Double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) technology to control forest insect pests and fungal pathogens: challenges and opportunities.

Climate change alters the seasonal synchronization between plants and respective pests plus pathogens. The geographical infiltration helps to shift their hosts, resulting in novel outbreaks that damage forests and ecology. Traditional management schemes are unable to control such outbreaks, therefore unconventional and competitive governance is needed to manage forest pests and pathogens.

Transcriptome analysis of North American sweet birch (Betula lenta) revealed a higher expression of genes involved in the biosynthesis of secondary metabolites than European silver birch (B. pendula).

The North American Betula lenta L. (sweet birch) has been used for medicinal reasons for centuries by native Americans. Although sophisticated technologies have rapidly been developed, a large information gap has been observed regarding genetic regulators of medicinally important compounds in sweet birch.

Identification and analysis of key genes involved in methyl salicylate biosynthesis in different birch species.

Species of the perennial woody plant genus Betula dominate subalpine forests and play a significant role in preserving biological diversity. In addition to their conventional benefits, birches synthesize a wide range of secondary metabolites having pharmacological significance. Methyl salicylate (MeSA) is one of these naturally occurring compounds constitutively produced by different birch species.