Under pressure: Abies pinsapo Boiss, queen of the response to high temperature and water stress.

Abstract

The Spanish fir (Abies pinsapo Boiss) is an ecologically and economically important conifer species, but little is known about its molecular responses to abiotic stresses related to climate change. The study of molecular responses in conifers faces challenges, including the lack of a complete genome and standardised protocols for handling of biological samples. Our group recently achieved the complete transcriptome assembly of A. pinsapo (Ortigosa et al. 2022), enabling functional genomic studies in this species. The objective of this work is to identify gene families related to the response to increased temperature and water stress in A. pinsapo. Initially, we focused our studies on LEA proteins (late embryogenesis abundant), dehydrins and HSPs (heat shock proteins) which are known to play important roles in stress responses in other species. We identified candidate genes and studied their differential expression patterns in various tissues of individuals from two geographical areas characterised by varying environmental conditions. Our results contribute to a better understanding of the molecular mechanisms that govern the response to abiotic stress in A. pinsapo and provide important information for the sustainability of natural and forest ecosystems in the south of the Iberian Peninsula which are vulnerable to the impact of climate change.