近日,，在國家重點(diǎn)基礎(chǔ)研究發(fā)展計(jì)劃（973計(jì)劃）和科技部科技支撐計(jì)劃等項(xiàng)目支持下,，中國科學(xué)院青島生物能源與過程研究所周功克研究團(tuán)隊(duì)和蘭州大學(xué)、華大基因公司等單位合作,，在胡楊基因組及其抗逆機(jī)制研究領(lǐng)域取得重要進(jìn)展（Genomic insights into salt adaptation in a desert poplar. Nature Communications,， 2013），相關(guān)成果已在線發(fā)表于Nature雜志子刊Nature Communications,。
樹木森林具有較高的經(jīng)濟(jì)和生態(tài)環(huán)境價(jià)值,，是世界上最豐富的纖維生物質(zhì)資源之一，被廣泛用于建筑,、造紙和生物燃料等方面,，但目前關(guān)于高鹽脅迫下樹木的基因組進(jìn)化方面卻知之甚少。胡楊（Populus euphratica Oliv.）是一種生長在中國西部鹽堿不毛之地的獨(dú)特樹種,， 其在高鹽脅迫下仍能保持較快的生長速率和光合效率,，耐鹽濃度高達(dá)450mM。
作為世界上首次報(bào)道發(fā)現(xiàn)的耐鹽胡楊基因組,，該基因組與其具有緊密相關(guān)的同屬中生代的毛白楊非常相似,。同時(shí),，在胡楊中發(fā)現(xiàn)的一些參與耐鹽的基因家族的成員在進(jìn)化過程中出現(xiàn)多個(gè)重復(fù)復(fù)制現(xiàn)象。此外,，與鹽敏感的毛白楊基因組和轉(zhuǎn)錄組數(shù)據(jù)相比較,，研究發(fā)現(xiàn)胡楊在響應(yīng)鹽脅迫的功能策略上呈現(xiàn)出富集大量正向選擇（positive selection）的基因，它們中的一些基因在鹽脅迫下表現(xiàn)顯著上調(diào),。
根據(jù)上述研究結(jié)果,，周功克等提出了胡楊可能的耐鹽機(jī)制，為理解樹木適應(yīng)鹽脅迫機(jī)制,，加速林木的成材性和耐逆遺傳工程改良等提供了重要研究基礎(chǔ),。（生物谷Bioon.com）
生物谷推薦的英文摘要
Nature Communications DOI：10.1038/ncomms3797
Genomic insights into salt adaptation in a desert poplar
Tao Ma，Junyi Wang,，Gongke Zhou,，Zhen Yue，Quanjun Hu,，Yan Chen,，Bingbing Liu，Qiang Qiu,，Zhuo Wang,，Jian Zhang，Kun Wang,，Dechun Jiang,，Caiyun Gou，Lili Yu,，Dongliang Zhan,，Ran Zhou，Wenchun Luo,，Hui Ma,，Yongzhi Yang，Shengkai Pan
Despite the high economic and ecological importance of forests,， our knowledge of the genomic evolution of trees under salt stress remains very limited. Here we report the genome sequence of the desert poplar,， Populus euphratica， which exhibits high tolerance to salt stress. Its genome is very similar and collinear to that of the closely related mesophytic congener,， P. trichocarpa. However,， we find that several gene families likely to be involved in tolerance to salt stress contain significantly more gene copies within the P. euphratica lineage. Furthermore， genes showing evidence of positive selection are significantly enriched in functional categories related to salt stress. Some of these genes,， and others within the same categories,， are significantly upregulated under salt stress relative to their expression in another salt-sensitive poplar. Our results provide an important background for understanding tree adaptation to salt stress and facilitating the genetic improvement of cultivated poplars for saline soils.
