System-wide analysis of short-term response to high temperature in Pinus radiata

Pinus radiata seedlings, the most widely planted pine species in the world, were exposed to temperatures within a range mimicking future scenarios based on current models of heat increase. The short-term heat response in P. radiata was studied in detail by exploring the metabolome, proteome and targeted transcriptome. The use of complementary mass spectrometry techniques, GC-MS and LC-Orbitrap-MS, together with novel bioinformatics tools allowed the reliable quantification of 2,075 metabolites and 901 protein groups. Integrative analyses of different functional levels and plant physiological status revealed a complex molecular interaction network of positive and negative correlations between proteins and metabolites involved in short-term heat response, including three main physiological functions as: 1) A hormone subnetwork, where fatty acids, flavonoids and hormones presented a key role; 2) An oxidoreductase subnetwork, including several dehydrogenase and peroxidase proteins; and 3) A heat shock protein subnetwork, with numerous proteins that contain a HSP20 domain, all of which were overexpressed at the transcriptional level. Integrated analysis pinpointed the basic mechanisms underlying the short-term physiological reaction of P. radiata during heat response. This approach was feasible in forest species and unmasked two novel candidate biomarkers of heat resistance, PHO1 and TRANSCRIPTION FACTOR APFI, and a MITOCHONDRIAL SMALL HEAT SHOCK PROTEIN, for use in future breeding programs.