluten proteins are also responsible for celiac disease (CD), an autoimmune enteropathy with a prevalence of about 0.7-2% in the human population. At this purpose, two Italian durum wheat cultivars, Saragolla and Cappelli, currently used for monovarietal pasta, were chosen to compare (i) the reserve and embryo proteome, (ii) the free and bound phenolics, antioxidant activity, and amino acid composition, and (iii) the content of immunogenic peptides produced after a simulated gastrointestinal digestion. The results obtained from 2 years of field cultivation on average showed a higher amount of gluten proteins, amino acids, and immunogenic peptides in Cappelli. Saragolla showed a higher abundance in bound phenolics, antioxidant enzymes, and stress response proteins in line with its higher antioxidant activity. However, the impact of the year of cultivation, largely depending on varying rainfall regimes through the wheat growth cycle, was significant for most of the parameters investigated. Differences in technological and nutritional characteristics observed between the two cultivars are discussed in relation to the influence of genetic and environmental factors.
2019
- The impact of climate change on barley yield in the Mediterranean basin
[Articolo su rivista]
Cammarano, D.; Ceccarelli, S.; Grando, S.; Romagosa, I.; Benbelkacem, A.; Akar, T.; Al-Yassin, A.; Pecchioni, N.; Francia, E.; Ronga, D.
abstract
Barley is an important cereal crop for the arid and semi-arid Mediterranean environments. Future climate projections show that Mediterranean countries will get drier and hotter. The objectives of the study are to: i) simulate the impacts of different climate projections and different sowing dates on yield; ii) quantify the importance of heat and drought on barley yield at different growth stages and sowing dates; iii) quantify the contributions of sources of uncertainty among inter-annual variability, adaptation options and climate projections. Nine locations across the Mediterranean basin were used to calibrate and evaluate the Decision Support System for Agrotechnology Transfer (DSSAT) model. At each location the 40 Global Circulation Model (GCM) outputs (RCP4.5, Mid of the Century) showed an increase in mean growing season temperature between 0.9 and 2.16 °C, while changes of growing season rainfall were between -24 and +24%. Therefore, at each location a drier (Dry), mid (Mid), and wetter (Wet) projection was selected. Overall, there was a 9% reduction in grain yield under climate change; but the mean yield change was -27%, +4%, +8%, for the Dry, Mid, and Wet scenarios, respectively. The results of the simulations under the Wet scenario showed a higher variability of yield response. There was an interaction between the soil type, the amount of rainfall, the extractable soil water content and the maximum air temperature. Because of these relationship water-stress during the vegetative stage was experienced, affecting expansive growth. At the same time, the high number of days with Tmax>34 °C caused higher soil water depletion by the plant and therefore lower yields under the Wet scenario. The inter-annual weather variability impacts barley yield irrespective of the sowing dates and the future projected climate. In conclusion, the impact of future climate on barley yield in the Mediterranean is negative but some locations will be less affected than others.
2019
- Use of black soldier fly (Hermetia illucens (L.), Diptera: Stratiomyidae) larvae processing residue in peat-based growing media
[Articolo su rivista]
Setti, Leonardo; Francia, Enrico; Pulvirenti, Andrea; Gigliano, Silvia; Zaccardelli, Massimo; Pane, Catello; Caradonia, Federica; Bortolini, Sara; Maistrello, Lara; Ronga, Domenico
abstract
The Black Soldier Fly (Hermetia illucens(L.), Diptera: Stratiomyidae) is an insect whose larvae thrive onagro-industrial by-products. This study reports the first use of black soldier fly larvae processing residue(BSPR) as an innovative ingredient for growing media. BSPR was characterized and evaluated to partiallyreplace commercial peat (CP) in the production of potted plants. Chemical and microbiological analysisshowed the suitability of BSPR for soilless production. Hence, six growing media mixtures (CP 100%+ slow acting synthetic solid fertilizer, CP 90% + BSPR 10%, CP 80% + BSPR 20%, CP 70% + BSPR 30%, CP60% + BSPR 40% and CP 100% without fertilizer) were assessed for the production of baby leaf lettuce,basil and tomato potted plants. Using BSPR in a proportion up to 20%, all investigated crops showed val-ues significantly greater than or comparable to those obtained using CP 100% + slow acting synthetic solidfertilizer. In general, BSPR used in a proportion up to 20% increased the crop growth of baby leaf lettuce,basil and tomato, recording a high total dry weight (+31%, compared to the total average) and the mea-sured leaf parameters (+39% of leaf area, +14% of leaf number), without showing abiotic stresses. Thisstudy indicates that BSPR used in a proportion up to 20% might be a valid approach for soilless productionof potted baby leaf lettuce, basil and tomato plants.
2019
- Valorization of Vineyard By-Products to Obtain Composted Digestate and Biochar Suitable for Nursery Grapevine (Vitis vinifera L.) Production
[Articolo su rivista]
Ronga, Domenico; Francia, Enrico; Allesina, Giulio; Pedrazzi, Simone; Zaccardelli, Massimo; Pane, Catello; Tava, Aldo; Bignami, Cristina
abstract
Although compost and biochar received high attention as growing media, little information is available on the potential of vineyard by-products for the production and use of composted solid digestate (CSD) and biochar (BC). In the present study, two experiments are reported on CSD and BC mixed with commercial peat (CP) for grapevine planting material production. Four doses (0, 10%, 20%, 40% vol.) of CSD and BC were assessed in the first and second experiment, respectively. CSD mixed at a dose of 10% recorded the highest values of shoot dry weight (SDW) and a fraction of total dry biomass allocated to shoot (FTS), both cropping bench-graft and bare-rooted vine. On the other hand, CSD mixed at a dose of 40% displayed the highest values of SDW and FTS, cropping two-year-old vine. BC used at a dose of 10% improved SDW, root dry weight, total dry weight, FTS, shoot diameter, and height on bare-rooted vine. The present study shows that CSD and BC, coming from the valorization of vineyard by-products, can be used in the production of innovative growing media suitable for nursery grapevine production. Further studies are needed to assess the combined applications of CSD and BC in the same growing media.
2018
- Effetto del digestato solido compostato nei substrati per l'allevamento di viti in contenitore
[Abstract in Atti di Convegno]
Ronga, Domenico; Francia, Enrico; Setti, Leonardo; Bignami, Cristina
abstract
Il vivaismo viticolo utilizza come substrato per l’allevamento in contenitore prevalentemente torba, risorsa non rinnovabile e costosa. La sua parziale sostituzione con compost ottenuto da digestato solido e legno di potatura del vigneto consentirebbe di ridurne il consumo, garantendo una maggiore sostenibilità del processo. Si sono quindi valutati gli effetti di questo nuovo substrato sulla crescita e sullo stato nutrizionale di Lambrusco Salamino su Kober 5BB, per verificarne l’applicabilità in ambito vivaistico e per ottenere indicazioni trasferibili anche alla viticoltura di pieno campo.
Il compost è stato ottenuto miscelando digestato con sarmenti. Sono stati confrontati cinque substrati: torba con tre percentuali di compost (10-20-40%), e due tesi di controllo: 100% torba e 100% torba fertilizzata, e tre tipologie di viti: innesti-talea radicata, posti ad attecchire in vasetto, barbatelle, piante di due anni di innesto.
L’analisi del compost ha rivelato buone caratteristiche compositive. Le piante hanno presentato una crescita soddisfacente in tutte le tesi, senza sintomi di fitotossicità. Gli innesti-talea radicata hanno presentato un ottimo attecchimento e il migliore stato nutrizionale, una elevata intensità di crescita, un lieve ritardo nella lignificazione e valori di diametro basale del tralcio, a sei mesi dall’innesto, non significativamente diversi dalle barbatelle (18 mesi dall’innesto).
Questi risultati rendono disponibile un substrato organico innovativo che valorizza i sottoprodotti della filiera vite-vino, riduce il consumo di torba e applica criteri di economia circolare. Le informazioni ottenute aprono prospettive di possibili applicazioni anche in vigneto.
2018
- Fertilizzante a base di digestato arricchito con microrganismi biostimolanti e metodo per produrlo
[Brevetto]
Ronga, Domenico; Pecchioni, Nicola; Francia, Enrico; Bignami, Cristina; Zaghi, Massimo; Bezzi, Guido; Terzi, Valeria
abstract
La presente invenzione si riferisce ad un fertilizzante a base di digestato, sotto forma di pellet o granuli, ed al metodo per produrlo, detto digestato essendo arricchito con microrganismi biostimolanti. Il fertilizzante è caratterizzato dal fatto che detti pellet e/o granuli sono rivestiti con un film biodegradabile atto a sincronizzare i processi della mineralizzazione del fertilizzante con i processi di assorbimento della pianta, detto film essendo arricchito con microrganismi biostimolanti. Il metodo per la produzione di detto fertilizzante è caratterizzato dal fatto di comprendere le seguenti fasi: - separazione del digestato tal quale in digestato solido e digestato liquido; - essiccazione parziale di detti digestato solido e digestato liquido, fino al raggiungimento di un’umidità del 14÷16%; - granulazione e/o pellettizzazione del digestato essiccato; - rivestimento dei granuli e/o dei pellets con un film biodegradabile contenente microrganismi biostimolanti.
2018
- Panicum spikelets from the Early Holocene Takarkori rockshelter (SW Libya): Archaeo-molecular and -botanical investigations
[Articolo su rivista]
Fornaciari, Rita; Fornaciari, Silvia; Francia, Enrico; Mercuri, Anna Maria; Arru, Laura
abstract
This paper deals with the extraction, amplification and sequencing of ancient DNA (aDNA) from spikelets of wild cereals dated at ca. 9000 cal yr BP, representing the most ancient plants with preserved genetic material from the Sahara desert. The sub-fossil records were collected from the archaeological excavation carried out at Takarkori, an archaeological site located in south-western Libya. Morphological and genetic analyses were made on 100 well preserved dried spikelets. Ten
DNA extraction protocols were performed to evaluate nucleic acid recovery in terms of DNA yield, purity and amplification success of the chloroplast barcode region matK. The extraction protocol that returned the most suitable DNA to be amplified is the Kistler and Shapiro (2011: J Archaeol Sci 38: 3549-3554) modified protocol. In our study, the results from matK amplification suggested that four specimens are the most appropriate number of spikelets for these analyses. DNA was then
used for PCR amplifications of four chloroplast barcode genes: rbcL, matK, trnH-psbA and trnL. A phylogenetic analysis shows the strict relation between the archaeological specimens and modern Panicoideae, supporting the morphological identification. The results indicate that spikelets have a close relation to Panicum laetum Kunth, a wild cereal still collected
in tropical Africa.
2018
- Physiological responses to chilling in cultivars of processing tomato released and cultivated over the past decades in Southern Europe
[Articolo su rivista]
Ronga, Domenico; Rizza, Fulvia; Badeck, Franz-W; Milc, Justyna; Laviano, Luca; Montevecchi, Giuseppe; Pecchioni, Nicola; Francia, Enrico
abstract
Six processing tomato seedlings, representative of cultivars widely cultivated over the last 80 years in Southern Europe, were compared to assess the physiological responses to chilling. Low temperature stress was applied for 24 h (1 °C, day and night). PEARSON, the oldest cultivar, reported the highest values of chlorophyll content both using DUALEX (ChlDX= 23.11) and SPAD (ChlSPAD= 35.27) and nitrogen balance index (NBIDX= 29.62) measured with DUALEX, before chilling stress. The cultivar E6203 was the least sensitive to chilling with the highest value of maximal photosystem II (PSII) efficiency (Fv/Fm2 = 0.64) at recovery and visual regrowth score (VS3 = 4.0) at regrowth period. As regards chilling tolerance in terms of maximal PSII efficiency, few differences were observed among the cultivars, apart from C33, that was the most sensitive. On the other hand, a better regrowth was recorded in the modern ones. Strong correlations were found between the different parameters investigated both before (SPAD and DUALEX) and after the chilling stress (maximal PSII efficiency, SPAD and electrolyte leakage). SPAD values at regrowth were shown to be a good indicator of tomato chilling status at regrowth period. Analysis of genetic similarity based on microsatellite markers clearly discriminated modern and old varieties according to the year of release. This information could be useful in breeding programs for new cultivars suitable for early transplant, when chilling injury can happen.
2018
- Testing the influence of digestate from biogas on growth and volatile compounds of basil (Ocimum basilicum L.) and peppermint (Mentha x piperita L.) in hydroponics
[Articolo su rivista]
Ronga, Domenico; Pellati, Federica; Brighenti, Virginia; Laudicella, Katia; Laviano, Luca; Fedailaine, Maamar; Benvenuti, Stefania; Pecchioni, Nicola; Francia, Enrico
abstract
In this study, a digestate was evaluated for the first time as a sustainable alternative to the conventional growing medium and the nutrient solution in the hydroponic production of aromatic species. Basil (Ocimum basilicum L.) and peppermint (Mentha x piperita L.) were assessed at crop vegetative stage with five fully expanded leaves. Four combinations, i.e. agriperlite (AG) + standard solution (SS), AG + liquid digestate (LD), solid digestate (SD) + SS and SD + LD, were compared. The SD used as the growing medium increased all the investigated agronomical traits, apart the harvest index and shoot dry weight height ratio, that showed the same values compared to agriperlite, on basil and peppermint, respectively. The LD used as the nutrient solution performed as well as the SS on basil and peppermint production, except for the percentage of emergence and total dry weight of basil, showing lower and higher values compared to SS, respectively. Shoot dry weight was the most important agronomical parameter and both basil and peppermint displayed high values using the SD as the growing medium. However, basil recorded the highest dry matter value using SD + LD, while peppermint showed similar values using SD + SS and SD + LD. As regards the volatile compounds of both species, the percentage relative amount of sesquiterpenes was found to be higher under SD + LD and SD + SS conditions in comparison to AG + SS and AG + LD, where the content of monoterpenes and allyl phenol derivatives was higher. SD and LD appear to be sustainable and suitable growing medium and nutrient solution for basil and peppermint grown in hydroponics. Further studies are needed to investigate the influence of the treatments also in advanced developmental stages of the crops, appropriate for the production of plants with high yield and quality.
2018
- Tracking celiac disease-triggering peptides and whole wheat flour quality as function of germination kinetics
[Articolo su rivista]
Boukid, F.; Prandi, B.; Vittadini, E.; Francia, E.; Sforza, S.
abstract
Germination is already a well-accepted process by consumers with many products made from sprouted seeds or containing limited amounts of flour form sprouted grains. The present work aimed assessing the usefulness of germination in reducing gluten peptides associated with celiac disease, at the same time evaluating some technological features of the obtained germinated wheat. In the first part of the work, celiac disease (CD)-triggering peptides were tracked as a function of germination kinetics (from day 1 to day 6). Using simulated gastrointestinal digestion and liquid chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry, ten celiac disease triggering peptides were identified: seven peptides presumably involved in the adaptive immune response (TI) and three peptides mainly involved in the innate immune response (TT). All the identified peptides belonged to gliadins. TI track pattern showed three phases: the first two days displayed a significant degradation, a stability phase was observed from day 3 to day 5, and finally a drastic reduction occurred on the 6th day. For TT peptides, important degradation was exclusively observed at the 6th day. In the second part, some techno-functional features of germinated whole wheat flour were assessed to estimate its potential as an alternative to conventional flour. Functionality comparison of the non-germinated versus germinated flours revealed that germination significantly influenced solvents retention capacities as well as swelling and solubility. Thus, with a reduced amount of celiac disease triggering peptides, but also with different technological behavior compared to traditional wheat flour.
2018
- Transcriptome profiling of short-term response to chilling stress in tolerant and sensitive Oryza sativa ssp. Japonica seedlings
[Articolo su rivista]
Buti, Matteo; Pasquariello, Marianna; Ronga, Domenico; Milc, Justyna Anna; Pecchioni, Nicola; Ho, Viet The; Pucciariello, Chiara; Perata, Pierdomenico; Francia, Enrico
abstract
Low temperature is a major factor limiting rice growth and yield, and seedling is one of the developmental stages at which sensitivity to chilling stress is higher. Tolerance to chilling is a complex quantitative trait, so one of the most effective approaches to identify genes and pathways involved is to compare the stress-induced expression changes between tolerant and sensitive genotypes. Phenotypic responses to chilling of 13 Japonica cultivars were evaluated, and Thaibonnet and Volano were selected as sensitive and tolerant genotypes, respectively. To thoroughly profile the short-term response of the two cultivars to chilling, RNA-Seq was performed on Thaibonnet and Volano seedlings after 0 (not stressed), 2, and 10 h at 10 °C. Differential expression analysis revealed that the ICE-DREB1/CBF pathway plays a primary role in chilling tolerance, mainly due to some important transcription factors involved (some of which had never been reported before). Moreover, the expression trends of some genes that were radically different between Thaibonnet and Volano (i.e., calcium-dependent protein kinases OsCDPK21 and OsCDPK23, cytochrome P450 monooxygenase CYP76M8, etc.) suggest their involvement in low temperature tolerance too. Density of differentially expressed genes along rice genome was determined and linked to the position of known QTLs: remarkable co-locations were reported, delivering an overview of genomic regions determinant for low temperature response at seedling stage. Our study contributes to a better understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying rice response to chilling and provides a solid background for development of low temperature-tolerant germplasm.
2017
- Biomass production and dry matter partitioning of processing tomato under organic vs conventional cropping systems in a Mediterranean environment
[Articolo su rivista]
Ronga, Domenico; Zaccardelli, Massimo; Lovelli, Stella; Perrone, Domenico; Francia, Enrico; Milc, Justyna Anna; Ulrici, Alessandro; Pecchioni, Nicola
abstract
Modern agriculture should increase crop sustainability while feeding the growing population. The organic cropping system has emerged as an interesting alternative and more sustainable crop management than conventional one. Unfortunately, the current yield gap between organic and conventional systems is significant for most crops, and this limits the organic system's value. Hence, the objective of this study was to investigate biomass production and partitioning of processing tomato genotypes cultivated in organic vs conventional cropping systems in a processing tomato growing area in the Mediterranean. From 2010–2012, field trials were carried out in two farms in Southern Italy. At the end of the crop cycle and in average among years, processing tomato cultivated in organic cropping system showed reductions of: total biomass dry weight (−25%), leaf area (−36%) and radiation use efficiency (−24%). The biomass distribution to fruits and leaves was highly similar under both managements, while a higher fraction of total biomass was allocated to stems (+34%) and to roots (+41%) in the organic cropping system. In the studied environment, a major cause of different fruit dry weight and, consequently, of yield gap between organic and conventional cropping systems was the reduction of the source, i.e. the lower leaf area, that led to a reduction of total biomass dry weight.
2017
- Digestato solido compostato per la propagazione della vite
[Articolo su rivista]
Ronga, Domenico; Setti, Leonardo; Hagassou, Djangsou; Caradonia, Federica; Zaghi, Massimo; Bezzi, Guido; Francia, Enrico; Bignami, Cristina
abstract
La ricerca, che si inserisce nel progetto VADISAVI (VAlorizzazione del DIgestato e dei SArmenti di Vite), finanziato dal Dipartimento di Scienze della Vita sui Fondi di Ateneo per la Ricerca (FAR 2015), si è posto l’obiettivo di valutare un nuovo substrato di coltivazione a base di digestato compostato con sarmenti per la produzione e l’allevamento di viti in vaso nei primi anni di crescita..
L’individuazione di substrati innovativi, in sostituzione della torba, rappresenta un fattore fondamentale per la strutturazione di economie circolari, in quanto consente un recupero dei sottoprodotti delle filiere agricole e agroalimentari, valorizzandoli, e la riduzione del consumo di una risorsa non rinnovabile e ormai disponibile in quantità limitate.
Sono stati quindi testati tre substrati nei quali parte della torba è stata sostituita con diverse percentuali di compost (10, 20 e 40%), a confronto con substrati costituiti di sola torba (100%) e torba fertilizzata, comunemente utilizzati nel vivaismo viticolo.
I nuovi substrati non hanno determinato problemi di carenze o di fitotossicità. La tesi 100% torba + fertilizzante ha mostrato i valori più elevati di indici di clorofilla (valore SPAD e Chl) e NBI e di altezza delle piante. Tuttavia, anche tutti i substrati in cui la torba è stata parzialmente sostituita hanno dato risultati soddisfacenti con tutte le tipologie di materiali vegetali testati: barbatelle, innesti-talea radicata, piante di due anni.
2017
- PROVE DI ADATTAMENTO DELLA CANAPA (CANNABIS SATIVA L.) NELL'APPENNINO DELL’EMILIA CENTRALE
[Abstract in Atti di Convegno]
Ronga, Domenico; Caradonia, Federica; Setti, Leonardo; Hagassou, Djangsou; Arru, Laura; Forti, Luca; Endrighi, Emiro; Bazzani, Grassi G.; Francia, Enrico
abstract
La canapa (Cannabis sativa L.) è una pianta utilizzata per molteplici usi. In Europa, tra il XVI e il XVII
secolo, era una delle colture principali impiegate per la produzione di fibre tessili. Già a partire da fine
‘800 la mancata industrializzazione, il proibizionismo e la disponibilità di nuove fibre più competitive
hanno portato al declino della canapicoltura. Negli ultimi anni però, caratteristiche positive quali il basso
impatto ambientale, la capacità di ridurre il consumo dei suoli, le basse esigenze colturali, nonché il suo
possibile uso in diversi settori (alimentare, erboristico, della bioedilizia, ecc.) hanno portato a
riconsiderare la sua coltivazione. La canapa, infatti, è una coltura dinamica che si adatta a diverse
condizioni agro-ambientali e che non ha grandi esigenze idriche, nutritive e fitosanitarie. Pertanto,
potrebbe essere coltivata con buone rese anche in ambienti marginali come ad esempio quelli
dell’Appennino emiliano.
Lo scopo di questo studio è stato quello di valutare l’adattamento di diverse cultivar moderne di
canapa in un’azienda sperimentale biologica, situata nell’Appennino dell’Emilia centrale, per la
produzione di infiorescenze da destinare all’estrazione di oli essenziali. La prova è stata effettuata nel
2016 presso l’azienda dell’Istituto “Lazzaro Spallanzani”, Montombraro (Modena). Tre diverse cultivar,
Uso 31, Futura 75 e Fedora 17, sono state seminate nella seconda decade di giugno secondo uno schema
sperimentale a blocchi completamente randomizzati. Durante la prova non sono stati utilizzati
fertilizzanti e prodotti fitosanitari ed è stata effettuata solo un’irrigazione di soccorso all’emergenza.
Sono stati poi rilevati i seguenti parametri: emergenza piante, altezza della pianta, diametro colletto,
biomassa aerea fresca (di infiorescenze, fusti e foglie), indice relativo al contenuto in clorofilla mediante
SPAD-502. Dai rilievi effettuati è emerso che tutte e 3 le cultivar si sono adattate bene alle condizioni di
coltivazione ma la cultivar Futura 75 è quella che si è adattata meglio all’ambiente di coltivazione ed ha
mostrato una produzione di biomassa fresca di infiorescenze superiore alle altre 2 cultivar. Sono in corso
prove di estrazione degli oli essenziali dai campioni di biomassa raccolti mediante distillatore.
La possibilità di poter coltivare la canapa potrebbe da un lato migliorare il reddito dell’agricoltore
e dall’altro avere effetti positivi sull’agro-ecosistema permettendo così il rilancio e la valorizzazione delle
aree dell’Appennino emiliano.
2017
- Risultati positivi su qualità e rese con l’uso di digestato in vigna
[Articolo su rivista]
Ronga, Domenico; Bignami, Cristina; Setti, Leonardo; Laviano, Luca; Hagassou, Djangsou; Caradonia, Federica; Zaghi Massimo, Bezzi; Francia, Enrico; Pecchioni, Nicola
abstract
L’individuazione di fertilizzanti organici innovativi, derivati dal recupero di sottoprodotti delle filiere agricole e agroalimentari, rappresenta un fattore fondamentale per la strutturazione di economie circolari reali. In questa ottica, due fertilizzanti innovativi a base di digestato da impianti di biogas ottenuti anche con l’utilizzo di sottoprodotti della vinificazione sono stati applicati in vigneti dell’Emilia-Romagna sul vitigno Lambrusco salamino per verificarne gli effetti sulla resa produttiva, sulla fermentazione del mosto e sulla qualità del vino, a confronto con fertilizzanti minerale e organo minerale commerciali. Le prove hanno evidenziato che l'impiego dei nuovi formulati costituisce una valida alternativa ai fertilizzanti commerciali classici, in quanto rese produttive, dinamica di fermentazione del mosto e qualità dei vini ottenuti non sono stati alterati dal loro utilizzo. L’impiego di fertilizzanti ottenuti da sottoprodotti della vinificazione permette, inoltre, di creare una vera e propria filiera agroalimentare circolare.
2017
- SUSTAINABILITY OF AGRICULTURAL ENVIRONMENT: CONTRIBUTIONS OF PLANT GENETICS AND PHYSIOLOGY
[Abstract in Atti di Convegno]
Buti, Matteo; Leonarduzzi, Cristina; Ronga, Domenico; Milc, Justyna Anna; Beretta, Massimiliano; Malatrasi, M; Setti, Leonardo; Hagassou, Djangsou; Arru, Laura; Francia, Enrico
abstract
Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) is one of the most widely cultivated vegetable crops, and its production for both processing and fresh market is widespread in the Mediterranean area, especially in Italy. With 26,500 ha cultivated with processing tomato, Emilia-Romagna region is the Italian leader in production.
Low temperature stress and blossom-end rot (BER) physiopathy are two of the major limiting factors for the local processing tomato production, while length of growth cycle strongly influences the fructification timeframe, an essential trait for transformation industry. Understanding the molecular basis of chilling tolerance, BER resistance and crop earliness would be crucial to identify the correlated molecular markers and to characterize their allelic variants: this would allow developing new processing tomato cultivars carrying these desirable traits.
A thorough literature survey allowed us to identify candidate genes and QTLs linked to the three mentioned traits. The position of candidate genes was directly inferred from the annotated genome (version SL2.50), while QT loci were physically positioned using the sequences of associated flanking and peak markers. This allowed the detection of genomic regions putatively associated with the 3 selected traits, and SolCAP database was searched to identify a set of SNPs located within or nearby the genomic regions of interest. In total 1,564 and 312 SNPs putatively correlated to chilling and BER tolerance, respectively, while identification of SNPs linked to crop cycle length is still in progress.
A processing tomato collection of 124 accessions (both lines and hybrids) with a wide phenotypic range for the three traits was assembled and grown in filed and in controlled conditions during 2017. Phenotyping and genotyping using SNPs putatively associated with the studied traits of these accessions are currently in progress, aiming at the identification of a set of locus specific SNPs (and respective allelic variants) that could be used for assisted selection in breeding programs.
European ERDF fund supported this research as a part of Emilia Romagna regional project GENBACCA.
2016
- Agronomic and molecular evaluation of cocksfoot and tall fescue cultivars for adaptation to an Algerian drought-prone environment
[Articolo su rivista]
Mefti, M; Bouzerzour, H; Francia, Enrico; Ulrici, Alessandro; Abdelguerfi, A; Barre, P; Pecchioni, Nicola
abstract
A prime objective for improving perennial grasses for Mediterranean environments is the identification and selection of genotypes well adapted to semi-arid conditions. This study was conducted at an experimental site in Algeria over three consecutive seasons, with the aim of evaluating the agronomic performance and genetic diversity of 13 cultivars of two species of perennial grasses: six cocksfoot (Dactylis glomerata L.) and seven tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea Schreb. = syn.Lolium arundinaceum (Schreb.) Darbysh.) cultivars. Variation was found in both species for dry-matter yield, sward recovery, heading date, water-use efficiency (WUE), and summer senescence. Tall fescue cultivars gave greater yield in spring, with earlier heading date and higher WUE than cocksfoot, with no differences for the other traits. Among the genotypes, `Flecha' was the most promising, together with `E-542', `Fraydo' and `Centurion', all of which are tall fescue cultivars. Principal component analysis indicated that persistence of grass cover is relatively independent from dry-matter yield and water-use efficiency. The level of genetic diversity within each species was assessed using AFLP markers, and the molecular variation was analysed together with agronomic trait variation, with identification of molecular markers potentially associated with the relevant traits.
2016
- Copy number variation at the HvCBF4–HvCBF2 genomic segment is a major component of frost resistance in barley
[Articolo su rivista]
Francia, Enrico; Morcia, Caterina; Pasquariello, Marianna; Mazzamurro, Valentina; Milc, Justyna Anna; Rizza, Fulvia; Terzi, Valeria; Pecchioni, Nicola
abstract
A family of CBF transcription factors plays a major role in reconfiguring the plant transcriptome in response to low-freezing temperature in temperate cereals. In barley, more than 13 HvCBF genes map coincident with the major QTL FR-H2 suggesting them as candidates to explain the function of the locus. Variation in copy number (CNV) of specific HvCBFs was assayed in a panel of 41 barley genotypes using RT-qPCR. Taking advantage of an accurate phenotyping that combined Fv/Fm and field survival, resistance-associated variants within FR-H2 were identified. Genotypes with an increased copy number of HvCBF4 and HvCBF2 (at least ten and eight copies, respectively) showed greater frost resistance. A CAPS marker able to distinguish the CBF2A, CBF2B and CBF2A/B forms was developed and showed that all the higher-ranking genotypes in term of resistance harbour only CBF2A, while other resistant winter genotypes harbour also CBF2B, although at a lower CNV. In addition to the major involvement of the HvCBF4-HvCBF2 genomic segment in the proximal cluster of CBF elements, a negative role of HvCBF3 in the distal cluster was identified. Multiple linear regression models taking into account allelic variation at FR-H1/VRN-H1 explained 0.434 and 0.550 (both at p < 0.001) of the phenotypic variation for Fv/Fm and field survival respectively, while no interaction effect between CNV at the HvCBFs and FR-H1/VRN-H1 was found. Altogether our data suggest a major involvement of the CBF genes located in the proximal cluster, with no apparent involvement of the central cluster contrary to what was reported for wheat.
2016
- Evaluation of Cucurbita pepo germplasm for staminate flower production and adaptation to the frozen food industry
[Articolo su rivista]
Milc, Justyna Anna; Caffagni, Alessandra; Ronga, Domenico; Francia, Enrico; Pasquariello, Marianna; Laviano, Luca; Mazzamurro, Valentina; Pecchioni, Nicola
abstract
Cucurbita pepo is the most economically important species of the genus Cucurbita (Cucurbitaceae). Its edible-fruited cultivated germplasm has been grouped into eight morphotypes (cultivar-groups) divided between two subspecies: pepo and ovifera. In this work, 93 accessions representative of all morphotypes were grown to investigate their genetic variability and to evaluate their potential for production and suitability of male flowers to be used as an Italian frozen food specialty. Results provid the first indications of a plant ideotype for such use. Principal coordinates analysis (PCoA) with nine SSR markers clearly separated the two subspecies, and yielded information on genetically similar vs distant genotypes to be used for parent choice in breeding programs. Analysis of morphological data allowed identification of seven accessions that met all the criteria for the specialty use of male flowers for the frozen food industry: production of many flowers, corolla length of 6–8 cm; and reduced spininess of the foliage. When accessions representing different morphotypes were compared for average male corolla length and average number of male flowers per plant, some accessions of the Pumpkin cultivar-group were observed to be the most suitable for the purpose. Overall, the information collected in the present work is a starting point for exploitation of C. pepo biodiversity in future breeding programs aimed at the production of male flowers for use by the frozen-food industry.
2016
- Marker characterization of vernalization and low-temperature tolerance loci in barley genotypes adapted to semi-arid environments
[Articolo su rivista]
Benkherbache, Nadjat; Tondelli, Alessandro; Djekoune, Abdelhamid; Francia, Enrico; Pecchioni, Nicola; Hassous, Liamine; Stanca, Antonio Michele
abstract
For the purpose of marker assisted selection (MAS), six Algerian cultivars and landraces developed locally or introduced from external breeding programs for semi-arid environments were marker characterized at VRN-H1, VRN-H2 and FR-H2 loci. As controls the lines Nure and Tremois were used. Markers available in the literature, known to discriminate efficiently the trait-associated alleles between the two cultivars Nure and Tremois, were used. This study revealed that the used Algerian cultivars carry a dominant (spring) allele for VRN-H1, while the HvZCCT marker generated a polymorphic profile for the second vernalization locus VRN-H2. No cultivars possessed the Nure allele conferring tolerance to low-temperatures at the HvCBF4. Three cultivars possessed the Tremois allele at FR-H2, while the remaining three presented different haplotypes.
2016
- Nuovi fertilizzanti. La risorsa digestato
[Articolo su rivista]
Ronga, Domenico; Bignami, Cristina; Tagliavini, Stefano; Zaghi, Massimo; Bezzi, Guido; Francia, Enrico; Pecchioni, Nicola
abstract
Fertilizzanti innovativi organici e organo-minerali ottenuti da digestato sono stati apportati a vigneti del territorio modenese e reggiano per verificarne gli effetti sulla produttività e sulla qualità del prodotto e la capacità di garantire il ritorno continuo della sostanza organica al terreno, contribuendo a migliorare la fertilità del terreno e il bilancio del carbonio del comprensorio.
L’uso di digestato e di formulazioni organo-minerali sperimentali a base digestato non ha determinato effetti negativi sulla chioma in termini di area fogliare, percentuale di foglie esterne e di grappoli esposti. I risultati preliminari indicano che questi formulati sembrano comportarsi come i fertilizzanti tradizionali, sia per quanto riguarda gli aspetti vegeto-produttivi delle viti sia per la qualità di base del mosto
2016
- Use of Solid Digestate as Growing Media for the Production of Horticultural Crops.
[Abstract in Atti di Convegno]
Ronga, Domenico; Pecchioni, Nicola; Milc, Justyna Anna; Tagliavini, Stefano; Zaghi, Massimo; Francia, Enrico
abstract
Peat is the principal component used for growing media of horticultural crops due to its agronomic characteristics. On the other hand, is a nonrenewable material (Herrera et al., 2008). Previous researches indicated the compatibility of some renewable composted organic wastes in mixture with peat-based media (Herrera et al., 2008; Ronga et al., 2016). However, the composting process might increase the GHGs emissions (Lim et al., 2016). Thus, the aim of this work was to evaluate the use of anuntreated solid digestate as a component in the formulation of growing media for the seedling production of two crop reference species: tomato and basil.
2016
- Valutazione dell’effetto di fertilizzanti innovativi organici e organominerali sulla produzione del vigneto e sulla qualità del prodotto
[Relazione in Atti di Convegno]
Ronga, Domenico; Bignami, Cristina; Tagliavini, Stefano; Zaghi, Massimo; Bezzi, Guido; Francia, Enrico; Pecchioni, Nicola
abstract
Evaluation of the effect of innovative organic and organo-mineral fertilizers on vineyard productivity and grape quality - The identification of organic fertilizers is a fundamental objective in sustainable viticulture. The research aimed at formulating and evaluating new fertilizers from digestate containing by-products of the wine industry in two vineyards located in Modena area. Two new experimental fertilizers, an organic (pellets from digestate) and an organo-mineral (organic fraction from digestate) fertilizer, were compared with commercial fertilizers to cv Lambrusco salamino. The results do not indicate negative effects on vegetative-productive indexes. The highest SPAD index values were recorded in plants that received the commercial mineral fertilizer, and similar values were observed using innovative organo-mineral fertilizer was applied. Total number and average weight of bunches, production per plant and must acidity did not differ among thesis. The highest soluble solids content (°Brix) of the must was observed in plants not fertilized.
2015
- CNV and structural variation in plants: prospects of NGS approaches
[Capitolo/Saggio]
Francia, Enrico; Pecchioni, Nicola; Policriti, Alberto; Scalabrin, Simone
abstract
Deletion, insertion, and duplications larger than 1 kb are structural variants (SVs) classified as copy number variants (CNVs). Beside single nucleotide variants (SNVs), CNVs are widespread in plants and substantially contribute to intra-species genetic variation. Most CNVs reported so far overlap with protein-coding sequences and result in gains or losses of gene copies that might directly influence transcript dosage. In several cases they proved to play an important role in the adaptive response of plants, by regulating development, and by increasing resistance to biotic and abiotic stresses. The advent of next-generation sequencing (NGS) is giving the possibility to uncover frequency and importance of CNVs. Although complexity of plant genomes and the short read length obtained from NGS platforms posed technical and computational challenges for their discovery, these are currently tackled with five strategies. New developments are expected, by third-generation NGS, the need for comprehensive databases, and the application in plant improvement
2015
- Physiological responses of processing tomato in organic and conventional Mediterranean cropping systems
[Articolo su rivista]
Ronga, Domenico; Lovelli, Stella; Zaccardelli, Massimo; Perrone, Domenico; Ulrici, Alessandro; Francia, Enrico; Milc, Justyna Anna; Pecchioni, Nicola
abstract
Processing tomato is a globally important horticultural crop. It is generally grown in high-input conventional systems, and there is little knowledge regarding its physiological responses in organic cultivation. Therefore, the aim of this work was to determine the influence of organic management on the physiological behavior of cultivars of processing tomato usually cultivated in conventional management in a Mediterranean area. The study was performed by means of: (1) field testing of a set of commercial cultivars for 2 years, in two systems, in one location in Southern Italy, and (2) crop physiological investigations during the growth cycle of processing tomato. Results of the two-year trials indicate that, under the organic cropping system, processing tomato showed, as 2 years average, higher intercellular CO2 concentration (Ci) (+10.3%), transpiration (E) (+15.5%) and stomatal conductance (gs) (+16.5%). Average net assimilation (A) was similar in the two systems and differences were only observed depending on years. In contrast, average leaf area index (LAI) and water use efficiency (WUE) were lower in the organic cropping system (−42% and −17.8%), as were average fruit (FDW) and total (TDW) dry weight (−37.5% and −29%). In our conditions, LAI at the end of the cultivation was highly correlated with total and fruit dry weight. As differences in fruit and total dry weight of processing tomato cannot be explained by differences in net assimilation per leaf area unit, other reasons may be linked to the effects of the organic management on the crop as weeds and pathogens.
2014
- Candidate gene expression profiling in two contrasting tomato cultivars under chilling stress
[Articolo su rivista]
Caffagni, Alessandra; Pecchioni, Nicola; Francia, Enrico; D., Pagani; Milc, Justyna Anna
abstract
Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum Mill.) is sensitive to chilling stress during all stages of plant development. Genetic
variation for chilling tolerance exists between cultivated tomato and its related wild species, but intra-specific variation
has not been thoroughly investigated so far. Seedlings of 63 tomato accessions were evaluated under low temperature
and two contrasting cultivars were identified for the trait: Albenga and San Marzano, the former being more chillingtolerant.
To clarify the molecular mechanisms of chilling tolerance in tomato, changes in candidate gene expressions in
the two tomato genotypes were analysed, using quantitative RT-PCR. Candidate genes were chosen among those
known to be induced by chilling and/or with putative roles in CBF/DREB and ROS-mediated pathways. Results show
that besides a CBF regulon, whose function is conserved, ROS and C2H2-type zinc finger protein-mediated cold
signalling pathways were also involved in chilling tolerance. Under the chilling stress, the up-regulation of respective
transcripts was consistently higher in the chilling-tolerant genotype than in the chilling-sensitive ones.
2014
- Caratterizzazione della biodiversità di Cucurbita pepo L. per la produzione di specialità alimentari mediterranee
[Abstract in Atti di Convegno]
Ronga, Domenico; Caffagni, Alessandra; Francia, Enrico; Milc, Justyna Anna; Mazzamurro, Valentina; Pecchioni, Nicola
abstract
Tra le Cucurbitaceae lo zucchino rappresenta la specie orticola più coltivata. Generalmente se ne utilizza il frutto, tuttavia in alcune regioni Italiane anche il fiore maschile trova impiego ed interesse. Recentemente il fiore di zucchina pastellato e fritto trova grande impiego in cucina, nella ristorazione e nei catering soprattutto come finger food. Tuttavia, i materiali attualmente coltivati presentano una bassa produzione di fiori maschili. Pertanto obiettivo della ricerca è stato quello di valutare e caratterizzare una collezione di Cucurbita pepo L. col fine di individuare materiali maggiormente adatti alla produzione di fiori maschili.
2014
- Genomics of Low-Temperature Tolerance for an Increased Sustainability of Wheat and Barley Production
[Capitolo/Saggio]
Pecchioni, Nicola; Klara, Kosová; P., Vítámvás; Ilia Tom, Prášil; Milc, Justyna Anna; Francia, Enrico; Z., Gulyás; Gabor, Kocsy; Gabor, Galiba
abstract
Stability of high yields in a changing environment becomes the main aim of the future wheat and barley breeding, oriented towards development of frost-tolerant winter and facultative cultivars together with careful selection of growth cycle adaptation and drought tolerance. Since low temperature signal influences both the cold acclimation and vernalization processes the interaction between VRN gene expression and frost tolerance (FT) is discussed. Recent advances in global expression changes driven by cold are reviewed in view of the immense progress in high throughput technological platforms. Different signal transduction pathways in which several transcription factors play an important role regulating the expression of whole sets of genes are presented, including CBF-regulated and CBF-independent hubs. The knowledge acquired from genomics and transcriptome analysis has been then complemented by the description of metabolomics and proteomic approaches to help unraveling the molecular changes that occur under cold stress in the cereal plants. Finally, it is surveyed the great importance of stable and well-characterized genetic resources for future breeding for FT, that could switch from marker-assisted to genomics-assisted selection.
2014
- QTLs for barley yield adaptation to Mediterranean environments in the ‘Nure’ × ‘Tremois’ biparental population
[Articolo su rivista]
Tondelli, A.; Francia, Enrico; A., Visioni; J., Comadran; A. M., Mastrangelo; T., Akar; A., Al Yassin; S., Ceccarelli; S., Grando; A., Benbelkacem; F. A., van Eeuwijk; W. T. B., Thomas; A. M., Stanca; I., Romagosa; Pecchioni, Nicola
abstract
Multi-environment trials represent a highly valuable tool for the identification of the genetic bases of crop yield potential and stress adaptation. A Diversity Array Technology®-based barley map has been developed in the ‘Nure’ × ‘Tremois’ biparental Doubled Haploid population, harbouring the genomic position of a gene set with a putative role in the regulation of flowering time and abiotic stress response in barley. The population has been evaluated in eighteen location-by-year combinations across the Mediterranean basin. QTL mapping identified several genomic regions responsible for barley adaptation to Mediterranean conditions in terms of phenology, grain yield and yield component traits. The most frequently detected yield QTL had the early flowering HvCEN_EPS2 locus (chromosome 2H) as peak marker, showing a positive effect from the early winter parent ‘Nure’ in eight field trials, and explaining up to 45.8 % of the observed variance for grain yield. The HvBM5A_VRN-H1 locus on chromosome 5H and the genomic region possibly corresponding to PPD-H2 on chromosome 1H were significantly associated to grain yield in five and three locations, respectively. Environment-specific QTLs for grain yield, and clusters of yield component QTLs not related to phenology and or developmental genes (e.g. on chromosome 4H, BIN_09) were observed as well. The results of this work provide a valuable source of knowledge and tools for both explaining the genetic bases of barley yield adaptation across the Mediterranean basin, and using QTL-associated markers for MAS pre-breeding and breeding programmes.
2014
- Studio di parametri fisiologici nel pomodoro da industria in coltivazione biologica
[Abstract in Atti di Convegno]
Ronga, Domenico; Lovelli, Stella; Zaccardelli, Massimo; Francia, Enrico; Milc, Justyna Anna; Pecchioni, Nicola
abstract
Il pomodoro da industria è un importante coltura a livello mondiale. La coltivazione viene generalmente effettuata in sistemi di coltivazione convenzionale, per questo motivo scarse sono le conoscenze fisiologiche della coltura in coltivazione biologica. Quindi l’obiettivo del lavoro è stato valutare l’effetto della coltivazione biologica sulla fisiologia del pomodoro da industria investigando la produzione di sostanza secca di tre cultivar a bacca tonda e tre a bacca allungata, coltivate in un’areale del Sud Italia a confronto con un sistema convenzionale.
2014
- The barley Frost resistance-H2 locus
[Articolo su rivista]
Pasquariello, Marianna; Delfina, Barabaschi; Axel, Himmelbach; Burkhard, Steuernagel; Ruvini, Ariyadasa; Nils, Stein; Gandolfi, Francesco; Tenedini, Elena; Bernardis, Isabella; Tagliafico, Enrico; Pecchioni, Nicola; Francia, Enrico
abstract
Frost resistance-H2 (Fr-H2) is a major QTL affecting freezing tolerance in barley, yet its molecular basis is still not clearly understood. To gain a better insight into the structural characterization of the locus, a high-resolution linkage map developed from the Nure x Tremois cross was initially implemented to map 13 loci which divided the 0.602 cM total genetic distance into ten recombination segments. A PCR-based screening was then applied to identify positive bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC) clones from two genomic libraries of the reference genotype Morex. Twenty-six overlapping BACs from the integrated physical-genetic map were 454 sequenced. Reads assembled in contigs were subsequently ordered, aligned and manually curated in 42 scaffolds. In a total of 1.47 Mbp, 58 protein-coding sequences were identified, 33 of which classified according to similarity with sequences in public databases. As three complete barley C-repeat Binding Factors (HvCBF) genes were newly identified, the locus contained13 full-length HvCBFs, four Related to AP2 Triticeae (RAPT) genes, and at least five CBF pseudogenes. The final overall assembly of Fr-H2 includes more than 90 % of target region: all genes were identified along the locus, and a general survey of Repetitive Elements obtained. We believe that this gold-standard sequence for the Morex Fr-H2 will be a useful genomic tool for structural and evolutionary comparisons with Fr-H2 in winter-hardy cultivars along with Fr-2 of other Triticeae crops.
2013
- Determinants of barley grain yield in drought-prone Mediterranean environments
[Articolo su rivista]
Francia, Enrico; Alessandro, Tondelli; Fulvia, Rizza; Franz W., Badeck; William T. B., Thomas; Fred Van, Eeuwijk; Ignacio, Romagosa; A., Michele Stanca; Pecchioni, Nicola
abstract
The determinants of barley grain yield in drought-prone Mediterranean environments have been studied in the Nure x Tremois (NT) population. A large set of yield and other morpho-physiological data were recorded in 118 doubled haploid (DH) lines of the population, in multi-environment field trials (18 site-year combination). Agrometeorological variables have been recorded and calculated at each site too. Four main periods of barley development were considered, vegetative, reproductive early and late grain filling phases, to dissect the effect on yield traits of the growth phases. Relationships between agrometeorological variables, grain yield (GY) and its main
components (GN and GW) were also investigated by correlation.
Results firstly gave a clear indication of the involvement of water consumption in determining GY and GW (r2=0.616, P=0.007 and r2=0.703, P=0.005, respectively) calculated from sowing to the early grain filling period, while GN showed its highest correlation with the total photothermal quotient (PQ) calculated for the same period (r2=0.646, P=0.013). With the only exception of total PQ calculated during the vegetative period, all significant correlations with GY were associated to water-dependent agrometeorological parameters. As a second result, the NT segregating population allowed us to weight the amount of
interaction due to genotypes over environments or to environments in relation to genotypes by a GGE analysis; 47.67% of G+GE sum of squares was explained by the first two principal components. Then, the introduction of genomic information at major barley genes regulating the length of growth cycle allowed us to explain patterns of adaptation
of different groups of NT lines according to the variants (alleles) harbored at venalization (Vrn-H1) in combination with earliness (Eam6) genes. The superiority of the lines carrying the Nure allele at Eam6 was confirmed by factorial ANOVA testing the four possible haplotypes obtained combining alternative alleles at Eam6 and Vrn-H1. Maximum yield potential and differentials among the NT genotypes was finally explored through Finlay-Wilkinson model to interpret grain yield of NT genotypes together with yield adaptability (Ya), as the regression coefficient bi; Ya ranged from 0.71 for NT77 to 1.20 for NT19. Lines simply harboring the Nure variants at the two genes behaved as highest yielding (3.04 t ha–1), and showed the highest yield adaptability (bi=1.05). The present study constitutes a starting point towards the introduction of genomic variables in agronomic models for barley grain yield in Mediterranean environments.
2013
- Freezing Tolerance in the Triticeae
[Capitolo/Saggio]
Galiba, Gabor; Eric J., Stockinger; Francia, Enrico; Milc, Justyna Anna; Gabor, Kocsy; Pecchioni, Nicola
abstract
Species of the Triticeae tribe of the Poaceae, such as wheat and barley, able to acclimate to and to tolerate frost, are one of the best models for studying freezing tolerance in herbaceous, nonwoody plants. This chapter reviews in detail the genetic and genomic knowledge accumulated over the last twenty years in these model species, in terms of genetic loci and sequence variation able to confer higher tolerance to frost. Genomic selection (GS) could be particularly useful for accumulating durable (quantitative) disease resistance quantitative trait loci (QTLs) in wheat, as proposed by Rutkoski and colleagues for stem rust, where the multigenic nature of adult plant resistance hampers the efficiency of MAS-based pyramiding. Lastly, the use of genetic resources, as well as new genomic tools for producing freezing tolerant varieties, is discussed.
2013
- Genome-wide association mapping of frost tolerance in barley (Hordeum vulgare L.)
[Articolo su rivista]
Visioni, A; Tondelli, A; Francia, Enrico; Pswarayi, A; Malosetti, M; Russell, J; Thomas, W; Waugh, R; Pecchioni, Nicola; Romagosa, I; Comadran, J.
abstract
Background: Frost tolerance is a key trait with economic and agronomic importance in barley because it is a major component of winter hardiness, and therefore limits the geographical distribution of the crop and the effective transfer of quality traits between spring and winter crop types. Three main frost tolerance QTL (Fr-H1, Fr-H2 and Fr-H3) have been identified from bi-parental genetic mapping but it can be argued that those mapping populations only capture a portion of the genetic diversity of the species. A genetically broad dataset consisting of
184 genotypes, representative of the barley gene pool cultivated in the Mediterranean basin over an extended time period, was genotyped with 1536 SNP markers. Frost tolerance phenotype scores were collected from two trial sites, Foradada (Spain) and Fiorenzuola (Italy) and combined with the genotypic data in genome wide association analyses (GWAS) using Eigenstrat and kinship approaches to account for population structure.
Results: GWAS analyses identified twelve and seven positive SNP associations at Foradada and Fiorenzuola, respectively, using Eigenstrat and six and four, respectively, using kinship. Linkage disequilibrium analyses of the significant SNP associations showed they are genetically independent. In the kinship analysis, two of the significant SNP associations were tightly linked to the Fr-H2 and HvBmy loci on chromosomes 5H and 4HL, respectively. The other significant kinship associations were located in genomic regions that have not previously been associated with cold stress.
Conclusions: Haplotype analysis revealed that most of the significant SNP loci are fixed in the winter or facultative types, while they are freely segregating within the un-adapted spring barley genepool. Although there is a major interest in detecting new variation to improve frost tolerance of available winter and facultative types, from a GWAS perspective, working within the un-adapted spring germplasm pool is an attractive alternative strategy which would minimize statistical issues, simplify the interpretation of the data and identify phenology independent genetic determinants of frost tolerance.
2013
- TRANSCRIPTOME ANALYSIS IN THE INTERACTION BRACHYPODIUM – PUCCINIA BRACHYPODII
[Abstract in Atti di Convegno]
Mazzamurro, Valentina; Laviano, Luca; Thierri, Marcel; Milc, Justyna Anna; Francia, Enrico; Rients, Niks; T., Vozabova; David, Garvin; Enrica, Roncaglia; MALAGOLI TAGLIAZUCCHI, Guidantonio; Bicciato, Silvio; Tagliafico, Enrico; Pecchioni, Nicola
abstract
The model grass Brachypodium distachyon L (Brachypodium) has recently revealed its potential for studying grass-pathogen interactions. In particular, the identification of genomic regions associated with resistance to the false brome rust fungus Puccinia brachypodii offered perspectives to elucidate the genetic and molecular basis of this trait. In this study, we aimed to: 1) provide an initial whole-genome expression dataset for Brachypodium-P. brachypodii interaction in the two inbred lines Bd3-1 (resistant) and Bd1-1 (susceptible), and 2) fine mapping and cloning Rpbq2 and Rpbq3: to increase the resolution of QTL mapping and to reduce the number of candidate genes underlying QTL LOD curves. For the first, aim the two inbred lines have been characterized macroscopically and by confocal microscopy to follow the development of the fungus and the formation of rust infection structures. The expression of six brachypodium genes, homologous to known wheat and barley defence-related genes, was monitored by qRT-PCR analysis in Bd3-1 and Bd1-1 at three time points (18, 24 and 72 hours post infection, hpi). The 18 hpi time point was selected for transcriptome profiling on the basis of the expression profiles of the defence genes. The Affymetrix Brachypodium Tiling Array (BradiAR1b520742) revealed that expression levels of a set of genes (more than 100 in total) were altered in infected plants, mainly in the resistant line Bd3-1. At 18 hpi a significant re-programming of host metabolism occurred in infected leaves, with a modulation of genes involved in different metabolic networks such as defence, glycolysis, aminoacid and nitrogen metabolism. This study represents the first characterization of the functional genomic basis of resistance to a rust species in the model plant Brachypodium, and could be useful for translational genomics to ‘complex’ cereals. For the second aim, fine mapping Rpbq2 and Rpbq3, a new large segregating RIL population has been developed for each QTL separately. Selection of Bd3-1 x Bd1-1 RILs heterozygous for the QTLs has been completed based on flanking marker haplotypes, with the target QTL in a heterozygous state, while the other two QTLs were selected to be homozygous for the susceptible allele. These marker-selected heterozygous RILs have been selfed to obtain large segregating populations for each QTL. These results represent the first steps of a genetic approach towards the cloning of Rpbq2 and Rpbq3 determinants, and for their possible exploitation in cereals.
2012
- Adaptation to environment in diploid barley: from quantitatively inherited traits, to QTLs and genes ?
[Relazione in Atti di Convegno]
Pecchioni, Nicola; Francia, Enrico
abstract
In the last few decades Quantitative Trait Loci (QTL) mapping represented a breakthrough for the study of quantitatively inherited traits. Since then, substantial parts of phenotypic variation for crucial traits in crops have been found as explained by a limited to medium number of loci. Among the most important traits studied by QTL mapping, adaptation to the environment was dissected in its main genetic components. One of the species where the highest significant advances in understanding the genetic architecture of environmental adaptation have been made is the diploid barley in the tribe of Triticeae. An overview will be presented about discovery of genetic bases of such quantitative traits in barley, like regulation of flowering time and tolerance to abiotic stresses, till the identification of several candidate genes.
Open questions remain about the past, present and expected future success in molecular breeding for QTL marker- and genomic-assisted selection. By reviewing such aspects, examples about QTL sensitivities to environmental variables will be done.
Other questions remain about the biological interpretation of quantitative traits in the "omic" era, in particular for the adaptation to the environment. An overview of recent results in this field will be done, with examples about impact of copy number variation (CNV) on phenotype.
2012
- Barley: Omics approaches for abiotic stress tolerance
[Capitolo/Saggio]
Pecchioni, Nicola; Milc, Justyna Anna; Pasquariello, Marianna; Francia, Enrico
abstract
Abiotic stresses such as frost, drought, salinity, hypoxia, and mineral deficiency or toxicity frequently limit growth and productivity of temperate cereal crops, for which barley (Hordeum vulgare L. ssp. vulgare) could represent a model. Improving barley resistance to such constraints is thus fundamental in view of the expected climate change for minimizing the gap between potential and actual yield (the so-called yield gap), increasing the yield stability, and guaranteeing the sustainability of the crop. As different omics technologies have been developed during the past few decades, they enabled systematic analysis of changes that occur in plants in response to abiotic stresses. In this chapter, we focus on the omics contribution to the improvement of abiotic stress tolerance in barley. After a brief summary of the most relevant abioticstresses that limit the crop yields worldwide, successful genomics approaches have been described, starting from the exploitation of germplasm resources. Structural and functional approaches that helped in understanding the mechanisms and the genetic bases of abiotic stress tolerance, when applied to barley and model species(mainly Arabidopsis, rice, and Brachypodium), have been reviewed as an important step toward crop tolerance improvement. Quantitative genetics and genetical genomics of abiotic stress tolerance have been discussed, as they represent both a huge source of information and a challenge for future holistic approaches. Then, we present an overview of the contribution of other omics sciences (e.g., proteomics, epigenomics, metabolomics, ionomics, and phenomics). In the last section, integrative (systems) biology, together with a series of strategies for the future, is proposed and discussed.
2012
- Bioetanolo di 2ª generazione da panico verga, novità in Italia
[Articolo su rivista]
Ronga, Domenico; Pasquariello, Marianna; R., Provoli; Caffagni, Alessandra; Francia, Enrico; D., Villecco; Pecchioni, Nicola
abstract
Con produzioni potenziali di 25 t/ha di sostanza secca all’anno per più di 15 anni, bassi input agronomici necessari e l’utilizzo del parco macchine delle colture foraggere, il panico verga fornisce i presupposti per una fi liera corta del bioetanolo di 2ª generazione
2012
- CANDIDATE GENE EXPRESSION PROFILING DURING CHILLING IN
TWO DIFFERENTIALLY TOLERANT CULTIVARS OF TOMATO
[Abstract in Atti di Convegno]
Caffagni, Alessandra; Pecchioni, Nicola; Milc, Justyna Anna; Francia, Enrico
abstract
Low temperature is a major factor limiting the productivity and geographical distribution of many plant species, including important agricultural crops. The capacity to adapt to a cold
environment is significantly different among species, and dividing them in acclimating and notacclimating ones. Many plants of tropical or subtropical origin, such as tomato, maize, soybean, and rice, are severely injured or even killed by exposure to low, nonfreezing temperatures. Most tomato cultivars are sensitive to chilling temperatures during all stages of plant development. Genetic variation for chilling tolerance exists between cultivated Solanum lycopersicum and its related wild species, but intra-specific variation has not been thoroughly investigated and fully exploited so far to improve such tolerance. The general objective of the present study was to give an insight into the molecular processes that underlie chilling tolerance in the chilling-sensitive species S . lycopersicum. Consequently, specific aims have been the selection of two tomato cultivars contrasting for their response to chilling exposure by means of a phenotypic characterization of a large germplasm collection. After the phenotypic screen and the choice of the two contrasting lines,
a set of functional candidate genes belonging to gene families regulated by cold in plants have been chosen, and evaluated for cold-modulated expression by RT-PCR in the two cultivars.
We report here results of genetic variation in the UniMORE germplasm collection for chilling tolerance (stress treatment at 1°C for 24h) together with the selection of Albenga (tolerant) and San Marzano (susceptible) cultivars. Then, twenty candidate genes induced by chilling and/or with putative roles in abiotic stress-response pathways have been then identified, in this first survey comprising both transcription factors and effector genes. Gene expression profiling was conducted by exposing plants to +1°C at a total of six time points. The study shows a first insight into cold modulated expression profiling of tomato cultivars contrasting for chilling tolerance.
2012
- Effect of the nud gene on grain yield in barley
[Articolo su rivista]
Barabaschi, Delfina; Francia, Enrico; A., Tondelli; A., Gianinetti; Stanca, ANTONIO MICHELE; Pecchioni, Nicola
abstract
Naked barleys are less yielding than the hulled ones while the reason for this difference has not beendefinitely clarified. To investigate the effect of the nud gene on yield, a barley doubled haploid (DH, Proctor ×Nudinka) population was initially tested in three environments and a QTL study was run on the entire populationas well as on two nud/NUD DH subpopulations. Among the agronomic traits studied, a QTL effect was found atnud locus on chromosome 7H only for yield and thousand grain weight (TGW), while a second QTL was found on6H, although contributed by the naked parent. Other QTLs for TGW were identified on 2H, 3H and 5H. Most QTLsfound in the entire population were confirmed by the study on the two groups. No interaction was observed betweenQTLs. To provide a more accurate evaluation of the effects of the nud gene upon grain yield, its components andother agronomic traits, sixteen naked advanced backcross (AB) BC5F2 lines in the hulled background of cultivarArda were prepared and evaluated in a replicated yield trial for two years. The only differences found betweenAB lines and Arda in grain yield and TGW were due to hull weight (11.97% of kernel weight). No differences wereobserved in other traits such as grains/m2, grains per spike, plant height, heading date and mildew resistance. Inconclusion, we think to have clarified that the effect of the nud gene on yield is due to hulls, and we did not findany pleiotropic effect of nud on other traits. This suggests, together with the finding of a QTL contributed by thenaked parent, that there is a great potential to improve naked barley up to the yield levels of hulled barley.
2012
- Natural variation in a homolog of Antirrhinum CENTRORADIALIS contributed to spring growth habit and environmental adaptation in cultivated barley
[Articolo su rivista]
J., Comadran; B., Kilian; J., Russell; L., Ramsay; N., Stein; M., Ganal; P., Shaw; M., Bayer; W., Thomas; D., Marshall; P., Hedley; A., Tondelli; Pecchioni, Nicola; Francia, Enrico; V., Korzun; A., Walther; R., Waugh
abstract
As early farming spread from the Fertile Crescent in the Near East around 10,000 years before the present, domesticated crops encountered considerable ecological and environmental change. Spring-sown crops that flowered without the need for an extended period of cold to promote flowering and day length–insensitive crops able to exploit the longer, cooler days of higher latitudes emerged and became established. To investigate the genetic consequences of adaptation to these new environments, we identified signatures of divergent selection in the highly differentiated modern-day spring and winter barleys. In one genetically divergent region, we identify a natural variant of the barley homolog of Antirrhinum CENTRORADIALIS (HvCEN) as a contributor to successful environmental adaptation. The distribution of HvCEN alleles in a large collection of wild and landrace accessions indicates that this involved selection and enrichment of preexisting genetic variants rather than the acquisition of mutations after domestication
2012
- PHYSICAL MAP AND DE NOVO SEQUENCING OF BARLEY FR-H2
FROST RESISTANCE LOCUS
[Abstract in Atti di Convegno]
Pasquariello, Marianna; Barabaschi, Delfina; Himmelbach, A; Ariyadasa, R; KNOX A., K; STOCKINGER E., J; Steuernagel, B; Stein, N; Pecchioni, Nicola; Francia, Enrico
abstract
Fr-H2 is one of the two major loci affecting freezing tolerance of barley. Genetic mapping evidences suggested a cluster of more than 14 genes encoding CBF transcription factors as lilely
candidates to explain the trait; however, the molecular basis of the Fr-H2 QTL is still to be demonstrated. A large segregating population (2,849 F2 plants) was developed from the ‘Nure’ (frost tolerant) x ‘Tremois’ (frost susceptible) cross for fine mapping and locus dissection. Recombinants identified between seven of the 14 CBFs indicated that the locus spans a total genetic
distance of 0.81 cM. Sequencing bacteriophage lambda genomic clones in ‘Nure’, ‘Dicktoo’, ‘Morex’ and ‘Tremois’ provided the first structural insights into Fr-H2. Subsequently, two ‘Morex’ genomic BAC libraries were screened using 10 CBF-specific markers, and their first BAC clone addresses obtained. A High-Information-Content Fingerprinting of the selected BACs was performed to create anchor points between the genetic and physical maps of the region. The Minimal Tiling Path was PCR-screened for the presence of all available CBFs and the physical order confirmed via placement of BAC-end specific markers. De novo 454 sequencing of 27 barcoded and pooled BACs was performed using the GS FLX platform and the sequences assembled under iterative change of parameters of MIRA software. Though the resolution of complex repetitive DNA structures iwas difficult to solve, more than 70% of the assembled sequence contigs were anchored to the physical map of Fr-H2. Altogether, these results throw light on the structural characterization of the 5H genomic region of the Fr-H2 locus and the role of different CBFs in barley.
2012
- QTLs for resistance to the false brome rust Puccinia brachypodii in the model grass Brachypodium distachyon L.
[Articolo su rivista]
Barbieri, Mirko; T. C., Marcel; R. E., Niks; Francia, Enrico; Pasquariello, Marianna; Mazzamurro, Valentina; D. F., Garvin; Pecchioni, Nicola
abstract
The potential of the model grass Brachypodium distachyon L. (Brachypodium) for studying grass–pathogen interactions is still underexploited. We aimed to identify genomic regions in Brachypodium associated with quantitative resistance to the false brome rust fungus Puccinia brachypodii. The inbred lines Bd3-1 and Bd1-1, differing in their level of resistance to P. brachypodii, were crossed to develop an F2 population. This was evaluated for reaction to a virulent isolate of P. brachypodii at both the seedling and advanced growth stages. To validate the results obtained on the F2, resistance was quantified in F2-derived F3 families in two experiments. Disease evaluations showed quantitative and transgressive segregation for resistance. A new AFLP-based Brachypodium linkage map consisting of 203 loci and spanning 812 cM was developed and anchored to the genome sequence with SSR and SNP markers. Three false brome rust resistance QTLs were identified on chromosomes 2, 3, and 4, and they were detected across experiments. This study is the first quantitative trait analysis in Brachypodium. Resistance to P. brachypodii was governed by a few QTLs: two acting at the seedling stage andone acting at both seedling and advanced growth stages. The results obtained offer perspectives to elucidate the molecular basis of quantitative resistance to rust fungi.
2012
- RECENT ADVANCES IN THE PHYSICAL MAPPING OF WHEAT
CHROMOSOME 5A
[Abstract in Atti di Convegno]
Volante, A; Barabaschi, Delfina; Michelotti, V; Lacrima, K; Desiderio, F; Fulgoni, G; Prazzoli, L; Gadaleta, A; Blanco, A; Francia, Enrico; Mazzamurro, Valentina; Pecchioni, Nicola; Fricano, A; Piffanelli, P; MASTRANGELO A., M; Valarik, M; Dolezel, J; Cattonaro, F; Scalabrin, S; Stanca, ANTONIO MICHELE; Cattivelli, L; Valé, G.
abstract
High density genetic maps, needed for anchoring BAC contigs during the construction of a physical map and for DNA sequence assembly, have been developed for the short arm of wheat
chromosome 5A (5AS). To undertake this challenge we relied on four mapping populations: [1] Chinese Spring (CS, Triticum aestivum) x Renan (T. aestivum); [2] CS x CS disomic substitution line for chr. 5A (T. turgidum ssp dicoccoides); [3] Latino (T. turgidum ssp durum) x MG5323 (T. turgidum ssp dicoccum); [4] DV92 (T. monococcum) x G3116 (T. monococcum). Different approaches for marker development were implemented: a) a set of SSRs (simple sequence repeats)
from databases and literature, b) a set of COS (conserved ortholog set) comparative markers, c) ESTs (expressed sequence tag) specific for 5A, d) SSR, and TE (trasponable elements) junction markers were screened from a 2x coverage of 454 sequences run on 5AS flow sorted DNA. The specificity of these markers for chromosome 5AS has been assessed using nulli-tetrasomic lines derived from the cultivar CS, while their physical position has been assigned to deletion bins of 5AS through the utilization of deletion lines. The anchoring between the four genetic linkage maps and the 4201 BAC clones of the MTP (minimal tiling path), produced after HICF (high information
content fingerprinting) analysis of about 45.000 BACs and organized in 3D pools, is in progress. Additional specific markers are being developed from the sequencing of 2000 BAC-ends obtained from BACs of the MTP in order to improve the link between the genetic and physical map. High density genetic maps are under development also for 5AL, and the anchoring to 3D
pools of the 6560 MTP-BAC clones deriving from the HICF analysis of about 50.000 BACs, has already started with the available markers mapped.
2012
- Structural characterisation of a chromosome 5H genomic region including the Fr-H2 frost resistance locus
[Relazione in Atti di Convegno]
Francia, Enrico; Pasquariello, Marianna; Milc, Justyna Anna; Tondelli, A; Barabaschi, D; Schulte, D; Ariyadasa, R; Himmelbach, A; Knox, Ak; Dhillon, T; Stanca, Am; Stockinger, Ej; Stein, N; Pecchioni, Nicola
abstract
Fr-H2 is one of the two major loci affecting freezing tolerance and winter hardiness of barley. A cluster of more than 14 genes encoding CBF transcription factors maps coincident with Fr-H2 suggesting these as candidates; however, the molecular basis of the QTL is still to be demonstrated. The resistant phenotype could either result from a single CBF, or a copy number variation of CBF genes, or an effect of other sequences independent from the candidates. A large segregating population (2,849 F2) was developed from the ‘Nure’ (frost tolerant) x ‘Tremois’ (frost susceptible) cross (NxT) for fine mapping and locus dissection. These experiments indicated that the locus spans 0.81 cM and identified recombinants between seven of the 14 CBFs. Phenotyping F4/F5 NxT lines harbouring alternative allelic states of the CBF genes was performed through five independent experiments, and highlighted significant differences in frost resistance. Reciprocal QTL-NILs (Near-Isogenic Lines) are also in preparation (now BC4F1 and BC5F1). Sequencing bacteriophage lambda genomic clones in ‘Nure’, ‘Dicktoo’, ‘Morex’ and ‘Tremois’ provided the first structural insights into Fr-H2. Subsequently, two ‘Morex’ genomic BAC libraries were screened using 10 CBF-specific markers, and their first BAC clone addresses obtained. A High-Information-Content Fingerprinting of the selected BACs was performed to create anchor points between the genetic and physical maps of the region. The Minimal Tiling Path was PCR screened for the presence of all available CBFs and the physical order confirmed via placement of BAC-end specific markers. De novo 454 sequencing of barcoded BAC pools is being performed for the structural characterization of the genomic region of barley chromosome 5H, including the Fr-H2 locus. Altogether, the results will hopefully increase knowledge about the role of different CBFs in barley, and will be further efforts to sequence barley chromosome 5H.
2011
- Determinanti della Produzione dell’Orzo in Ambienti Siccitosi del Bacino del Mediterraneo
[Abstract in Atti di Convegno]
Francia, Enrico; A., Tondelli; F., Rizza; Badeck, F. W.; Thomas, W. T. B.; F., van Eeuwijk; I., Romagosa; A. M., Stanca; Pecchioni, Nicola
abstract
L’orzo è il secondo cereale più diffuso dopo il frumento duro in molti ambienti siccitosi del bacino del
Mediterraneo, dove le ridotte precipitazioni e l'estrema erraticità del clima ne influenzano fortemente la
produzione. La definizione dei caratteri ecofisiologici critici per l’adattamento e la stabilità produttiva
dell'orzo in condizioni stressanti è dunque di fondamentale importanza nella prospettiva dei futuri
cambiamenti climatici. In questo lavoro è stata valutata la performance
agronomica di una popolazione di 120 linee doppio-aploidi (DH) derivate dall'incrocio tra una varietà
invernale -'Nure'- e una primaverile -'Tremois', inclusi i parentali, in 18 ambienti del Mediterraneo.
2011
- Determinants of barley grain yield in a wide range of Mediterranean environments
[Articolo su rivista]
Francia, Enrico; A., Tondelli; F., Rizza; F. W., Badeck; O., Li Destri Nicosia; T., Akar; S., Grando; A., Al Yassin; A., Benbelkacem; W. T. B., Thomas; F., Van Eeuwijk; I., Romagosa; Stanca, Antonio Michele; Pecchioni, Nicola
abstract
Barley grain yield in rainfed Mediterranean regions can be largely influenced by terminal drought events.In this study the ecophysiological performance of the ‘Nure’ (winter)בTremois’ (spring) barley mapping population (118 Doubled Haploids, DHs) was evaluated in a multi-environment trial of eighteen site–year combinations across the Mediterranean Basin during two consecutive harvest years (2004 and 2005). Mean grain yield of sites ranged from 0.07 to 5.43 t ha−1, clearly dependent upon both the total water input (rainfall plus irrigation) and the water stress index (WSI) accumulated during the growingseason. All DHs were characterized for possessing molecular marker alleles tagging four genes that regulate barley cycle, i.e. Vrn-H1, Vrn-H2, Ppd-H2 and Eam6. Grain yield differences were initially interpreted in terms of mean differences between genotypes (G), environments (E), and for each combination of genotype and environment (GE) through a “full interaction” ANOVA model. Variance components estimates clearly showed the greater importance of GE over G, although both were much lower than E. Alternative linear and bilinear models of increasing complexity were used to describe GE. A linear model fittingallelic variation at the four genes explained genotype main effect and genotype×environment interaction much better than growth habit itself. Adaptation was primarily driven by the allelic constitution at three out of the four segregating major genes, i.e. Vrn-H1, Ppd-H2 and Eam6. In fact, the three genes together explained 47.2% of G and 26.3% of GE sum of squares. Grain yield performance was more determined by the number of grains per unit area than by the grain weight (phenotypic correlation across all genotypic values: r = 0.948 and 0.559, respectively). The inter-relationships among a series of characters defining grain yield and its components were also explored as a function of the length of the different barley developmental phases, i.e. vegetative, reproductive, and grain filling stages. In most environments, the best performing (adapted) genotypes were those with faster development until early occurrence ofanthesis. This confirmed the crucial role of the period defining the number of grains per unit area in grain yield determination under Mediterranean environments.
2011
- Diversity in the Response to Low Temperature in Representative Barley Genotypes Cultivated in Europe
[Articolo su rivista]
F., Rizza; D., Pagani; M., Gut; I. T., Prášil; C., Lago; A., Tondelli; L., Orrù; E., Mazzucotelli; Francia, Enrico; F. W., Badeck; C., Crosatti; V., Terzi; L., Cattivelli; Stanca, ANTONIO MICHELE
abstract
Barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) production in many regions is constrained by low temperatures. Numerous screening methods have been proposed for studies of freezing tolerance (FT) and winter hardiness (WH). Here, we compared the response to low temperature of 54 barley genotypes released in Europe. Major components of WH were analyzed in fi eld and growth chamber experiments under different hardening and freezing conditions. Phenotype screening of freezing injury (lethal temperature for 50% of the plants [LT50], plant survival, and chlorophyll fluorescence) and indirect evaluations (molecular-marker-based analysis of vernalization requirement) were used. The maximum quantum yield of the photosystem II photochemistry measured as the variable (Fv) to maximal (Fm) fluorescence ratio (Fv:Fm) analysis was confirmed as a reliable method of screening geneticdiversity for FT in plants at early growth stages. Variability for FT was also found after shorter acclimation at optimal (3/1°C day/night) or suboptimal (12/7°C day/night) hardening temperatures. High levels of FT and WH were found in both winter and facultative growth habits. Facultative genotypes were more responsive to early hardening than spring or winter types. Some of them coped best with frost in both laboratory and field experiments. The most tolerant winter genotypes coped best with prolonged exposure to low temperature in the fi eld experiments. A conservative estimation of the role of FT in WH implies that at least 50% of WH was associated with the level of FT. A combined analysis using physiological and molecular tools is proposed for phenotyping WH in large populations.
2011
- Evaluation of the synteny for 5AS chromosome in Triticum species with different ploidy levels
[Abstract in Atti di Convegno]
V., Michelotti; K., Lacrima; F., Desiderio; D., Barabaschi; A., Gadaleta; I., Centomani; A., Giancaspro; S., Giove; Francia, Enrico; Mazzamurro, Valentina; Pecchioni, Nicola; A., Fricano; P., Piffanelli; A. M., Mastrangelo; M., Valarik; A., Blanco; Stanca, ANTONIO MICHELE; L., Cattivelli; G., Valé
abstract
-
2011
- Inside the CBF locus in Poaceae
[Articolo su rivista]
A., Tondelli; Francia, Enrico; D., Barabaschi; Pasquariello, Marianna; Pecchioni, Nicola
abstract
Several molecular evidences have been gathered in Poaceae that point out a central role of the CBF/DREB1 transcription factors in the signal transduction pathways leading to low-temperature tolerance, although to a quite different extent between crops originating from either temperate or tropical climates. A common feature of the CBF/DREB1 genes in Poaceae is their structural organization at the genome level in clusters of tandemly duplicated genes. In temperate cereals such as barley and wheat, expansion of specific multigene phylogenetic clades of CBFs that map at the Frost Resistance-2 locus has been exclusively observed. In addition, copy number variants of CBF genes between frost resistant and frost sensitive genotypes raise the question if multiple copies of the CBF/DREB1s are required to ensure freezing tolerance. On the other hand, in crops of tropical origin such as rice and maize, a smaller or less-responsive CBF regulon may have evolved, and different mechanisms might determine chilling tolerance. In this review, recent advances on the organization and diversity at the CBF cluster locus in the grasses are provided and discussed.
2011
- Pomodoro Da Industria Per Una Coltivazione “Low input”
[Abstract in Atti di Convegno]
Ronga, Domenico; S., Lovelli; M., Zaccardelli; Francia, Enrico; D., Perrone; Pecchioni, Nicola
abstract
Nel settore agroindustriale sorge, oggi, la necessità di ripristinare i meccanismi ecologici per ridare vita
e fertilità a un sistema che attualmente si trova sfruttato e sbilanciato nelle sue parti funzionali. Nasce,
quindi, l’esigenza di gestire le colture assecondando i cicli biologici e le interazioni
dell'agroecosistema, e non più intervenendo nell’azienda agraria con input e azioni svincolate da ogni
ciclicità. E' stato nostro obiettivo valutare in una zona vocata del Sud Italia, l'impatto di una
coltivazione a basso input, come il regime biologico, su varietà di pomodoro da industria di tipologie
distinte, a confronto con un regime di coltivazione convenzionale
2011
- QTLs for resistance to the leaf rust Puccinia brachypodii in the model plant Brachypodium distachyon
[Abstract in Atti di Convegno]
Mazzamurro, Valentina; M., Barbieri; D. F., Garvin; T. C., Marcel; R. E., Niks; Francia, Enrico; Pasquariello, Marianna; Pecchioni, Nicola
abstract
-
2010
- Dissection of quantitative resistance to leaf rust (Puccinia brachypodii) in Brachypodium distachyon, the model plant for Triticeae
[Abstract in Atti di Convegno]
Barbieri, Mirko; Francia, Enrico; Milc, Justyna Anna; Mazzamurro, Valentina; Pasquariello, Marianna; D., Garvin; Tc, Marcel; Re, Niks; Pecchioni, Nicola
abstract
The model plant Brachypodium distachyon (L.) Beauv. has been employed to dissect its quantitative resistance to leaf rust. An F2 mapping population generated between the two B. distachyon diploid inbred lines Bd1-1 and Bd3-1 was used to develop a molecular marker linkage map. The map was initially populated with 192 AFLP marker loci. SSRs and conserved orthologous sequence (COS) markers have also been added to the AFLP framework to provide anchor points for comparative genomics studies with other Brachypodium and Triticeae maps. To locate quantitative resistance loci on the map, the F2 plants were evaluated for their reaction to the leaf rust Puccinia brachypodii. To improve and validate the dissection of the trait, F2-derived F3 families were tested for resistance to leaf rust in two additional independent experiments. Disease evaluations showed continuous, quantitative and transgressive segregation. Interval mapping and MQM mapping were performed on the data of the different experiments by using the software MapQTL 5.0 and then QTL positions were compared. Two major genomic regions involved in resistance to leaf rust were detected and are here discussed according to recent increase of genomic knowledge in Brachypodium. Together they accounted for about 40-50% of the observed phenotypic variation. Our results suggest that leaf rust resistance in B. distachyon is a polygenic trait influenced by few major genes with large effect as observed in the Triticeae. A search for candidates has been started through the Brachypodium distachyon 8x released genomic sequence, to obtain and map candidate gene-derived markers in the QTL intervals.
2010
- Epigenetic chromatin modifiers in barley: IV. The study of barley Polycomb group (PcG) genes during seed development and in response to external ABA
[Articolo su rivista]
A., Kapazoglou; A., Tondelli; D., Papaefthimiou; H., Ampatzidou; Francia, Enrico; Stanca, ANTONIO MICHELE; K., Bladenopoulos; A. S., Tsaftaris
abstract
Background: Epigenetic phenomena have been associated with the regulation of active and silent chromatin states accomplished by modifications of chromatin structure through DNA methylation, and histone post-translational modifications. The latter is achieved, in part, through the action of PcG (Polycomb group) protein complexes which methylate nucleosomal histone tails at specific sites, ultimately leading to chromatin compaction and gene silencing. Different PcG complex variants operating during different developmental stages have been described in plants. In particular, the so-called FIE/MEA/FIS2 complex governs the expression of genes important in embryo and endosperm development in Arabidopsis. In our effort to understand the epigenetic mechanisms regulating seed development in barley (Hordeum vulgare), an agronomically important monocot plant cultivated for its endosperm, we set out to characterize the genes encoding barley PcG proteins. Results: Four barley PcG gene homologues, named HvFIE, HvE(Z), HvSu(z)12a, and HvSu(z)12b were identified and structurally and phylogenetically characterized. The corresponding genes HvFIE, HvE(Z), HvSu(z)12a, and HvSu(z)12b were mapped onto barley chromosomes 7H, 4H, 2H and 5H, respectively. Expression analysis of the PcG genes revealed significant differences in gene expression among tissues and seed developmental stages and between barley cultivars with varying seed size. Furthermore, HvFIE, and HvE(Z) gene expression was responsive to the abiotic stress-related hormone abscisic acid (ABA) known to be involved in seed maturation, dormancy and germination. Conclusion: This study reports the first characterization of PcG homologue genes, HvFIE, HvE(Z), HvSu(z)12a and HvSu(z)12b in barley. All genes co-localized with known chromosomal regions responsible for malting quality related traits, suggesting that they could be used for developing molecular markers to be applied in marker assisted selection. The PcG differential pattern of expression in different tissues and seed developmental stages as well as in two barley cultivars with different seed size is suggestive of a role for these genes in barley seed development. HvFIE and HvE(Z) were also found to be induced by the plant hormone ABA implying an association of these genes with ABA-mediated processes during seed development, germination and stress response.
2010
- Towards physical mapping and sequencing the Fr-H2 (Frost resistance-H2) region of barley chromosome 5H
[Abstract in Atti di Convegno]
Francia, Enrico; Pasquariello, Marianna; Caffagni, Alessandra; Milc, Justyna Anna; Sgarbi, Elisabetta; Barabaschi, Delfina; A., Tondelli; D., Schulte; N., Stein; E. J., Stockinger; Stanca, ANTONIO MICHELE; Pecchioni, Nicola
abstract
Frost resistance-H2 is one of two major quantitative trait loci, located on chromosome 5H, that affect freezing tolerance and winter hardiness of barley. Coincident with Fr-H2 is a cluster of more than 14 genes encoding CBF transcription factors, that are at present the best candidates in barley to explain the effects of frost tolerance given by the QTL. It is not known whether the effect of Fr-H2 is either the result of a single CBF gene, or the combined effect of a subset/all the CBF genes, or an effect of other sequences independent from the CBF genes. As a first step towards Fr-H2 physical mapping we have generated a large mapping population derived from the freezing tolerant genotype ‘Nure’, and the freezing susceptible ‘Tremois’, in order to both fine map the Fr-H2 interval, and to generate recombinants between the different CBF genes. Screens for recombinant individuals from F2 populations consisting of 2,849 plants, and their subsequent phenotypic evaluation in F4 lines provided an estimated refined genomic interval of 4.6 cM for Fr-H2. Recombinants between seven out of the 14 CBF genes under Fr-H2 have been identified and showed that the CBF gene cluster spans 0.81 cM on barley chromosome 5H. A positional cloning effort of Fr-H2 has been undertaken. A genomic BAC library of barley (cv. ‘Morex’) was screened with a total of six CBF markers mapping in this locus. Using a PCR-based screening strategy the first BAC clone addresses were obtained for all the CBF markers assayed. To create anchor points between the genetic map and a ‘future’ physical map of barley, in this region, a high information content fingerprinting (HICF) of the selected BACs has been performed and then the selected BAC clones have been assembled into contigs.To close the gaps between the assembled clones, additional BACs belonging to the contigs detected, have been screened with further CBF markers and a total of three BACs were sequenced and assembled using 454 sequencing. The construction of a single physical contig encompassing the Fr-H2 region will be our next purpose. This will provide further information on gene content and structural locus organization and thus provide a fundamental resource for detailed comparative analyses of the genomic organization of the locus in other barley cultivars, like ‘Nure’ and ‘Tremois’.
2009
- Environment specific and common QTLs for adaptation of barley to a wide range of mediterranean droughted environments
[Abstract in Atti di Convegno]
Tondelli, A.; Francia, Enrico; Li Destri Nicosia, O.; Al Yassin, A.; Akar, T.; Benbelkacem, A.; Grando, S.; Romagosa, I.; Thomas, W. T. B.; Van Eeuwijk, F. A.; Stanca, A. M.; Pecchioni, Nicola
abstract
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2009
- Epigenetic chromatin modifiers in barley: I. Cloning, mapping and expression analysis of the plant specific HD2 family of histone deacetylases from barley, during seed development and after hormonal treatment
[Articolo su rivista]
K., Demetriou; A., Kapazoglou; A., Tondelli; Francia, Enrico; A. M., Stanca; K., Bladenopoulos; A. S., Tsaftaris
abstract
Epigenetic phenomena have been associated with modifications of chromatin structure. These are achieved, in part, by histone post-translational modifications including acetylations and deacetylations, the later being catalyzed by histone deacetylaces (HDACs). Eukaryotic HDACs are grouped into three major families, RPD3/HDA1, SIR2 and the plant-specific HD2. HDAC genes have been analyzed from model plants such as arabidopsis,rice and maize and have been shown to be involved in various cellular processes including seed development, vegetative and reproductive growth and responses to abiotic and biotic stress, but reports on HDACs from other crops are limited. In this work two full-length cDNAs (HvHDAC2-1 and HvHDAC2-2) encoding two members of the plant-specific HD2 family, respectively, were isolated and characterized from barley (Hordeum vulgare), an agronomically important cereal crop.HvHDAC2-1 andHvHDAC2-2 were mapped on barley chromosomes 1H and 3H, respectively, which could prove useful in developing markers for marker-assisted selection in breeding programs. Expression analysis of the barley HD2 genes demonstrated that they are expressed in all tissues and seed developmental stages examined.Significant differences were observed among tissues and seed stages, andbetween cultivars with varying seed size, suggesting an association of thesegenes with seed development. Furthermore, the HD2 genes from barley werefound to respond to treatments with plant stress-related hormones such asjasmonic acid (JA), abscisic acid (ABA) and salicylic acid (SA) implying anassociation of these genes with plant resistance to biotic and abiotic stress.The expression pattern of HD2 genes suggests a possible role for these genesin the epigenetic regulation of seed development and stress response.
2009
- Fortificazione con Iodio di specie erbacee ed arboree
[Abstract in Atti di Convegno]
Caffagni, Alessandra; Albertazzi, Giorgia; Milc, Justyna Anna; Francia, Enrico; Bucci, V; Perata, P; Acciarri, N.; Sabatini, E; Pecchioni, Nicola
abstract
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2009
- Gene expression in grapevine cultivars in response to BOIS NOIR phytoplasma infection
[Articolo su rivista]
Albertazzi, Giorgia; Milc, Justyna Anna; Caffagni, Alessandra; Francia, Enrico; Roncaglia, Enrica; F., Ferrari; Tagliafico, Enrico; Stefani, Emilio; Pecchioni, Nicola
abstract
Bois Noir phytoplasma is an emerging disease of Vitis vinifera in several regions of the world. No completely resistant grapevine cultivars are known and the physiology of disease remains still poorly understood so far. Affymetrix GeneChip® oligonucleotide arrays have been used to identify differentially expressed genes between infected and recovered samples from cv. Chardonnay and between infected and healthy samples from cv. Manzoni Bianco. In the field, cv. Manzoni showed reduced symptoms,while cv. Chardonnay was highly susceptible to the disease. Results showed that expression levels of few hundreds genes were altered in infected plants, both common and specific for each cultivar, with effects on various metabolic pathways. In cv. Chardonnay a serious inhibition of whole photosynthetic chain and photosystem I activity, Calvin-cycle enzymes transcription, lipid metabolism and phenylpropanoid biosynthesis was observed. Increasing physical barriers to limit phytoplsma spread in the plant was observed in both Chardonnay and Manzoni infected plants, with the repression of genes responsible for cell wall degradation and the induction of genes involved in cell wall reinforcement. Interestingly, specifically in cv. Manzoni the expression of a Myb transcription factor, belonging to a gene family that has a role in defense response, was induced.This is the first analysis of gene expression profiling in a grapevine-phytoplasma interaction using Affymetrix GeneChip® array. Presented data provide an interesting picture of the transcriptional response of grapevine to Bois Noir and allowed the selection of several candidate genes for future functional analysis.
2009
- Linkage map development and QTL mapping for leaf rust resistance in the model plant Brachypodium distachyon
[Abstract in Atti di Convegno]
Barbieri, Mirko; Francia, Enrico; D., Garvin; R., Niks; T., Marcel; Pecchioni, Nicola
abstract
The model plant Brachypodium distachyon (L.) Beauv. has been employed to analyze the genetics of resistance to leaf rust. An F2 mapping population of 110 individuals generated between the two B. distachyon diploid inbred lines Bd1-1 and Bd3-1 was used to develop a molecular marker linkage map. The map was mainly AFLP-based. In addition to the initial AFLP framework, conservedmarkers between B. distachyon, barley and wheat, such as EST-derived markers, are currently being developed to be added to the map, thus providing anchor points for comparative genomics studies. To locate quantitative resistance loci on the map, the 110 F2 plants were evaluated for their reactionto the leaf rust Puccinia brachypodii. To improve QTL identification, F2-derived F3 families were tested for resistance to leaf rust in two independent experiments. Disease evaluations showed continuous, quantitative and transgressive segregation. Interval mapping and MQM mapping were performed on the data of the different experiments by using the software MapQTL 5.0 and then QTL positions were compared. Two major genomic regions involved in resistance to leaf rust were detected. Together they accounted for about 40-50% of the observed phenotypic variation. Our results suggest that leaf rust resistance in B. distachyon is a polygenic trait influenced by few majorgenes with large effect as observed in the Triticeae.
2009
- Marker-assisted characterization of frost tolerance in barley (Hordeum vulgare L.)
[Articolo su rivista]
T., Akar; Francia, Enrico; A., Tondelli; F., Rizza; Stanca, ANTONIO MICHELE; Pecchioni, Nicola
abstract
Five molecular markers associated to two frost tolerance QTLs (Fr-H1 and Fr-H2) were tested both on nine Turkish accessions, classified by breeders as highly frosttolerant, and on a previously described sample of 26 barleys, winter, facultative and spring. Accessions were characterized in terms of frost tolerance under both field conditions and artificial freezing test at -12°C. The Turkish lines resulted to be equal or superior to the most tolerant European genotypes tested, showing that they can be used to improve the frost tolerance of the EU barley germplasm. The marker HvBM5A (Vrn-H1 and Fr-H1) resulted to be the best predictor for assisted selection within this germplasm, because of its high correlation between allelic variation and phenotypic traits. Only HvCBF4 of the 3 HvCBF markers tested at Fr-H2 was associated to the trait, but at lower significance than HvBM5A. The PCR-based molecular marker of Vrn-H1 can thus be used in barley breeding not only for selection of facultative and winter types, but also for fast routine selection of frost tolerant genotypes
2009
- Molecular Characterization Of The Barley Fr-H2 QT Locus
[Abstract in Atti di Convegno]
Francia, Enrico; Barabaschi, Delfina; A., Tondelli; N., Stein; Stockinger, E. J.; Stanca, ANTONIO MICHELE; Pecchioni, Nicola
abstract
Frost resistance-H2 is major quantitative trait locus that, in combination with VRN-H1/Fr-H1, affects freezing tolerance of barley. Mapping coincident with Fr-H2 are QTLs regulating COR proteins accumulation and a cluster of more than 14 genes encoding CBF transcription factors – at present the best candidates to explain the effects given by the locus. Expression analyses, conducted on a ‘Nure’ x ‘Tremois’ barley mapping population segregating for VRN-H1/Fr-H1 and Fr-H2, revealed that transcript levels of all cold-induced CBF genes at Fr-H2 were significantly higher in recombinants harboring the vrn-H1 winter allele than in recombinants harboring the Vrn-H1 spring allele. Also, steady-state HvCBF2 and HvCBF4 levels were significantly higher in recombinants harboring the Nure allele at Fr-H2. In a positional cloning effort, a large mapping population consisting of more than 3,698 meiotic events was used to fine map Fr-H2. Recombinants between 12 CBF genes under Fr-H2 have been identified in a total genetic distance of 0.81 cM. The few recombinants between the different HvCBF sub-clusters were chosen and taken to homozygosity in order to separate the effects of the single HvCBF genes. At the same time, a PCR-based screening strategy of the genomic BAC library of cv ‘Morex’ was undertaken, and selected clones assembled into contigs through high information content fingerprinting (HICF). BAC-end sequencing is being used to close remaining gaps and to create anchor points between the genetic and physical maps of the region. Alignment of the genetically colinear region of ‘Nure’ against ‘Tremois’, alongside ‘Dicktoo’ and ‘Morex’, revealed several key molecular differences that we hypothesize accounts for the nature of Fr-H2. The likely scenario is that both a ‘structural’ and a ‘regulatory’ component act together to enhance the tolerance. The first component could be likely due to either allelic or number variation of HvCBF genes at Fr-H2 where “more” CBFs could be better, while the second one would be due to the winter allele of VRN-H1/Fr-H1.
2009
- QTL alleles from a winter feed type can improve malting quality in barley
[Articolo su rivista]
G., Laido'; Barabaschi, Delfina; A., Tondelli; A., Gianinetti; Stanca, ANTONIO MICHELE; O., LI DESTRI NICOSIA; N., DI FONZO; Francia, Enrico; Pecchioni, Nicola
abstract
Mapping QTLs responsible for malting quality traits in barley populations has been the main genetic approach to malting quality breeding. A ‘winter x spring’ doubled haploid barley population ‘Nure’ x ‘Tremois’, where such traits were segregating, has been recently developed. Our objective was to map QTLs for malting quality from two years of trials in two contrasting locations. QTLs were found on six chromosomes, with a main cluster on chromosome 1H. For wort viscosity and malt extract, favourable alleles at two loci on chromosome 5H were carried by the winter feeding parent ‘Nure’. Doubled-haploids with higher quality than the spring malting cultivar ‘Tremois’ showed either a facultative or a winter growth habit and a level of frost tolerance comparable to that of the winter tolerant parent ‘Nure’. Markers and QTLs of quality traits were further validated on a separate set of DH lines, coming from the same cross, by means of marker-assisted selection. This showed that, at least in the present cross combination, positive contributions to malting quality can be found in winter feed barley.
2009
- Rice marker-assisted breeding for cooking quality.
[Abstract in Atti di Convegno]
Albertazzi, Giorgia; Ravaglia, S.; Gavina, G.; Gianinetti, A.; Milc, Justyna Anna; Caffagni, Alessandra; Francia, Enrico; Pecchioni, Nicola
abstract
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2009
- Sistemi di controllo della qualita’ del materiale micropropagato nella varieta’ commerciale “Elide” di Gerbera jamesonii
[Relazione in Atti di Convegno]
L., Pipino; Francia, Enrico; Pecchioni, Nicola; R., Caccia; Albani, M. M.; A., Giovannini
abstract
The methylation status of the genomic DNA was investigated in the experimental test constituted by the two phenotypes of the commercial variety “Elide”®, the “wild type” and “bushy”, in vitro propagated. The onset of the bushy phenotype was reduced when “Elide” was cultured in the media added with the fungicide Imazalil. The genomic DNA digestion with 10 different methylation-sensitive enzymes showed, for both phenotypes, a low GC content and a high level of methylation. The Methylation-Sensitive Amplification Polymorphism (MSAP) technique, making use of fluorescent primers, has been applied for the first time in Gerbera jamesonii. Different polymorphic bands were obtained, showing different methylation sites in all phenotypic conditions observed.
2009
- Studio delle componenti della produzione in linee quasi-isogeniche di orzo nudo
[Abstract in Atti di Convegno]
Barabaschi, D.; Tondelli, A.; Stanca, A. M.; Pecchioni, Nicola; Francia, Enrico
abstract
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2009
- Towards the construction of a high density genetic linkage map of wheat chromosome 5A
[Abstract in Atti di Convegno]
D., Barabaschi; L., Orru'; H., Simkova'; J., Dolezel; A., Kilian; Francia, Enrico; A., Fricano; D., Lafiandra; A., Blanco; S., Lucretti; G., Vale'; L., Cattivelli; Stanca, ANTONIO MICHELE
abstract
A high density genetic map is needed for anchoring BAC contigs during the construction of a physical map and for DNA sequence assembly. The International Wheat Genome Sequencing Consortium is dedicated to the development of physical maps of individual chromosomes as the first step towardsthe whole genome sequencing of hexaploid wheat. To undertake this challenge for wheat chromosome 5A, we rely on several mapping populations and different parallel approaches formarker development. Three mapping populations are being used: 1) a Chinese Spring x Renan (CSxR) F2 population; 2) an F2 population derived from CS x CS-Triticum dicoccoides disomicsubstitution line for chromosome 5A and, 3) a RIL (Recombinant Inbred Lines) population derived from Langdon (LDN) x LDN-T. dicoccoides disomic substitution line for chromosome 5A. For marker development, a Diversity Array Technology (DArT) platform specific for the short and long arms of wheat chromosome 5A has been established using DNA from flow sorted chromosomes, and includes more than 6000 wheat probes. So far, this array is under hybridization with one population (CS x R) while the other two populations are in the pipeline. Besides the DArTs, a set of SSR, RFLP-derivedand EST-derived PCR-based markers, specific for 5AS and/or 5AL chromosome arms have been selected from databases and literature. After the assignment to chromosome 5A, performed using CS deletion and aneuploid lines, the markers are being tested for polymorphism between the parents of the three mapping populations. Polymorphic DNA fragments, specific for 5A, will be mapped in the available population(s). The resulting genetic linkage map of the wheat chromosome 5A will bepresented.
2008
- Barley adaptation and improvement in the Mediterranean basin
[Articolo su rivista]
A., Pswarayi; VAN EEUWIJK, F. A.; S., Ceccarelli; S., Grando; J., Comadran; Russell, J. R.; Francia, Enrico; Pecchioni, Nicola; O., LI DESTRI; T., Akar; A., AL YASSIN; A., Benbelkacem; W., Choumane; M., Karrou; H., Ouabbou; J., Bort; Araus, J. L.; MOLINA CANO, J. L.; Thomas, W. T. B.; I., Romagosa
abstract
To study barley adaptation and improvement in the Mediterraneanbasin, a collection of 188 entries comprising landraces and oldgenotypes and current modern varieties from the Mediterranean basin and elsewhere was tested on moisture-contrasted environments in seven Mediterranean countries, during 2004 and 2005 harvest seasons. The experimental design consisted of an unreplicated trial for all entries, augmented by four repeated checks to which a partial replicate containing a quarter of the entries was added. Best Linear Unbiased Predictions (BLUPs) representing adjusted genotypic means were generated for individual trials using a mixed model. BLUPs were used for genotype by environment interaction analysis using main effectplus genotype by environment interaction (GGE) biplots of yieldranked data and for comparisons of landraces, old and moderngenotypes using analysis of variance. Mean yields ranged from near crop failure to 6 t/ha. Local landraces were better adapted toenvironments yielding below 2 t/ha, thus breeding has mostly benefited environments yielding above 2 t/ha where modern genotypes out yielded landraces and old cultivars by 15%. Current barley selection is leading to specifically adapted genotypes.
2008
- Drought tolerance improvement in crop plants: An integrated view from breeding to genomics.
[Articolo su rivista]
L., Cattivelli; F., Rizza; Badeck, F. W.; E., Mazzucotelli; Mastrangelo, A. M.; Francia, Enrico; C., Mare'; A., Tondelli; Stanca, ANTONIO MICHELE
abstract
Drought is the most significant environmental stress in agriculture worldwide and improving yield under drought is a major goal of plant breeding. A review of breeding progress pointed out that selection for high yield in stress-free conditions has, to a certain extent, indirectly improved yield in many water-limiting conditions. Further progress requires the introduction of traits that reduce the gap between yield potential and actual yield in drought-prone environments. To achieve this three main approaches can now be exploited: (i) plant physiology has provided new insights and developed new tools to understand the complex network of drought-related traits, (ii) molecular genetics has discovered many QTLs affecting yield under drought or the expression of drought tolerance-related traits, (iii) molecular biology has provided genes useful either as candidate sequences to dissect QTLs or for a transgenic approach. The extent of information that breeders have now offers them new tools forbreeding, such as markers for QTLs and single genes for plant transformation. Breeders are thus asked to blend together all knowledge on the traits sustaining yield under drought and to accumulate the most effective QTLs and/or transgenes into elite genotypes without detrimental effects on yield potential. This strategy will lead to new cultivars with high yield potential and high yield stability, that in turn will result in superiorperformance in dry environments.
2008
- Genomic Tools for the Study of the Adaptation of Barley Crop to Climatic Constraints
[Relazione in Atti di Convegno]
A., Tondelli; Barabaschi, Delfina; Stanca, ANTONIO MICHELE; VAN EEUWIJK, F. A.; S., Grando; Mastrangelo, A. M.; O., LI DESTRI; T., Akar; A., AL YASSIN; A., Benbelkacem; I., Romagosa; Thomas, W. T. B.; Pecchioni, Nicola; Francia, Enrico
abstract
The Nure x Tremois (NT) population of doubled-haploid lines has been exploited in order to map QTLs for adaptation of barley to climatic constraints. The winter parent - Nure - Italian two-rowed feed-barley cultivar, has a wide range of adaptability, including South European environments. The spring parent - Tremois - French two-rowed malting variety is adapted to fertile environments. Multilocational irrigated vs. non-irrigated field trials of the NT population have been carried out during two years (2003/04 and 2004/05) in Mediterranean Europe, North Africa and West Asia to map QTLs (Quantitative Trait Loci) of yield and drought adaptation traits, under the frame of the European MABDE project. The NT mapping population also represents a valuable resource for genomic analysis of winterhardiness-related traits. The two major loci for low temperature tolerance (Fr-H1 and Fr-H2) were found to segregate on the long arm of chromosome 5H. Moreover, QTLs controlling heading date under controlled photoperiod and vernalization conditions were placed on chromosomes 1H, 2H, 4H and 5H. The agronomic behaviour of the groups of DH lines differentiated for alleles carried at the QTL markers was surveyed. Candidate genes (CGs) involved in barley response to abiotic stresses and plant development have been placed on the NT map, as well. The co-location of QTLs along with CGs putatively related to plant adaptation to environmental conditions is presented and discussed.
2008
- Heading date QTL in the barley ‘Nure’ x ‘Tremois’ mapping population
[Abstract in Atti di Convegno]
Tondelli, A.; Francia, Enrico; Barabaschi, D.; Karsai, I.; Stanca, A. M.; Pecchioni, Nicola
abstract
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2008
- Iodine Fortification for the Development of Functional Foods
[Relazione in Atti di Convegno]
Caffagni, Alessandra; Albertazzi, Giorgia; Milc, Justyna Anna; Francia, Enrico; P., Meriggi; Perata, Pierdomenico; N., Acciarri; Pecchioni, Nicola
abstract
Major staple crops contain insufficient concentrations of many essential elements to meet the Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA); therefore, nutrient fortification of the food supply could represent a valuable practice to integrate diet. Iodine is an essential microelement for human health, and the Iodine Deficiency Disorders (IDD) are believed to be one of the commonest human health problems, therefore the natural iodine fortification of vegetable, by means of irrigation water, can be a part of a strategy of functional food constitution. This study was conducted in order to determine the accumulation of iodine in tomato and peach fruits, as well as in potato tubers, by means of fertirrigation. The experiments aim to establish a field protocol for incorporating iodine into the above mentioned food crops, avoiding any detrimental effects on yields. Plants, in field conditions, were irrigated with potassium iodide in different concentrations, in 2007, and in 2008 in Italy. Iodine concentrations were analyzed by means of ICP-MS in fruits and tubers, after treatments, after harvest at commercial maturity, and after a storage period.
2008
- Mapping QTLs for Leaf Rust resistance in the model plant Brachypodium distachyon. Proceedings of the 52nd Italian Society of Agricultural Genetics Annual Congress
[Abstract in Atti di Convegno]
Barbieri, Mirko; Francia, Enrico; Garvin, D.; Marcel, T. C.; Niks, R. E.; Pecchioni, Nicola
abstract
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2008
- Physical mapping of the barley Fr-H2 (Frost resistance-H2) locus
[Abstract in Atti di Convegno]
Barabaschi, D.; Francia, Enrico; Tondelli, A.; Schulte, D.; Stein, N.; Stanca, A. M.; Pecchioni, Nicola
abstract
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2008
- Transcriptional changes in grapevine in response to Bois Noir infection
[Abstract in Atti di Convegno]
Albertazzi, Giorgia; Caffagni, Alessandra; Milc, Justyna Anna; Francia, Enrico; Roncaglia, Enrica; Ferrari, Francesco; Tagliafico, Enrico; Pecchioni, Nicola
abstract
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2008
- Yield performance of naked barley NILs and QTL analysis of yield traits in a naked x hulled DH population
[Abstract in Atti di Convegno]
Barabaschi, D.; Francia, Enrico; Tondelli, A.; Stanca, A. M.; Pecchioni, Nicola
abstract
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2007
- Caratteri ecofisiologici dell’orzo per l’adattamento della coltura ad ambienti siccitosi del Mediterraneo
[Relazione in Atti di Convegno]
Pecchioni, Nicola; Francia, Enrico; I., Romagosa; Thomas, W. T. B.; F., VAN EEUWIJK; Stanca, ANTONIO MICHELE
abstract
L’orzo assieme al frumento duro è la coltura cerealicola più diffusa negli ambienti del WANA (West Asia e Nord Africa). Gli ambienti del Mediterraneo sono caratterizzati da ridotte precipitazioni e da estrema erraticità del clima che influenzano fortemente la produzione della coltura. Pertanto conoscere i caratteri ecofisiologici critici per l’adattamento e la stabilità produttiva della coltura in tali condizioni, è essenziale per migliorare la produzione cerealicola dell’area del Mediterraneo. L’approccio usato in questo studio è stata la valutazione del comportamento di un ampia collezione di germoplasma di orzo e di popolazioni di mappaggio genetico in multilocational yield trias irrigate e non in sette paesi del bacino del Mediterraneo per tre anni. Le due tipologie di materiale vegetale utilizzate: 1) una collezione di 192 genotipi di orzo collezionati all'interno del progetto MABDE (Mapping Adaptation of Barley to Drought Environments) e comprendenti landraces, varietà antiche o varietà moderne provenienti dal Nord Europa, Nord e Sud Mediterraneo e Turchia; 2) una popolazione di linee doppio-aploidi derivate dall'incrocio tra una varietà italiana da zootecnia invernale -'Nure'- e una da malto primaverile -'Tremois'. I risultati presentati riguardano l’importanza dei diversi caratteri ecofisiologici della specie per la stabilità della produzione di granella in ambienti moderatamente siccitosi e in ambienti marginali con scarsa disponibilità idrica.
2007
- Development of an On-Line Database of Molecular and Phenotypic Data for Marker Assisted Selection of Cereals.
[Abstract in Atti di Convegno]
Milc, Justyna Anna; Albertazzi, Giorgia; Caffagni, Alessandra; Sala, Antonio; Francia, Enrico; Barbieri, Mirko; Bergamaschi, Sonia; Pecchioni, Nicola
abstract
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2007
- Expression levels of barley CBF genes at Frost-resistance H2 are dependent upon alleles at Fr-H1 and Fr H2
[Articolo su rivista]
Stockinger, E. J.; Skinner, J. S.; Gardner, K. G.; Francia, Enrico; Pecchioni, Nicola
abstract
Genetic analyses have identified two loci in wheat and barley that mediate the capacity to overwinter in temperate climates. One locus co-segregates with VRN-1, which affects the vernalization requirement. This locus is known as Frost resistance-1 (Fr-1). The second locus, Fr-2, is coincident with a cluster of more than 12 Cbf genes. Cbf homologs in Arabidopsis thaliana play a key regulatory role in cold acclimatization and the acquisition of freezing tolerance. Here we report that the Hordeum vulgare (barley) locus VRN-H1/Fr-H1 affects expression of multiple barley Cbf genes at Fr-H2. RNA blot analyses, conducted on a `Nure'×`Tremois' barley mapping population segregating for VRN-H1/Fr-H1 and Fr-H2, revealed that transcript levels of all cold-induced Cbf genes at Fr-H2 were significantly higher in recombinants harboring the vrn-H1 winter allele than in recombinants harboring the Vrn-H1 spring allele. Steady-state Cbf2 and Cbf4 levels were also significantly higher in recombinants harboring the Nure allele at Fr-H2. Additional experiments indicated that, in vrn-H1 genotypes requiring vernalization, Cbf expression levels were dampened after plants were vernalized, and dampened Cbf expression was accompanied by robust expression of Vrn-1. Cbf levels were also significantly higher in plants grown under short days than under long days. Experiments in wheat and rye indicated that similar regulatory mechanisms occurred in these plants. These results suggest that VRN-H1/Fr-H1 acts in part to repress or attenuate expression of the Cbf at Fr-H2; and that the greater level of low temperature tolerance attributable to the Nure Fr-H2 allele may be due to the greater accumulation of Cbf2 and Cbf4 transcripts during normal growth and development.
2007
- Fine Mapping of a HvCBF gene cluster at Fr-H2, a QTL controlling frost resistance in barley.
[Abstract in Atti di Convegno]
Francia, Enrico; Barabaschi, Delfina; A., Tondelli; G., Laido'; Stanca, ANTONIO MICHELE; Stockinger, E. J.; Pecchioni, Nicola
abstract
Barley (Hordeum vulgare) is an economically important diploid model for the Triticeae. We developed a new resource for genetic analysis of winterhardiness-related traits, the ‘Nure’ (winter) x ‘Tremois’(spring) barley mapping population. Two low temperature QTLs were found to segregate on the long arm of chromosome 5H. A first distal QTL for low-temperature tolerance was identified at the VrnH1/Fr1 region (Fr-H1). A second proximal QTL for low-temperature tolerance was identified (Fr-H2) and it was coincident with the QTLs regulating the accumulation of two different and well characterized COR proteins (COR14b and TMC-Ap3). Six barley genes with the CBF transcription factor signature have been mapped in a single gene cluster in this region, and they represented the candidate genes underlying this Fr-H2. A population of 1,849 recombinant plants (F2 and BC1F2) was constructed and the resulting F3 families harboring none, both and only one QTL were phenotypically tested for validation of the two QT loci Fr-H1 and Fr-H2. The study was then focused towards the isolation of the determinant of Fr-H2, and a high-resolution genetic map of the HvCBF gene cluster was constructed by using the large segregating population. In this phase a shorter confidence interval (P=0.05) for the frost tolerance QTL effect was estimated. After fine mapping, recombinations between the HvCBF genes were observed. The few recombinants between the different HvCBF sub-clusters were chosen and taken to homozygosity in order to separate the effects of the single HvCBF genes. Reciprocal QTL-NILs at Fr-H2 are also being devloped.
2007
- Fine mapping of a HvCBF gene cluster at the frost resistance locus Fr-H2 in barley.
[Articolo su rivista]
Francia, Enrico; D., Barabaschi; A., Tondelli; G., Laido'; F., Rizza; Stanca, A. M.; M., Busconi; C., Fogher; Stockinger, E. J.; Pecchioni, Nicola
abstract
Barley is an economically important model for the Triticeae tribe. We recently developed a new resource: the ‘Nure’ x ‘Tremois’ mapping population. Two low temperature QTLs were found to segregate on the long arm of chromosome 5H (Fr-H1, distal; Fr-H2, proximal). With the final aim of positional cloning of the genetic determinants of Fr-H1 and Fr-H2, a large segregating population of 1,849 F2 plants between parents ‘Nure’ and ‘Tremois’ was prepared. These two QT loci were first validated by using a set of F3 families, marker-selected to harbor pairs of reciprocal haplotypes, with one QTL fixed at homozygosity and the alternate one in heterozygous phase. The study was then focused towards the isolation of the determinant of Fr-H2. Subsequent recombinant screens and phenotypic evaluation of F4 segregants allowed us to estimate (P < 0.01) a refinedgenomic interval of Fr-H2 (4.6 cM). Several barley genes with the CBF transcription factor signature had been already roughly mapped in cluster at Fr-H2, and they representlikely candidate genes underlying this QTL. Using the large segregating population (3,698 gametes) a high-resolution genetic map of the HvCBF gene cluster was then constructed, and after fine mapping, six recombinations between the HvCBFs were observed. It was therefore possible to genetically divide seven HvCBF subclusters in barley, in a region spanning 0.81 cM, with distances among them varying from 0.03 to 0.32 cM. The few recombinants between the different HvCBF subclusters are being marker selected and taken to homozygosity, to phenotypically separate the effects of the single HvCBF genes.
2007
- Haplotype structure around the nud locus in barley and its association with resistance to leaf stripe (Pyrenophora graminea)
[Articolo su rivista]
Barabaschi, Delfina; L., Campani; Francia, Enrico; H., TOUBIA RAHME; Vale', Giampiero; A., Gianinetti; G., Delogu; Stanca, A. M.; Pecchioni, Nicola
abstract
The naked/hulled kernel trait is controlled in barley by a single gene called nud, on chromosome 7H. The first aim of this work was use bulked segregant analysis to find, new PCR-based markers linked to nud for marker-assisted selection (MAS). A new SCAR marker (sJ14) was developed, which is useful for introgressing the naked trait. This, and three other SCARs, were placed on the ‘Proctor’ x ‘Nudinka’ map to detail a 0.9-cM fragment tagging nud. In order to evaluate the haplotypes around the nud locus, a phenotypically differentiated collection of naked/hulled genotypes was characterized by means of the above markers. Eight different marker haplotypes were found in the breeding germplasm, and a new allele for the marker sKT7 was found. The same barley collection has been surveyed for resistance/susceptibility to leaf stripe (Pyrenophora graminea), in order to investigate any possible association between this and other traits. The naked/hulled seed trait was not associated with resistance/susceptibility to the fungus.
2007
- Molecular Genetic Analyses Of The CBF Genes At The Barley Frost Resistance-H2 Locus.
[Relazione in Atti di Convegno]
Francia, Enrico; Tondelli, A.; Knox, A. K.; Dhillon, T.; Stockinger, E. J.; Stanca, A. M.; Pecchioni, Nicola
abstract
Frost resistance-H2 is one of two major quantitative trait loci that affects freezing toleranceand winter hardiness of barley. Mapping coincident with Fr-H2 is a cluster of more than 14 genesencoding CBF transcription factors. To explore the possibility that the Cbfs may be the underlyingmolecular basis of Fr-H2, we have generated a large mapping population derived from the morefreezing tolerant genotype ‘Nure’, and the less freezing tolerant genotype ‘Tremois’, to both finemap the Fr-H2 interval, and to generate recombinants between the different Cbf genes.Concurrently, we have sequenced most of genetically colinear region encompassing the Cbf genesfrom these two barley genotypes with the goal of uncovering the underlying molecular basisexplaining Fr-H2. Screens for recombinant individuals from F2 populations consisting of morethan 3,698 meiotic events, and their subsequent phenotypic evaluation in F4 lines provided anestimated refined genomic interval of 4.6 cM for Fr-H2. Recombinants between seven of theestimated 14 Cbf genes under Fr-H2 have been identified and showed that the Cbf gene clusterspans 0.81 cM. Sequencing of the colinear genomic region revealed several key moleculardifferences that we hypothesize accounts for the phenotypic differences. Determining whether theCbfs underlie Fr-H2, and which gene or genes confers the capacity for greater freezing tolerancewill require the creation of near isogenic lines differing in their Fr-H2 alleles such thatrecombinants between the different Cbf gene orthologs and paralogs may be analyzed for theirphysiological capacity to survive freezing temperatures.
2006
- Dual-purpose barley and oat in a Mediterranean environment
[Articolo su rivista]
Francia, Enrico; Pecchioni, Nicola; O., LI DESTRI NICOSIA; G., Paoletta; L., Taibi; V., Franco; M., Odoardi; Stanca, ANTONIO MICHELE; G., Delogu
abstract
In Mediterranean environments, forage production for livestock is both difficult and costly due to erratic rainfall. As an alternative, barley, oat and triticale can be used as dual-purpose autumn-sown cereals, thus serving as winter grazing and grain for feed. The present study was aimed at estimating the influence of different management systems (dual-purpose with one and two grazings, soft-dough harvest for silage, full maturity grain only) on grain yield, forage and whole plant production, and on quality-related traits of barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) and oat (Avena sativa L.). The trials were conducted over 2 years (1998/1999 and 1999/2000) in a Southern Italy Mediterranean environment using a flock of sheep for grazing and mechanically clipping the plots, thus simulating the dual-purpose, to obtain forage samples for analyses. Effect of the years was not significant, whereas both crops underwent significant reductions of grain yield, harvest index, thousand kernel weight and seeds/m(2) in the dual-purpose plots but not in the grain only plots. The most drastic yield reduction was recorded in oat after two grazings by comparison to the ungrazed treatment (2.4 t/ha versus 3.9 t/ha). Grain protein content was not affected by dual-purpose in oat, and it was independent of the number of grazings in barley. Barley had a higher production of total biomass and milk feed units than oat in the dual-purpose management systems, except for the soft-dough and grain only treatments. In addition, barley reacted positively to both the dual-purpose systems (one and two grazings). More specifically, whole plant biomass increased from 9.6 t/ha when grown for grain only to 13.6 t/ha in the single grazing system, and milk feed units similarly increased, from 7680 to 9216 MFU/ha. Green forage quality was comparable between the two cereals, even though barley whole plants showed lower fibre content, especially after two grazings. The soft-dough stage of both crops had better forage quality parameters, nevertheless, the lower biomass yields and total milk feed units (in the case of barley) rendered this system non-profitable for the environment studied. Barley demonstrated a clear superiority for the dual-purpose systems in Mediterranean Italy and should thus be preferred to oat, except when using oat to interrupt barley monocropping. (c) 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
2006
- Mapping candidate genes for drought tolerance in barley
[Abstract in Atti di Convegno]
Tondelli, A.; Francia, Enrico; G., Laidò; D., Barabaschi; Stanca, A. M.; Pecchioni, Nicola
abstract
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2006
- Mapping regulatory genes as candidates for cold and drought stress tolerance in barley
[Articolo su rivista]
A., Tondelli; Francia, Enrico; Barabaschi, Delfina; A., Aprile; Skinner, J. S.; Stockinger, E. J.; Stanca, ANTONIO MICHELE; Pecchioni, Nicola
abstract
Cereal crop yield is greatly affected in many growing areas by abiotic stresses, mainly low temperature and drought. In order to find candidates for the tolerance genes for these stresses, 13 genes encoding for transcription factors and upstream regulators were screened by amplification and SSCP on six parental genotypes of three barley mapping populations ('Nure' x 'Tremois', 'Proctor' x 'Nudinka', and 'Steptoe' x 'Morex'), and mapped as newly developed STS, SNP, and SSCP markers. A new consensus function map was then drawn using the three maps above, including 16 regulatory candidate genes (CGs). The positions of barley cold and drought tolerance quantitative trait loci (QTLs) presently described in the literature were added to the consensus map to find positional candidates from among the mapped genes. A cluster of six HvCBF genes co-mapped with the Fr-H2 cold tolerance QTL, while no QTLs for the same trait were positioned on chromosome 7H, where two putative barley regulators of CBF expression, ICE1 and FRY1, found by homology search, were mapped in this work. These observations suggest that CBF gene(s) themselves, rather than their two regulators, are at present the best candidates for cold tolerance. Four out of 12 drought tolerance QTLs of the consensus map are associated with regulatory CGs, on chromosomes 2H, 5H, and 7H, and two QTLs with effector genes, on chromosomes 5H and 6H. The results obtained could be used to guide MAS applications, allowing introduction into an ideal genotype of favourable alleles of tolerance QTLs.
2006
- Survey of molecular diversity at nud locus in barley.
[Relazione in Atti di Convegno]
Barabaschi, Delfina; G., Laido'; Francia, Enrico; A., Tondelli; A., Gianinetti; Stanca, ANTONIO MICHELE; Pecchioni, Nicola
abstract
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2006
- The genetic basis of vernalization response in barley.
[Capitolo/Saggio]
COOPER LLD, L. L. D.; J., VON ZITZEWITZ; Skinner, J. S.; P., Szucs; I., Karsai; Francia, Enrico; Stanca, ANTONIO MICHELE; Pecchioni, Nicola; Laurie, D. A.; Chen, T. H. H.; Hayes, P. M.
abstract
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2006
- Towards the fine mapping of Fr-H2 – a major QTL controlling frost resistance in barley.
[Abstract in Atti di Convegno]
Francia, Enrico; D., Barabaschi; A., Tondelli; G., Laidò; F., Rizza; Stanca, A. M.; M., Busconi; C., Fogher; Stockinger, E. J.; Pecchioni, Nicola
abstract
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2006
- ‘Diomede’, A winter barley for dual-purpose in comparison to oats grown in a Mediterranean environment.
[Abstract in Atti di Convegno]
Odoardi, M.; Francia, Enrico; Pecchioni, Nicola; O., Li Destri Nicosia; G., Paoletta; L., Taibi; V., Franco; Stanca, A. M.; G., Delogu
abstract
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2005
- A new barley consensus function map of abiotic stress-related genes
[Abstract in Atti di Convegno]
Tondelli, A.; Francia, Enrico; D., Barabaschi; G., Laidò; A., Aprile; A., Caffagni; A. M., Stanca; Pecchioni, Nicola
abstract
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2005
- Conventional breeding approaches for drought-prone environments: an overview
[Abstract in Atti di Convegno]
L., Cattivelli; S., Belloni; E., Mazzucotelli; C., Mare’; Francia, Enrico; F., Rizza; Mastrangelo, A. M.; N., DI FONZO; Stanca, ANTONIO MICHELE
abstract
In agricultural systems, plant productivity in strongly influenced by environmental conditions and yield potentialin crops is limited due to different abiotic stresses. Among them, drought is the single most important factorlimiting crop yield. Breeding for drought resistance is required for both mild and severe stress conditions. Thisimplies a need for a better characterization of the biodiversity available for drought and a deeper comprehensionof the physiological mechanisms, which are crucial to assure yield when drought occurs. Traits related to droughtresistance and to high yield potential should be favored in crop breeding programs. The diversity for yieldperformance has been evaluated under rainfed conditions and with supplementary irrigation in a set of barleycultivars in a Mediterranean environment subjected to mild drought. The results indicate that the ideotype forthese environments should have minimal GE interaction, so that genotypes with both high yield potential andstable yield would be selected. Recent developments in plant molecular biology have allowed to identify manygenes involved in plant adaptation to drought. New transcription factors involved in the drought response hasbeen identified indicating that they may play a regulatory role in drought stress response. To locate the geneticdeterminants for drought adaptation, a doubled-haploid barley map population has been developed with thepurpose of identifying the genomic regions responsible for drought adaptation. A QTL analysis in terms of yieldin drought, yield “stability” and yield reduction was performed. Several QTLs were identified on differentlocations of the barley genome. The most interesting locus, responsible for both yield in drought and yieldstability, has been mapped on chromosome 6H. The construction of a functional map to identify candidategenes for drought tolerance has been used.
2005
- Genetic bases of resistance to abiotic stresses in durum wheat (Triticum turgidum ssp. durum)
[Capitolo/Saggio]
Mastrangelo, A. M.; C., Mare’; E., Mazzucotelli; Francia, Enrico; Arru, Laura; N., DI FONZO; Pecchioni, Nicola; L., Cattivelli
abstract
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2005
- Influenza dei principali fattori agronomici sulla qualità del pomodoro da industria
[Articolo su rivista]
P., Meriggi; G., Villani; Francia, Enrico; Pecchioni, Nicola
abstract
L’influenza da parte dell’ambiente di coltivazione, del clima dell’annata e delle pratiche agronomiche sulle qualità intrinseche del pomodoro da industria è in parte conosciuta. Esistono però ancora interrogativi su come le tecniche di coltivazione influenzino i singoli parametri qualitativi. Recentemente tale problematica ha assunto una rilevante importanza anche in relazione alle Normative che stabiliscono il sistema di valutazione qualitativa del pomodoro conferito e la relativa differenziazione del prezzo.
2005
- Localization of QTLs and candidate genes involved in the regulation of frost tolerance in cereals
[Relazione in Atti di Convegno]
G., Galiba; Pecchioni, Nicola; A., Vagujfalvi; Francia, Enrico; B., Toth; Barabaschi, Delfina; S., Barilli; C., Crosatti; L., Cattivelli; Stanca, ANTONIO MICHELE
abstract
The recent advances in the molecular investigation of the stress response have led to the identification of a great number of genes whose expression is associated to cold acclimation. In the model species Arabidopsis thaliana, a crucial role in the regulation of the gene set involved in cold tolerance has been clearly demonstrated for a family of transcription factors named C-repeat binding factor (CBF). Genes similar to the Arabidopsis CBF genes were identified in the EST database of many crop species including barley and wheat. In Triticeae, CBF is a multigene family with more than six members per genome and most of the CBF-cereal homologous sequences are clustered together on the long arm of chromosome 5. On the other hand, parallel genetic studies have identified several major genes and QTLs responsible for frost resistance or for components associated to frost restistance on each member of the 5th homoeologous chromosome of Triticeae. Soon after the discovery of the CBF transcription factors it was suggested that the CBF-cereal homologous genes might represent candidate genes for the loci controlling stress tolerance in cereals. Recent findings have demonstrated that the CBF locus cosegregates with one of the major QTLs for frost tolerance in barley and einkorn. This result represent one of the best successful examples of candidate gene approach for unraveling a complex phenotype such as the tolerance to abiotic stress.
2005
- Marker assisted selection in crop plants
[Articolo su rivista]
Francia, Enrico; G., Tacconi; C., Crosatti; D., Bulgarelli; Barabaschi, Delfina; E., Dall'Aglio; Vale', Giampiero
abstract
Genetic mapping of major genes and quantitative traits loci (QTLs) for many important agricultural traits is increasing the integration of biotechnology with the conventional breeding process. Exploitation of the information derived from the map position of traits with agronomical importance and of the linkedmolecular markers, can be achieved through marker assisted selection (MAS) of the traits during the breeding process. However, empirical applications of this procedure have shown that the success of MAS depends upon several factors, including the genetic base of the trait, the degree of the association between the molecular marker and the target gene, the number of individuals that can be analyzed and the genetic background in which the target gene has to be transferred. MAS for simply inherited traits is gaining increasing importance in breeding programs, allowing an acceleration of the breeding process. Traitsrelated to disease resistance to pathogens and to the quality of some crop products are offering some important examples of a possible routinary application of MAS. For more complex traits, like yield and abiotic stress tolerance, a number of constraints have determined severe limitations on an efficient utilizationof MAS in plant breeding, even if there are a few successful applications in improving quantitative traits. Recent advances in genotyping technologies together with comparative and functional genomic approaches are providing useful tools for the selection of genotypes with superior agronomical performancies.
2005
- Molecular and structural characterization of barley vernalization genes
[Articolo su rivista]
J., VON ZITZEWITZ; P., Szucs; J., Dubcovsky; Yan, L. L.; Francia, Enrico; Pecchioni, Nicola; A., Casas; Chen, T. H. H.; Hayes, P. M.; Skinner, J. S.
abstract
Vernalization, the requirement of a period of low temperature to induce transition from the vegetative to reproductive state, is an evolutionarily and economically important trait in the Triticeae. The genetic basis of vernalization in cultivated barley (Hordeum vulgare subsp. vulgare) can be defined using the two-locus VRN-H1/VRN-H2 model. We analyzed the allelic characteristics of HvBM5A, the candidate gene for VRN-H1, from ten cultivated barley accessions and one wild progenitor accession (subsp. spontaneum), representing the three barley growth habits - winter, facultative, and spring. We present multiple lines of evidence, including sequence, linkage map location, and expression, that support HvBM5A being VRN-H1. While the predicted polypeptides from different growth habits are identical, spring accessions contain a deletion in the first intron of HvBM5A that may be important for regulation. While spring HvBM5A alleles are typified by the intron-localized deletion, in some cases, the promoter may also determine the allele type. The presence/absence of the tightly linked ZCCT-H gene family members on chromosome 4H perfectly correlates with growth habit and we conclude that one of the three ZCCT-H genes is VRN-H2. The VRN-H2 locus is present in winter genotypes and deleted from the facultative and spring genotypes analyzed in this study, suggesting the facultative growth habit (cold tolerant, vernalization unresponsive) is a result of deletion of the VRN-H2 locus and presence of a winter HvBM5A allele. All reported barley vernalization QTLs can be explained by the two-locus VRN-H1/VRN-H2 model based on the presence/absence of VRN-H2 and a winter vs. spring HvBM5A allele.
2005
- Produzione di granella e qualità maltaria di linee doppio-aploidi di orzo cresciute in ambienti contrastanti del mediterraneo
[Abstract in Atti di Convegno]
Francia, Enrico; Laidò, G.; Pecchioni, Nicola; Gianinetti, A.; Mastrangelo, A.; Li Destri Nicosia, O.; Di Fonzo, N.; Rizza, F.; Stanca, A. M.
abstract
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2005
- Survey of molecular diversity at nud locus in barley
[Abstract in Atti di Convegno]
Barabaschi, D.; L., Campani; Francia, Enrico; A., Tondelli; A., Gianinetti; A. M., Stanca; Pecchioni, Nicola
abstract
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2004
- Development of PCR-based markers on chromosome 5H for assisted selection of frost-tolerant genotypes in barley
[Articolo su rivista]
B., Toth; Francia, Enrico; F., Rizza; Stanca, ANTONIO MICHELE; G., Galiba; Pecchioni, Nicola
abstract
Frost tolerance is an important trait for barley breeding. Field selection for this trait is not always efficient since, especially in Southern Europe, severe winter frost occurs erratically. Recent advances of cloned genes and molecular markers in barley provide molecular breeders with the means to develop new, simple PCR-based molecular markers, which can be used to select frost-tolerant genotypes quickly without stress simulation. This paper reports the development of two STS markers derived from the RFLP probes WG644 and PSR637, chosen as they are located on the long arm of homoeologous group 5 chromosomes of Triticeae, known to harbour the most important loci for frost tolerance. The two STS markers were validated together with one selected RAPD marker, OPA17, by separating two sets of winter and spring barley genotypes with different levels of frost tolerance. The ability of the developed markers to select segregant frost-tolerant and frost-susceptible genotypes was then investigated in a population of doubled haploid lines derived from a cross between a highly tolerant ('Nure') and a susceptible ('Tremois') genotype. In this population only two markers, OPA17 and Psr637 demonstrated their efficiency in dividing the phenotypes according to the parental alleles. These two markers mapped on the long arm of chromosome 5H, tightly linked to two frost tolerance QTLs. Two polymorphic bands of the WG644 STS were mapped: the former on the long arm of chromosome 5H (Wg644c) and the latter (Wg644b) on the long arm of chromosome 2H.
2004
- Hv-WRKY38: A New Transcription Factor Involved in Cold- and Drought-Response in Barley
[Articolo su rivista]
C., Mare'; E., Mazzucotelli; C., Crosatti; Francia, Enrico; Stanca, ANTONIO MICHELE; L., Cattivelli
abstract
WRKY proteins constitute a large family of plant specific transcription factors implicated in many different processes. Here we describe Hv-WRKY38, a barley gene coding for a WRKY protein, whose expression is involved in cold and drought stress response. Hv-WRKY38 was early and transiently expressed duringexposure to low non-freezing temperature, in ABA-independent manner. Furthermore, it showed a continuous induction during dehydration and freezing treatments. A WRKY38:YFP fusion protein was found to localise into the nucleus upon introduction into epidermal onion cells. Bacterially expressed Hv-WRKY38 was able to bind in vitro to the W-box element (T)TGAC(C/T) also recognisable by other WRKY proteins. Hv-WRKY38 genomic DNA was sequenced and mapped onto the centromeric region ofthe barley chromosome 6H. Arabidopsis and rice sequences homologous to Hv-WRKY38 were also identified. Our results indicate that Hv-WRKY38 transcription factor may play a regulatory role in abiotic stress response.
2004
- Identification of differential photosynthetic-related changes in response to temperature and light intensity in a ‘winter’ and ‘spring’ barley genotype and in the derived segregating doubled-haploid population
[Abstract in Rivista]
F., Rizza; L., Guidi; E., Degl'Innocenti; L., Cattivelli; Francia, Enrico
abstract
The winter cold-resistant parent 'Nure' is an Italian two-rowed feeding barley cultivar, while the spring and cold-sensitive parent 'Tremois' is a French two-rowed malting variety. The response of the two genotypes have been characterised under several conditions of acclimation and stress to abiotic factors (chilling and freezing temperature, high light intensity, high temperature) using chlorophyll fluorescence and gas exchange analysis. The genotypes were contrasting not only for different levels of stress tolerance acquired after acclimation but also for a different capacity to induce earlier responses to stress conditions; this was especially evident in variation of chlorophyll fluorescence parameters at high light intensity associated to acclimation temperature and in different sugars accumulation in leaves and roots at low temperature.A segregating population of doubled haploid (DH) lines was derived by anther culture from the F1 generation of the 'winter' x 'spring' barley cross 'Nure' x 'Tremois', and a first analysis of a total of 136 Doubled-Haploid lines has been carried out.
2004
- Mapping adaptation of barley to Mediterranean environments
[Relazione in Atti di Convegno]
Francia, Enrico; A., Tondelli; Barabaschi, Delfina; F., Rizza; O., Li Destri Nicosia; A., Mastrangelo; N., Di Fonzo; Pecchioni, Nicola
abstract
Barley (Hordeum vulgare) is an important diploid model for the Triticeae. In order to study inan unique genetic system drought and cold stresses, together with malting quality, a newgenetic map based on the Nure x Tremois (NT) doubled-haploid population has beendeveloped. The winter parent - Nure - is a modern, high yielding two-rowed feed-barleycultivar released by the ISC section of Fiorenzuola. It has a wide range of adaptability,including South European environment, and it belongs to the RLT (Recommended-ListTrials) of Italy. The spring parent - Tremois - is a modern, high yielding French two-rowedmalting variety; it is adapted to fertile environments and included in the RLT.To construct a functional map for the study of the drought tolerance trait, twenty barleyabiotic stress-induced and cold-related genes were placed on the NT map. Moreover, sixtycandidate genes were collected by looking for sequences of gene families involved in droughttolerance. Amongst them genes encoding for LEA proteins, kinases and transcription factorslike DREB/CBF, MYB and bZIP are being mapped. A multilocational irrigated vs. nonirrigatedfield trial on the NT population in Mediterranean Europe, North Africa and WestAsia is being carried out in 2004 for mapping QTLs of yield and drought adaptation traits.As a valuable tool to study low temperature tolerance, two QTLs - corresponding to theVrnH1/Fr-H1 and Fr-H2 loci for frost resistance - were mapped on the long arm ofchromosome 5H (Francia et al. 2004). Fine mapping of these QTLs has been started by usinga large F2 population.Understanding the genetic loci responsible of adaptation to drought environments will allowus to select, by means of molecular markers, superior genotypes for drought tolerance.
2004
- Marker-Assisted Selection and resistance gene pyramiding in barley
[Abstract in Rivista]
Pecchioni, Nicola; Francia, Enrico; D., Barabaschi; Delogu, Giovanni; J., Ovesna; L., Kucera; J., Vacke; V., Sip
abstract
The soil-borne barley yellow mosaic virus complex (BaMMV-BaYMV), the aphid-borne barley yellow dwarf virus (BYDV) and the seed-borne fungus Pyrenophora graminea (leaf stripe) are the most serious diseases for the barley crop in Southern Europe. Moreover, resistance to BaYMV, still not present in Czech Republic, is a target of quarantine breeding for this as well as for other Eastern European Countries, and resistance to leaf stripe an increasingly important trait for organic barley crop in Europe. Nevertheless, breeding for multiple diseases encounters several economical and technical problems, and cultivars resistant to all the former diseases are not yet available. In this view, two schemes of marker-assisted selection (MAS) have been followed in winter barley to develop high yielding advanced lines: an assisted pedigree by introducing the two virus resistances, and a "gene pyramiding" scheme to introduce four loci of resistance - two to leaf stripe, and one each to BYDV and BaYMV. STS and SSR markers have been selected for the aim and applied to segregating progenies together with phenotypic selection for agronomic traits.Results of the two MAS processes are here presented, including yield performances of the advanced breeding lines.
2004
- QTL mapping of malting quality traits and characterization of doubled haploid lines by means of molecular markers
[Abstract in Atti di Convegno]
Laidò, G.; Francia, Enrico; D., Barabaschi; F., Finocchiaro; A., Gianinetti; A. M., Stanca; G., Paoletta; Pecchioni, Nicola
abstract
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2004
- QTLs and candidate genes in the ‘Nure’ x ‘Tremois’ mapping population.
[Abstract in Rivista]
Francia, Enrico; D., Barabaschi; A., Tondelli; G., Laido'; A., Caffagni; A., Aprile; A., Gianinetti; Stanca, ANTONIO MICHELE; G., Galiba; Hayes, P. M.; Pecchioni, Nicola
abstract
In order to study in an unique genetic system cold and drought stress-related traits, together with malting quality traits, a new barley genetic map based on the 'Nure' (winter and feeding) x 'Tremois' (spring and malting) doubled-haploid population has been developed. Two low temperature tolerance QTLs were mapped on chromosome 5H. A first, distal QTL for low temperature tolerance and vernalization requirement was identified at the VrnH1/FrH1 region. A second proximal QTL of cold tolerance was coincident with two QTLs regulating the accumulation of two different COR (COld Regulated) proteins (COR14b and TMC-Ap3); the peak position of this QTL, named FrH2, is coincident with the genetic locus of the HvCBF4 barley gene, that is in turn the candidate gene underlying this QTL. The ‘Nure’ x ‘Tremois’ population is also being tested for malting quality related traits. For this purpose, two separate replicated yield trials have been set up, the first fall-sown in one location (2001/2002), and the second one for validation in different locations in Italy (2002/2003). Moreover, a multilocational irrigated vs. non-irrigated field trial in Mediterranean Europe, North Africa and West Asia is being carried out in 2004 for mapping QTLs and candidate genes for drought tolerance.
2004
- Two loci on chromosome 5H determine low-temperature tolerance in a Nure (winter) × Tremois (spring) barley map.
[Articolo su rivista]
Francia, Enrico; F., Rizza; L., Cattivelli; Stanca, A. M.; G., Galiba; B., Toth; Hayes, P. M.; Skinner, J. S.; Pecchioni, Nicola
abstract
Barley (Hordeum vulgare subsp. vulgare) is an economically important diploid model for the Triticeae; and a better understanding of low-temperature tolerance mechanisms could significantly improve the yield of fallsown cereals. We developed a new resource for genetic analysis of winter hardiness-related traits, the ‘Nure’ x ‘Tremois’ linkage map, based on a doubled-haploid population that is segregating for low-temperature tolerance and vernalization requirement. Three measures oflow-temperature tolerance and one measure of vernalizationrequirement were used and, for all traits, QTLs were mapped on chromosome 5H. The vernalization response QTL coincides with previous reports at the Vrn-1/Fr1 region of the Triticeae. We also found coincident QTLs at this position for all measures of low-temperature tolerance. Using Composite Interval Mapping, a second proximal set, of coincident QTLs for low-temperaturetolerance, and the accumulation of two different COR proteins (COR14b and TMC-Ap3) was identified. The HvCBF4 locus, or another member of the CBF loci clustered in this region, is the candidate gene underlying this QTL. There is a CRT/DRE recognition site in the promoter of cor14b with which a CBF protein could interact. These results support the hypothesis that highly conserved regulatory factors, such as members of theCBF gene family, may regulate the stress responses of a wide range of plant species.
2003
- A cluster of CBF genes on chromosome 5H regulates the accumulation of the COR14b and TMC-Ap3 cold-induced proteins and frost tolerance in barley
[Abstract in Atti di Convegno]
Francia, Enrico; D., Barabaschi; A., Aprile; A., Tondelli; C., Crosatti; A. M., Stanca; G., Galiba; P. M., Hayes; Pecchioni, Nicola
abstract
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2003
- Advanced high yielding lines of hulless winter barley for the development of functional foods
[Relazione in Atti di Convegno]
D., Barabaschi; Pecchioni, Nicola; Francia, Enrico; M., Baronchelli; F., Finocchiaro; B., Ferrari; A., Gianinetti
abstract
Barley is interesting from a nutritional point of view for the typical grain composition that makes it an ideal cereal for the production of "functional foods". Such components are mainly beta-glucans (soluble fiber) and tocols (vitamin E). The beta-glucans are an heterogeneous family of polysaccharides, typical of barley and oats, that constitute the cellular walls of the seed endosperm, and that, introduced into diet, can contribute to the lowering of hematic cholesterol and of hematic glucose content. Therefore, the interest of researchers is for the production of baked foods containing barley flour, then rich in dietary fiber, i.e. beta-glucans. Also by using specific techniques for the enrichment of flour in beta-glucans (e.g. turboseparation), it has been possible to produce high beta-glucan bread and bakery products made of mixed wheat and enriched barley flour with organolectic characteristics not too far from those made of pure wheat flour. Hulless barley, lacking of glumelets, gives a grain of superior quality for food respect to hulled barley, although it yields generally less, for both the absence of the glumelets and the lower efforts on the improvement of the hulless germplasm. In the Istituto Sperimentale per la Cerealicoltura it had been active a breeding program for winter hulless barley, with the main objective of yield stability, and based on pedigree and backcross schemes that lead to the release of cultivar 'Zacinto' (2000). Inside the frame of the programme, a SCAR marker has been developed for the recognition of heterozyigous genotypes in hulled x hulless backcrosses, and this marker has been used for the acceleration of such breeding schemes. In a second phase, the resistance to the soil-borne mosaic virus complex (BaMMV-BaYMV), and to the yellow dwarf virus (BYDV) have been introduced in the programme, by means of molecular Marker-Assisted Selection. A specific replicated yield trial has been recently set up in which the advanced high yielding hulless lines, together with hulled and hulless checks have been evaluated in different locations in Italy for the average production of beta-glucans and tocols, and for the evaluation of the effects of the genotype x environment interaction on the production of such compounds. In the last years, the virus-resistant advanced lines have been also crossed to Canadian and Australian hulless waxy lines with the aim to develop high yielding, virus-resistant and high beta-glucan winter barleys. In fact it is well-known that waxy barley genotypes contain consistently higher-beta-glucans respect to the ones with normal starch. The most recent results of the hulless barley breeding programme for the production of functional foods at the Istituto Sperimentale per la Cerealicoltura are here presented.
2003
- Advances in understanding barley-Pyrenophora graminea interaction
[Relazione in Atti di Convegno]
Vale', Giampiero; G., Tacconi; Francia, Enrico; E., Dall’Aglio; C., Govoni; Pecchioni, Nicola; Arru, Laura; Delogu, Giovanni; A., PORTA PUGLIA; Stanca, ANTONIO MICHELE
abstract
Pyrenophora graminea Ito and Kuribayashi (anamorph Drechslera graminea) is a seed-borne pathogen causing barley leaf stripe. The disease is widely distributed in most barley growing areas, where it causes serious damage and yield losses. At present disease control is focused mainly on the application of fungicides, but the risk of naturally occurring resistance within the pathogen populations and the increasing legal limitations to the use of fungicides requires the development of new strategies for disease control. To this aim we are currently applying breeding procedures and studying the molecular bases of P. graminea-barley interaction. The interaction P. graminea-barley provides a good model for understanding the molecular basis of diseases caused by seed-borne pathogens. The expression of defence-related genes occurs in barley tissues inoculated with P. graminea, a response that is regulated by several factors depending on both the fungal isolate and the barley cultivar. The induction of these genes was monitored in barley cultivars inoculated with two highly virulent isolates of the pathogen Dg2 and Dg5 (also called I2 and I5 in previous papers) and in barley tissues infected with a hypovirulent mutant of the isolate Dg2. In the former, it was found that plants challenged by the isolates Dg2 and Dg5 responded with the induction of genes coding for peroxidases, thionins and thaumatin-like proteins. A single genetic factor controlling complete resistance to P. graminea, derived from Hordeum laevigatum via cv "Vada", has been introduced into most resistant North-European two-rowed spring barley cvs. This "Vada resistance" was probably introgressed into the barley genome along with the MlLa (Laevigatum) powdery mildew resistance, because the two factors have been found to be linked; this resistance, named as Rdg 1a, has been mapped on the long arm of barley chromosome 2. It is also known that cvs quantitatively resistant to leaf stripe are widespread in Europe. A major QTL conferring resistance to barley leaf stripe was identified in the cv "Proctor" by means of QTL analysis; this QTL accounted for 58.5% of the variation in the trait and was mapped on the centromeric region of barley chromosome 1. The cv "Thibaut" was identified as highly resistant to the most virulent Italian isolate, isolate Dg2. We have described the characterization of the genetic basis of the cv "Thibaut" resistance, the mapping of the locus harbouring this resistance gene and the development of PCR-based molecular markers associated with the resistance, and useful for marker-assisted selection. Near-isogenic lines (NILs) carrying resistance of the cv "Thibaut" against the highly virulent isolate Dg2 were obtained by introgressing the resistance into the genetic background of the susceptible cv "Mirco". The "Thibaut resistance gene" was mapped and called Rdg2a. A PCR-based marker (MWG2018) associated with the resistance gene has been developed to assess the leaf stripe resistant phenotype in barley breeding programs. Several resistant genotypes were identified and among them four were shown to possess the same allele of the cultivar Thibaut at the marker locus. One of them, the cultivar Rebelle, is being used as a source of leaf stripe resistance in winter barley breeding programs. In several resistant lines obtained from five crosses, in which Rebelle acted directly or indirectly as donor of the resistance, the allelic composition at the MWG2018 locus was verified. The results showed that the resistant phenotype of the lines was always associated with the resistance allele of the molecular marker, thereby demonstrating its reliability for selecting the leaf stripe resistance.
2003
- Isolate-specific QTLs of resistance to leaf stripe (Pyrenophora graminea) in the ‘Steptoe’ x ‘Morex’ spring barley cross
[Articolo su rivista]
Arru, Laura; Francia, Enrico; Pecchioni, Nicola
abstract
Leaf stripe caused by the fungus Pyrenophoragraminea represents a serious threat to grain yield in organicallygrown barley and in conventional Nordic andMediterranean districts, for which resistant cultivars arenecessary. A medium-density, molecular marker map derivedfrom a ‘Steptoe’ (partially resistant) × ‘Morex’(susceptible) spring barley cross and its derived doubledhaploidmapping population inoculated with the fungusmade it possible to identify QTLs of resistance to leafstripe. In order to investigate isolate-specificity of partialresistance, the ‘Steptoe’ × ‘Morex’ segregating populationwas inoculated with two highly virulent P. gramineaisolates, Dg2 and Dg5. The present study demonstratesthat partial resistance to leaf stripe of cv ‘Steptoe’ is governedin part by shared loci and in part by isolate-specificones. One QTL is common to the resistance for the twoisolates, on the long arm of chromosome 2 (2H), twoQTLs are linked on chromosome 3 (3H), and the remainingtwo are isolate-specific, respectively for isolate Dg2on chromosome 2 (2H) and for isolate Dg5 on chromosome7 (5H). The QTL in common is that with the majoreffect on the resistance for each isolate, explaining 18.3%and 30.9% R2 respectively for Dg2 and Dg5. The isolatespecificQTLs mapped in the ‘Steptoe’ × ‘Morex’ barleyreference map support the assumption of Parlevliet andZadoks (1977) that partial resistance may be due to minorgene-for-minor-gene interactions. Map comparisons ofthe QTLs with the known qualitative resistance genes toleaf stripe, Rdg1 (2H) and Rdg2 (7H), as well as with otherQTLs of partial resistance in barley, show that the QTLfor resistance to both isolates mapped on the long arm ofchromosome 2 (2H) does not coincide with the qualitativeRdg1 gene but is linked to it at about 30 cM. One isolate-specific QTL of resistance to P. graminea, mappedon the short arm of chromosome 2 (2H), is coincidentwith a QTL for resistance to Pyrenophora teres previouslymapped in the ‘Steptoe’ × ‘Morex’ cross.
2003
- Marker-assisted selection for virus and low temperature tolerance in barley.
[Relazione in Atti di Convegno]
Pecchioni, Nicola; Francia, Enrico; D., Barabaschi; G., Laidó; F., Reggiani; B., Toth; V., Sip; F., Rizza; G., Delogu
abstract
The soil-borne barley yellow mosaic virus (BaYMV), the aphid-borne barley yellow dwarf virus (BYDV) and the seed-borne fungus Pyrenophora graminea (leaf stripe) are the most serious diseases for the barley crop in Southern Europe environments, where mildew and other foliar diseases have a relatively small or not significant effect on yields. The development of barley cultivars resistant to the three diseases is thus an urgent objective of barley breeding for the area, in a context of increasing organic farming for cereals. Nevertheless, breeding for multiple diseases encounters several economical and technical problems, and cultivars resistant to the former diseases are not yet available. The bottlenecks of barley breeding for resistance to BYDV are the availability of sources of resistance, mainly based on semi-dominant Yd2 gene, and the labour-intensive inoculation test made with infected aphids. Availability of resistant germplasm and inoculation test are easier for BaYMV and, in relative terms, also for leaf stripe resistance. In this view, two schemes of marker-assisted selection (MAS) have been followed to develop high yielding advanced lines: an assisted pedigree by introducing the two virus resistances, and a "gene pyramiding" scheme to introduce four loci of resistance - two to leaf stripe, and one each to BYDV and BaYMV. STS and SSR markers have been selected for the aim and applied to segregating progenies together with phenotypic selection for agronomic traits.Results of the two MAS processes are here presented, including yield performances of the advanced breeding lines.
2002
- Genomic regions determining resistance to leaf stripe (Pyrenophora graminea) in barley
[Articolo su rivista]
Arru, Laura; Re, Niks; P., Lindhout; G., Vale'; Francia, Enrico; Pecchioni, Nicola
abstract
Leaf stripe is a seed-borne disease of barley (Hordeum vulgare) caused by Pyrenophora graminea. Little is known about the genetics of resistance to this pathogen. In the present work, QTL analysis was applied on two recombinant inbred line (RIL) populations derived from two- and six-rowed barley genotypes with different levels of partial resistance to barley leaf stripe. Quantitative trait loci for partial resistance were identified using the composite interval mapping (CIM) method of PLABQTL software, using the putative QTL markers as cofactors. In the L94 x 'Vada' mapping population, one QTL for resistance was detected on chromosome 2H; the same location as the leaf-stripe resistance gene Rdg1 mapped earlier in 'Alf', where it confers complete resistance to the pathogen. An additional minor-effect QTL was identified by further analyses in this segregating population on chromosome 7H. In L94 x C123, two QTLs for resistance were mapped, one each on chromosomes 7H and 2H.
2002
- Validation of a chlorophyll fluorescence-based method for selection for winterhardiness in cereals.
[Abstract in Atti di Convegno]
Rizza, F.; Crosatti, C.; Pagani, D.; Francia, Enrico; Pecchioni, Nicola; Galiba, G.; Cattivelli, L.
abstract
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2001
- AFLP analysis for characterization of Osteospermum germplasm
[Relazione in Atti di Convegno]
Arru, Laura; Francia, Enrico; Busconi, M; Berio, T; Morreale, G; Giovannini, A.
abstract
The cultivated genus Osteospermum belongs to the plant family Compositae (Asteraceae). Their native habitat is in South African mountains, therefore these plants are also known under the common name 'African Daisy'. Osteospermums are half hardy or hardy perennial ornamental plants. The genus Osteospermum contains about seventy different species, all perennial plants. The perennial cultivated varieties, not to be confused with the annuals and less valuable cultivated hybrids of Dimorphoteca aurantiaca, are in turn hybrids of O. ecklonis, O. jucundum and other species, and hybrid combinations are often unknown. Also for this hybrid condition they are usually not available from seed, but as vegetatively propagated clones. New varieties are being bred continuously because of the increased economic importance in the production of flowering pot plants and of the increasing demand for accessions with new bright colours and for novel miniature plants. The genus Osteospermum already meets these criteria in its native habitat of South African mountains, and there has been much recent work by botanists and plant breeders to further enhance the natural characteristics of those seventy species of wild plants.
Indeed, a characterisation of cultivated Osteospermum germplasm becomes necessary in our country in order to protect the consumers' and breeders' rights, and to help the national breeders in the choice of the parents for a new cross. Moreover, the characterisation by means of molecular markers supplies a way to evaluate biodiversity among commercial varieties and wild relatives. Molecular marker (RAPD) analysis was already demonstrated to be an useful tool to identify Osteospermum varieties and to study their genetic affinities (Faccioli et al., 1999).
AFLP analysis has been now carried out on a wide collection of 106 Osteospermum composed by wild species and cultivars belonging to English, Italian and Danish breeding groups. The AFLP protocol has been set up for this ornamental. All the accessions were then tested with four AFLP primers combinations, leading to the undoubtful characterisation of genotypes and to a more accurate understanding of the relationships between the Osteospermum species and cultivars.
2001
- Development of a 'winter' x 'spring' and 'feeding' x 'malting' two-rowed barley map
[Relazione in Atti di Convegno]
Pecchioni, Nicola; Francia, Enrico; Arru, Laura; Baldi, P; Cattivelli, L; Gianinetti, A; Stanca, ANTONIO MICHELE
abstract
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2001
- QT loci regulating the accumulation of COR14 and TMCAP3 cold-induced proteins in barley
[Abstract in Atti di Convegno]
Francia, Enrico; C., Crosatti; Pecchioni, Nicola
abstract
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