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Genomics-Based Systems and Multi-disciplinary Approaches to Unlock Complex Gene Networks Underlying Wood Formation

  • Wood Structure and Function (A Koubaa, Section Editor)
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Abstract

Purpose of Review

Wood represents an important economic natural resource and the molecular regulatory mechanisms underlying its formation are best studied through biotechnological approaches, of which genomics forms an important branch. The evolution of technologies employed to examine wood formation at the molecular level has led to the development of novel methods in the field of wood genomics. The goal of this paper is to summarize the important advancements made in recent years to study wood genomics.

Recent Findings

Breakthroughs in sequencing technologies and the availability of additional assembled and functionally annotated plant genomes have broadened the scope of organisms for investigating the distinct wood formation patterns among seed plants. The study of non-coding RNAs and epigenetic interactions has become an important part of research on the expression regulation of genes implicated in wood formation. Systems genetics coupled with network graph theory have been used to integrate multiple layers of molecular data to study wood formation as a complex biological process. In terms of wood improvement, genomics-enabled breeding has produced similar or even better results compared to traditional selection approaches.

Summary

Over the past 5 years, the field of wood genomics has seen a shift to an increasingly holistic approach to help decipher wood formation as a complex biological process. In the future, the field of wood genomics will see major contributions from evolutionary developmental biology, epigenomics, and the study of additional interactions between biomolecules. The resulting knowledge will further improve genomic prediction models in support of tree germplasm enhancement.

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Acknowledgement

This study was enabled through an NSERC Discovery grant (RGPIN/04748-2017) to I.P.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Wood and Forest Sciences, Université Laval, Quebec City, Québec, Canada

    Anthony Piot & Ilga Porth

  2. Institute for System and Integrated Biology (IBIS), Université Laval, Quebec City, Québec, Canada

    Anthony Piot & Ilga Porth

  3. Centre for Forest Research, Université Laval, Quebec City, Québec, Canada

    Anthony Piot & Ilga Porth

  4. Department of Forest and Conservation Sciences, Faculty of Forestry, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, V6T 1Z4, Canada

    Yousry A. El-Kassaby

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  1. Anthony Piot
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Correspondence to Anthony Piot.

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Piot, A., El-Kassaby, Y.A. & Porth, I. Genomics-Based Systems and Multi-disciplinary Approaches to Unlock Complex Gene Networks Underlying Wood Formation. Curr Forestry Rep 8, 166–180 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40725-022-00162-1

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