Ivano Forgione - Academia.edu (original) (raw)
Papers by Ivano Forgione
Agronomy
The establishment of plant architecture requires coordination of distinct processes including sho... more The establishment of plant architecture requires coordination of distinct processes including shoot branching and apical dominance (AD). AD involves the bud apical shoot, mainly through indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) synthetized by the cells of the meristem and young leaves. The rootward flow generates an auxin gradient in the stem and buds, regulating lateral bud (LB) outgrowth. Phytochromes and AD are involved in the shade-avoidance syndrome in woody plants. However, the underlying mechanisms remain poorly understood. The aim of this study was to evaluate the sensitivity of cherry rootstocks to light, mediated by the photoreceptor phytochrome, and its effect on the role of auxin in driving branching by AD. Pharmacological treatments using transport inhibitors and a competitor of IAA were applied to transgenic lines of Colt cherry rootstock, which showed different sensitivities to light because of the ectopic expression of a rice phyA gene. Results showed different physiological behavi...
Antioxidants
Plant-derived polyphenols exhibit beneficial effects on physiological and pathological processes,... more Plant-derived polyphenols exhibit beneficial effects on physiological and pathological processes, including cancer and neurodegenerative disorders, mainly because of their antioxidant activity. Apples are highly enriched in these compounds, mainly in their peel. The Tuscia Red (TR) apple variety exhibits the peculiar characteristic of depositing high quantities of polyphenols in the pulp, the edible part of the fruit. Since polyphenols, as any natural product, cannot be considered a panacea per se, in this paper, we propose to assess the biological effects of TR flesh extracts, in comparison with two commercial varieties, in a model system, the insect Drosophila melanogaster, largely recognized as a reliable system to test the in vivo effects of natural and synthetic compounds. We performed a comparative, qualitative and quantitative analysis of the polyphenol compositions of the three cultivars and found that TR flesh shows the highest content of polyphenols, and markedly, anthocya...
Plants
Plant tissue cultures depend entirely upon artificial light sources for illumination. The illumin... more Plant tissue cultures depend entirely upon artificial light sources for illumination. The illumination should provide light in the appropriate regions of the electromagnetic spectrum for photomorphogenic responses and photosynthetic metabolism. Controlling light quality, irradiances and photoperiod enables the production of plants with desired characteristics. Moreover, significant money savings may be achieved using both more appropriate and less consuming energy lamps. In this review, the attention will be focused on the effects of light characteristics and plant growth regulators on shoot proliferation, the main process in in vitro propagation. The effects of the light spectrum on the balance of endogenous growth regulators will also be presented. For each light spectrum, the effects on proliferation but also on plantlet quality, i.e., shoot length, fresh and dry weight and photosynthesis, have been also analyzed. Even if a huge amount of literature is available on the effects of...
Genes
The olive tree (Olea europaea L.) is a typical Mediterranean crop, important for olive and oil pr... more The olive tree (Olea europaea L.) is a typical Mediterranean crop, important for olive and oil production. The high tendency to bear fruits in an uneven manner, defined as irregular or alternate bearing, results in a significant economic impact for the high losses in olives and oil production. Buds from heavy loaded (‘ON’) and unloaded (‘OFF’) branches of a unique olive tree were collected in July and the next March to compare the transcriptomic profiles and get deep insight into the molecular mechanisms regulating floral induction and differentiation. A wide set of DEGs related to ethylene TFs and to hormonal, sugar, and phenylpropanoid pathways was identified in buds collected from ‘OFF’ branches. These genes could directly and indirectly modulate different pathways, suggesting their key role during the lateral bud transition to flowering stage. Interestingly, several genes related to the flowering process appeared as over-expressed in buds from March ‘OFF’ branches and they could...
Plants
Pathogenesis-related (PR) proteins are part of the systemic signaling network that perceives path... more Pathogenesis-related (PR) proteins are part of the systemic signaling network that perceives pathogens and activates defenses in the plant. Eukaryotic and bacterial species have a 24-h ‘body clock’ known as the circadian rhythm. This rhythm regulates an organism’s life, modulating the activity of the phytochromes (phys) and cryptochromes (crys) and the accumulation of the corresponding mRNAs, which results in the synchronization of the internal clock and works as zeitgeber molecules. Salicylic acid accumulation is also under light control and upregulates the PR genes expression, increasing plants’ resistance to pathogens. Erwinia amylovora causes fire blight disease in pear trees. In this work, four bacterial transcripts (erw1-4), expressed in asymptomatic E. amylovora-infected pear plantlets, were isolated. The research aimed to understand how the circadian clock, light quality, and related photoreceptors regulate PR and erw genes expression using transgenic pear lines overexpressi...
Plant physiology and biochemistry : PPB, 2017
Farnesene is a sesquiterpene with semiochemical activity involved in interspecies communication. ... more Farnesene is a sesquiterpene with semiochemical activity involved in interspecies communication. This molecule, known for its phytotoxic potential and its effects on root morphology and anatomy, caused anisotropic growth, bold roots and a "left-handedness" phenotype. These clues suggested an alteration of auxin distribution, and for this reason, the aim of the present study was to evaluate its effects on: i) PIN-FORMED proteins (PIN) distribution, involved in polar auxin transport; ii) PIN genes expression iii) apical meristem anatomy of primary root, in 7 days old Arabidopsis thaliana seedlings treated with farnesene 250 μM. The following GFP constructs: pSCR::SCR-GFP, pDR5::GFP,pPIN1::PIN1-GFP, pPIN2::PIN2-GFP, pPIN3::PIN3-GFP, pPIN4::PIN4-GFP and pPIN7::PIN7-GFP were used to evaluate auxin distribution. Farnesene caused a reduction in meristematic zone size, an advancement in transition zone, suggesting a premature exit of cells from the meristematic zone, a reduction i...
Frontiers in plant science, 2017
Cadmium is one of the most widespread pollutant in both terrestrial and marine environment, and i... more Cadmium is one of the most widespread pollutant in both terrestrial and marine environment, and its inhibitory effect on plant growth has been largely demonstrated. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying Cd toxicity in plant and mainly in root, as the first organ sensing soil heavy metals, need to be better investigated. To this aim, in the present work we analyzed the growth and the organization of Arabidopsis thaliana primary root in seedlings exposed to Cd (25 and 50 μM) for 8 days starting from germination. Root length, root meristem size, and organization were evaluated together with the behavior of some of the major molecular players in root growth and patterning. In particular, by using different GFP transgenic lines, we monitored: (i) the expression pattern of WOX5 and SCR transcription factors involved in the establishment and maintenance of stem cell niche and in the control of meristem size; (ii) the expression pattern of the IAA-inducible pDR5::GFP reporter, PIN 1,...
Plant Science
The extraordinary incidence of Horizontal Gene Transfer (HGT) mostly in mitochondrial genomes of ... more The extraordinary incidence of Horizontal Gene Transfer (HGT) mostly in mitochondrial genomes of flowering plants is well known. Here, we report another episode of HGT affecting a large mitochondrial gene region in the evergreen conifer Atlas cedar (Cedrus atlantica). Mitochondria of this Pinaceae species possess an rps3 gene that harbours two introns and shares the same genomic context with a downstream overlapping rpl16 gene, like in the major groups of gymnosperms and angiosperms analyzed so far. Interestingly, C. atlantica contains additional copies of the rps3 and rpl16 sequences that are more closely related to angiosperm counterparts than to those from gymnosperms, as also confirmed by phylogenetic analyses. This suggests that a lateral transfer from a flowering plant donor is the most likely mechanism for the origin of the Atlas cedar extra sequences. Quantitative PCR and reverse-transcription (RT)-PCR analyses demonstrate, respectively, mitochondrial location and lack of expression for the rps3 and rpl16 additional sequences in C. atlantica. Furthermore, our study provides evidence that a similar HGT event takes place in two other Cedrus species, which occurr in Cyprus and North Africa. Only the West Himalayan C. deodara lacks the transferred genes. The potential donor and the molecular mechanism underlying this lateral DNA transfer remain still unclear.
Agronomy
The establishment of plant architecture requires coordination of distinct processes including sho... more The establishment of plant architecture requires coordination of distinct processes including shoot branching and apical dominance (AD). AD involves the bud apical shoot, mainly through indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) synthetized by the cells of the meristem and young leaves. The rootward flow generates an auxin gradient in the stem and buds, regulating lateral bud (LB) outgrowth. Phytochromes and AD are involved in the shade-avoidance syndrome in woody plants. However, the underlying mechanisms remain poorly understood. The aim of this study was to evaluate the sensitivity of cherry rootstocks to light, mediated by the photoreceptor phytochrome, and its effect on the role of auxin in driving branching by AD. Pharmacological treatments using transport inhibitors and a competitor of IAA were applied to transgenic lines of Colt cherry rootstock, which showed different sensitivities to light because of the ectopic expression of a rice phyA gene. Results showed different physiological behavi...
Antioxidants
Plant-derived polyphenols exhibit beneficial effects on physiological and pathological processes,... more Plant-derived polyphenols exhibit beneficial effects on physiological and pathological processes, including cancer and neurodegenerative disorders, mainly because of their antioxidant activity. Apples are highly enriched in these compounds, mainly in their peel. The Tuscia Red (TR) apple variety exhibits the peculiar characteristic of depositing high quantities of polyphenols in the pulp, the edible part of the fruit. Since polyphenols, as any natural product, cannot be considered a panacea per se, in this paper, we propose to assess the biological effects of TR flesh extracts, in comparison with two commercial varieties, in a model system, the insect Drosophila melanogaster, largely recognized as a reliable system to test the in vivo effects of natural and synthetic compounds. We performed a comparative, qualitative and quantitative analysis of the polyphenol compositions of the three cultivars and found that TR flesh shows the highest content of polyphenols, and markedly, anthocya...
Plants
Plant tissue cultures depend entirely upon artificial light sources for illumination. The illumin... more Plant tissue cultures depend entirely upon artificial light sources for illumination. The illumination should provide light in the appropriate regions of the electromagnetic spectrum for photomorphogenic responses and photosynthetic metabolism. Controlling light quality, irradiances and photoperiod enables the production of plants with desired characteristics. Moreover, significant money savings may be achieved using both more appropriate and less consuming energy lamps. In this review, the attention will be focused on the effects of light characteristics and plant growth regulators on shoot proliferation, the main process in in vitro propagation. The effects of the light spectrum on the balance of endogenous growth regulators will also be presented. For each light spectrum, the effects on proliferation but also on plantlet quality, i.e., shoot length, fresh and dry weight and photosynthesis, have been also analyzed. Even if a huge amount of literature is available on the effects of...
Genes
The olive tree (Olea europaea L.) is a typical Mediterranean crop, important for olive and oil pr... more The olive tree (Olea europaea L.) is a typical Mediterranean crop, important for olive and oil production. The high tendency to bear fruits in an uneven manner, defined as irregular or alternate bearing, results in a significant economic impact for the high losses in olives and oil production. Buds from heavy loaded (‘ON’) and unloaded (‘OFF’) branches of a unique olive tree were collected in July and the next March to compare the transcriptomic profiles and get deep insight into the molecular mechanisms regulating floral induction and differentiation. A wide set of DEGs related to ethylene TFs and to hormonal, sugar, and phenylpropanoid pathways was identified in buds collected from ‘OFF’ branches. These genes could directly and indirectly modulate different pathways, suggesting their key role during the lateral bud transition to flowering stage. Interestingly, several genes related to the flowering process appeared as over-expressed in buds from March ‘OFF’ branches and they could...
Plants
Pathogenesis-related (PR) proteins are part of the systemic signaling network that perceives path... more Pathogenesis-related (PR) proteins are part of the systemic signaling network that perceives pathogens and activates defenses in the plant. Eukaryotic and bacterial species have a 24-h ‘body clock’ known as the circadian rhythm. This rhythm regulates an organism’s life, modulating the activity of the phytochromes (phys) and cryptochromes (crys) and the accumulation of the corresponding mRNAs, which results in the synchronization of the internal clock and works as zeitgeber molecules. Salicylic acid accumulation is also under light control and upregulates the PR genes expression, increasing plants’ resistance to pathogens. Erwinia amylovora causes fire blight disease in pear trees. In this work, four bacterial transcripts (erw1-4), expressed in asymptomatic E. amylovora-infected pear plantlets, were isolated. The research aimed to understand how the circadian clock, light quality, and related photoreceptors regulate PR and erw genes expression using transgenic pear lines overexpressi...
Plant physiology and biochemistry : PPB, 2017
Farnesene is a sesquiterpene with semiochemical activity involved in interspecies communication. ... more Farnesene is a sesquiterpene with semiochemical activity involved in interspecies communication. This molecule, known for its phytotoxic potential and its effects on root morphology and anatomy, caused anisotropic growth, bold roots and a "left-handedness" phenotype. These clues suggested an alteration of auxin distribution, and for this reason, the aim of the present study was to evaluate its effects on: i) PIN-FORMED proteins (PIN) distribution, involved in polar auxin transport; ii) PIN genes expression iii) apical meristem anatomy of primary root, in 7 days old Arabidopsis thaliana seedlings treated with farnesene 250 μM. The following GFP constructs: pSCR::SCR-GFP, pDR5::GFP,pPIN1::PIN1-GFP, pPIN2::PIN2-GFP, pPIN3::PIN3-GFP, pPIN4::PIN4-GFP and pPIN7::PIN7-GFP were used to evaluate auxin distribution. Farnesene caused a reduction in meristematic zone size, an advancement in transition zone, suggesting a premature exit of cells from the meristematic zone, a reduction i...
Frontiers in plant science, 2017
Cadmium is one of the most widespread pollutant in both terrestrial and marine environment, and i... more Cadmium is one of the most widespread pollutant in both terrestrial and marine environment, and its inhibitory effect on plant growth has been largely demonstrated. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying Cd toxicity in plant and mainly in root, as the first organ sensing soil heavy metals, need to be better investigated. To this aim, in the present work we analyzed the growth and the organization of Arabidopsis thaliana primary root in seedlings exposed to Cd (25 and 50 μM) for 8 days starting from germination. Root length, root meristem size, and organization were evaluated together with the behavior of some of the major molecular players in root growth and patterning. In particular, by using different GFP transgenic lines, we monitored: (i) the expression pattern of WOX5 and SCR transcription factors involved in the establishment and maintenance of stem cell niche and in the control of meristem size; (ii) the expression pattern of the IAA-inducible pDR5::GFP reporter, PIN 1,...
Plant Science
The extraordinary incidence of Horizontal Gene Transfer (HGT) mostly in mitochondrial genomes of ... more The extraordinary incidence of Horizontal Gene Transfer (HGT) mostly in mitochondrial genomes of flowering plants is well known. Here, we report another episode of HGT affecting a large mitochondrial gene region in the evergreen conifer Atlas cedar (Cedrus atlantica). Mitochondria of this Pinaceae species possess an rps3 gene that harbours two introns and shares the same genomic context with a downstream overlapping rpl16 gene, like in the major groups of gymnosperms and angiosperms analyzed so far. Interestingly, C. atlantica contains additional copies of the rps3 and rpl16 sequences that are more closely related to angiosperm counterparts than to those from gymnosperms, as also confirmed by phylogenetic analyses. This suggests that a lateral transfer from a flowering plant donor is the most likely mechanism for the origin of the Atlas cedar extra sequences. Quantitative PCR and reverse-transcription (RT)-PCR analyses demonstrate, respectively, mitochondrial location and lack of expression for the rps3 and rpl16 additional sequences in C. atlantica. Furthermore, our study provides evidence that a similar HGT event takes place in two other Cedrus species, which occurr in Cyprus and North Africa. Only the West Himalayan C. deodara lacks the transferred genes. The potential donor and the molecular mechanism underlying this lateral DNA transfer remain still unclear.