Biology subjects

Espinosa-Ruiz, A.

Publications and source records attributed to Espinosa-Ruiz, A..

5 recordsLinked to original sources

bioRxiv2025

Pioneer bark beetle attacks induce multifaceted localized defense responses in Norway spruce

Conifer forests worldwide are increasingly threatened by environmental stressors, especially bark beetle infestations. In a novel experimental field setup with controlled attacks on clonal trees, we investigated the molecular defense responses of 35-year-old Norway spruce trees to colonization attempts by the spruce bark beetle, Ips typographus. A multi-omics approach was used to study tree responses to bark beetle pioneers under natural conditions. At the site of the attacks, increased levels in jasmonic acid, together with changes in other phytohormones, induced differential gene expression of up to 1,900 genes from multiple defense-related pathways. These transcriptomic alternations were corroborated by proteomic and metabolomic shifts, which ultimately showed increased levels of compounds involved in deterring bark beetle attacks, such as phenolic aglycones, diterpene resin acids, mono- and sesquiterpenes, and lignin. Our study highlights the intricate yet rapid and effective local defense response of Norway spruce against pioneer bark beetle attacks and lays a foundation for in-depth studies of this and other conifers resistance to phloem-feeding insects.

plant biology↗

bioRxiv2022

Dually biofortified cisgenic tomatoes with increased flavonoids and branched-chain amino acids content

Higher dietary intakes of flavonoids may have a beneficial role in cardiovascular disease prevention. Additionally, supplementation of branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs) in vegan diets can reduce risks associated to their deficiency, particularly in older adults, which can cause loss of skeletal muscle strength and mass. Most plant-derived foods contain only small amounts of BCAAs and those plants with high levels of flavonoids are not eaten broadly. Here we describe the generation of metabolically-engineered cisgenic tomatoes enriched in both flavonoids and BCAAs. In this approach, coding and regulatory DNA elements, all derived from the tomato genome, were combined to obtain a herbicide-resistant version of an acetolactate synthase (mSlALS) gene expressed broadly, and a MYB12-like transcription factor (SlMYB12) expressed in a fruit-specific manner. The mSlALS played a dual role, as a selectable marker as well as being key enzyme in BCAA enrichment. The resulting cisgenic tomatoes were highly enriched in Leucine (21-fold compared to wild type levels), Valine (9-fold), Isoleucine (3-fold), and concomitantly biofortified in several antioxidant flavonoids including kaempferol (64-fold) and quercetin (45-fold). Comprehensive metabolomic and transcriptomic analysis of the biofortified cisgenic tomatoes revealed marked differences to wild type and could serve to evaluate the safety of these biofortified fruits for human consumption.

bioengineering↗

bioRxiv2022

Potato virus X -delivered CRISPR activation programs lead to strong endogenous gene induction and transient metabolic reprogramming in Nicotiana benthamiana.

Programmable transcriptional regulators based on CRISPR architecture are promising tools for the control of plant gene expression. In plants, CRISPR gene activation (CRISPRa) has been shown effective in modulating development processes, such as the flowering time, or customising biochemical composition. The most widely used method for delivering the CRISPR components into the plant is Agrobacterium tumefaciens-mediated genetic transformation, either transient or stable. However, due to their versatility and their ability to move, virus-derived systems have emerged as an interesting alternative for supplying the CRISPR components to the plant, in particular the gRNA, which represents the variable component in CRISPR strategies. In this work we describe a Potato virus X (PVX)-derived vector that, upon agroinfection in N. benthamiana, serves as a vehicle for gRNAs delivery, producing a highly specific Virus-Induced Gene Activation (VIGA). The system works in combination with a Nicotiana benthamiana transgenic line carrying the remaining complementary CRISPRa components, specifically the dCasEV2.1 cassette, which has previously been shown to mediate strong programmable transcriptional activation in plants. Using an easily scalable, non-invasive spraying method, we show here that gRNAs-mediated activation programs move locally and systemically generating a strong activation response in different target genes. Furthermore, by activating three different endogenous MYB transcription factors, we demonstrate that this PVX-based virus-induced gene reprogramming (VIGR) strategy results in program-specific metabolic fingerprints in N. benthamiana leaves characterized by distinctive phenylpropanoid-enriched metabolite profiles.

synthetic biology↗

bioRxiv2021

Custom-made design of metabolite composition in N. benthamiana leaves using CRISPR activators.

Transcriptional regulators based on CRISPR architecture expand our ability of reprogramming endogenous gene expression in plants. One of their potential applications is the customization of plant metabolome through the activation of selected enzymes in a given metabolic pathway. Using the previously described multiplexable CRISPR activator dCasEV2.1, we assayed the selective enrichment in Nicotiana benthamiana leaves of four different flavonoids, namely naringenin, eriodictyol, kaempferol and quercetin. After careful selection of target genes and guide RNAs combinations, we created successful activation programs for each of the four metabolites, each program activating between three and seven genes, and with individual gene activation levels ranging from 4- to 1500-fold. Metabolic analysis of the flavonoid profiles of each multigene activation program showed a sharp and selective enrichment of the intended metabolites and their glycosylated derivatives. Remarkably, principal component analysis of untargeted metabolic profiles clearly separated samples according to their activation treatment, and hierarchical clustering separated the samples in five groups, corresponding to the expected four highly enriched metabolite groups, plus an un-activated control. These results demonstrate that dCasEV2.1 is a powerful tool for re-routing metabolic fluxes towards the accumulation of metabolites of interest, opening the door for custom-made design of metabolic contents in plants.

synthetic biology↗

bioRxiv2021

Production of Volatile Moth Sex Pheromones in Transgenic Nicotiana benthamiana Plants

Plant-based bio-production of insect sex pheromones has been proposed as an innovative strategy to increase the sustainability of pest control in agriculture. Here we describe the engineering of transgenic plants producing (Z)-11-hexadecen-1-ol (Z11-16OH) and (Z)-11-hexadecenyl acetate (Z11-16OAc), two main volatile components in many Lepidoptera sex pheromone blends. We assembled multigene DNA constructs encoding the pheromone biosynthetic pathway and stably transformed them in Nicotiana benthamiana plants. The constructs comprised the Amyelois transitella Atr{Delta}11 desaturase gene, the Helicoverpa armigera farnesyl reductase HarFAR gene, and the Euonymus alatus diacylglycerol acetyltransferase EaDAct gene in different configurations. All the pheromone-producing plants showed dwarf phenotypes, whose severity correlated with pheromone levels. All but one of the recovered lines produced high levels of Z11-16OH but very low levels of Z11-16OAc, probably as a result of recurrent truncations at the level of the EaDAct gene. Only one plant line (SxPv1.2) was recovered harbouring an intact pheromone pathway and producing moderate levels of Z11-16OAc (11.8 {micro}g g-1 FW), next to high levels of Z11-16OH (111.4 {micro}g g-1). Z11-16OAc production was accompanied in SxPv1.2 by a partial recovery of the dwarf phenotype. SxPv1.2 was used to estimate the rates of volatile pheromone release, which resulted in 8.48 ng g-1 FW per day for Z11-16OH and 9.44 ng g-1 FW per day for Z11-16OAc. Our results suggest that pheromone release acts as a limiting factor in pheromone bio-dispenser strategies and establish a roadmap for biotechnological improvements.

synthetic biology↗