Molecular Defense Response of Pine Trees ( spp.) to the Parasitic Nematode .

Pine wilt disease (PWD) is a severe environmental problem in Eastern Asia and Western Europe, devastating large forest areas and causing significant economic losses. This disease is caused by the pine wood nematode (PWN), , a parasitic migratory nematode that infects the stem of conifer trees. Here we review what is currently known about the molecular defense response in pine trees after infection with PWN, focusing on common responses in different species.

Primary Metabolite Adjustments Associated With Pinewood Nematode Resistance in .

The pinewood nematode (PWN) is the causal agent of the pine wilt disease (PWD) and represents one of the major threats to conifer forests. The detection of the PWN in Portugal, associated with , increased the concern of its spread to European forests. Despite its susceptibility to PWD, genetic variability found among populations has been associated with heritable PWD resistance.

Insights Into the Mechanisms Implicated in Resistance to Pinewood Nematode.

Pine wilt disease (PWD), caused by the plant-parasitic nematode , has become a severe environmental problem in the Iberian Peninsula with devastating effects in forests. Despite the high levels of this species' susceptibility, previous studies reported heritable resistance in trees. Understanding the basis of this resistance can be of extreme relevance for future programs aiming at reducing the disease impact on forests.

Early Hormonal Defence Responses to Pinewood Nematode () Infection.

The pinewood nematode (PWN) is the causal agent of pine wilt disease, a pathology that affects conifer forests, mainly spp. PWN infection can induce the expression of phytohormone-related genes; however, changes at the early phytohormone level have not yet been explored. Phytohormones are low-abundance metabolites, and thus, difficult to quantify.

Characterization of the cork formation and production transcriptome in × hybrids.

Cork oak is the main cork-producing species worldwide, and plays a significant economic, ecological and social role in the Mediterranean countries, in particular in Portugal and Spain. The ability to produce cork is limited to a few species, hence it must involve specific regulation mechanisms that are unique to these species. However, to date, these mechanisms remain largely understudied, especially with approaches involving the use of high-throughput sequencing technology.

The draft genome sequence of cork oak.

Cork oak (Quercus suber) is native to southwest Europe and northwest Africa where it plays a crucial environmental and economical role. To tackle the cork oak production and industrial challenges, advanced research is imperative but dependent on the availability of a sequenced genome. To address this, we produced the first draft version of the cork oak genome.

A comprehensive assessment of the transcriptome of cork oak (Quercus suber) through EST sequencing.

Background: Cork oak (Quercus suber) is one of the rare trees with the ability to produce cork, a material widely used to make wine bottle stoppers, flooring and insulation materials, among many other uses. The molecular mechanisms of cork formation are still poorly understood, in great part due to the difficulty in studying a species with a long life-cycle and for which there is scarce molecular/genomic information. Cork oak forests are of great ecological importance and represent a major economic and social resource in Southern Europe and Northern Africa.