Data set useful for the micropropagation and the assessment of post-vitro genetic fidelity of veteran trees of P. orientalis L.

The data presented in this article are related to the research article titled “Conservation of veteran trees within historical gardens (COVE): a case study applied to Platanus orientalis L. in central Italy” (Ciaffi et al., 2018) [1]. This article reports data on the composition of the substrates used in the different steps of Platanus orientalis micropropagation: establishment of in vitro culture, multiplication, elongation and rooting. Moreover, molecular data were used to assess the genetic fidelity of the micropropagated plants respect mother plants after three year of in vitro cultivation. Fifteen ISSR markers, used in “Determination of genetic stability of long-term micropropagated plantlets of Platanus acerifolia using ISSR markers” (Huang et al., 2009) [2] on P. acerifolia and in “Variant identification in Platanus occidentalis L. using SNP and ISSR markers” (Lee et al., 2012) [3] on P. occidentalis, were successfully employed in the present study on P. orientalis. The plant material was collected from the Renaissance garden of Villa Lante in Viterbo, Italy. It is envisioned that these data set will provide useful information for the conservation of veteran oriental plane trees of historical gardens

Dimensional and genetic characterization of the last oriental plane trees (Platanus orientalis L.) of historical sites in Lazio (central Italy)

In central Italy, Platanus orientalis L. specimens characterize many gardens in urban and suburban villas. In this research, centuries-old oriental plane trees were studied in different historical sites of Lazio according to the COVE (COnservation of VEteran trees) multidisciplinary model. Historical sources, morphological and dendro- metric aspects, crown quality, genetic traits of each specimen, as well as their susceptibility to the canker stain disease, were investigated. Platanus orientalis was clearly distinguished from P. occidentalis and their hybrid P. acerifolia through molecular tools. UPGMA analysis based on SSR and ISSR molecular markers clustered the plane trees in different sub-groups, probably according to the different sites of sampling. These findings, sup- ported by historical and morphological data collected in the considered sites, showed that almost all the trees studied are a small remnant of those planted in the period running from the second half of XVI century to the first decades of XVII century. Plant health conditions diverge within and among the sites inspected. Past-prolonged severe pruning treatments of trees located near the main monuments affected their growth, causing faster and premature senescence. However, the management of historical gardens has so far led to an efficient prevention of Ceratocystis platani introduction, spread and establishment. This study highlights the importance of a multidis- ciplinary approach to interpret the present status of the ancient tree asset within historical sites and let the past become a lesson for the future in a broader scenario of conservation and management of cultural heritage. 1. Introduction Platanus orientalis L., commonly named oriental plane tree (OPT), is a tertiary flora relict species spreading from the Caucasus to the Himalaya as up to the Mediterranean; in southern Italy, there are small patches of forest stands (Campania, Calabria and eastern Sicily) (Rinaldi et al., 2019), while Rosati et al. (2015) consider this species as an archaeophyte. During the Roman era, in the Italian landscape the OPT was widely cultivated as an ornamental tree of particular value in urban and peri- urban context. Neglected during the medieval period, when the life was marked by difficulties and calamities including famine, plague, and war, OPT was reintroduced in the Italian peninsula only in the XIV century (Di B ́erenger, 1965), making this species one of the protagonists of gardens within Italian villas until the XVII century. In this period, its fortune mirrored the widespread use during classical Greek and Roman times, once again for their beauty and shadow. In addition, for the owners, OPT represented a real status symbol (Grimal, 1990; Schieve- nin, 2014; Tosco, 2018). It is worth mentioning that in several historical sites OPTs were planted according to geometric patterns in harmony with the architectural elements, as Pliny the Elder already recom- mended in his Naturalis historia (Tosco, 2018). Today, due to various events, in some sites those trees no longer exist (i.e., Horti Farnesiani in Rome and Palazzo Giardino in Parma) (Cogotti, 2018; Mambriani, in verbis). Nevertheless, ancient specimens within monumental complexes, set up between the XVI to the XVII century, are still present in Lazio region. Probably, the pedoclimatic characteristics of these areas enabled this hygrophilous and fast-growing species to reach majestic shapes (Rix and Fay, 2017). Today the conservation of ancient or rare germplasms is shared as a pivotal challenge for cultural assets (Abbate et al., 2020; Mattioni et al., 2020; Petruccelli et al., 2021). No specific management protocols have been designed for veteran trees in these historical sites. * Corresponding author. E-mail addresses: [email protected] (M. Ciaffi), [email protected] (A.M. Vettraino), [email protected] (E. Alicandri), [email protected] (A. Tomao), [email protected] (F. Adducci), [email protected] (E. Kuzminsky), [email protected] (M. Agrimi). Contents lists available at ScienceDirect Urban Forestry & Urban Greening journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/ufug https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ufug.2022.127506 Received 18 November 2021; Received in revised form 25 January 2022; Accepted 7 February 2022

Monoterpene Synthase Genes and Monoterpene Profiles in Pinus nigra subsp. laricio

In the present study, we carried out a quantitative analysis of the monoterpenes composition in different tissues of the non-model conifer Pinus nigra J.F. Arnold subsp. laricio Palib. ex Maire (P. laricio, in short). All the P. laricio tissues examined showed the presence of the same fourteen monoterpenes, among which the most abundant were β-phellandrene, α-pinene, and β-pinene, whose distribution was markedly tissue-specific. In parallel, from the same plant tissues, we isolated seven full-length cDNA transcripts coding for as many monoterpene synthases, each of which was found to be attributable to one of the seven phylogenetic groups in which the d1-clade of the canonical classification of plants’ terpene synthases can be subdivided. The amino acid sequences deduced from the above cDNA transcripts allowed to predict their putative involvement in the biosynthesis of five of the monoterpenes identified. Transcripts profiling revealed a differential gene expression across the different tissues examined, and was found to be consistent with the corresponding metabolites profiles. The genomic organization of the seven isolated monoterpene synthase genes was also determined

Morphological, Molecular, and Nutritional Characterisation of the Globe Artichoke Landrace “Carciofo Ortano”

The present study focused on the molecular, morphological, and nutritional characterisation of a globe artichoke landrace at risk of genetic erosion still cultivated in the municipality of Orte (Lazio Region, Central Italy) and therefore named “Carciofo Ortano”. Molecular analysis based on SSR and ISSR markers was carried out on 73 genotypes selected at random from 20 smallholdings located in the Orte countryside and 17 accessions of landraces/clones belonging to the main varietal types cultivated in Italy. The results confirmed that “Carciofo Ortano” belongs to the “Romanesco” varietal typology and revealed the presence within the landrace of two distinct genetic populations named Orte 1 and Orte 2. Despite the high level of within-population genetic variation detected, the two populations were genetically differentiated from each other and from the landraces/clones of the main varietal types cultivated in Italy. Morphological and nutritional characterisation was performed on representative genotypes for each of the two populations of the “Carciofo Ortano” and the four landraces/clones included in the varietal platform of the PGI “CARCIOFO ROMANESCO DEL LAZIO” used as reference genotypes (“Campagnano”, “Castellammare”, “C3”, and “Grato 1”). Principal component analysis showed that, of the 43 morphological descriptors considered, 12, including plant height, head shape index, head yield, and earliness, allowed a clear grouping of genotypes, distinguishing Orte 1 and Orte 2 populations from the reference genotypes. Regarding the nutritional composition of heads, particular attention should be devoted to the Orte 2 genotypes for their high dietary fibre, inulin, flavonoid, and phenol content, a feature that could be highly appreciated by the market

Diterpene Resin Acids and Olefins in Calabrian Pine (Pinus nigra subsp. laricio (Poiret) Maire) Oleoresin: GC-MS Profiling of Major Diterpenoids in Different Plant Organs, Molecular Identification and Expression Analysis of Diterpene Synthase Genes

A quali-quantitative analysis of diterpenoid composition in tissues obtained from different organs of Pinus nigra subsp. laricio (Poiret) Maire (Calabrian pine) was carried out. Diterpene resin acids were the most abundant diterpenoids across all the examined tissues. The same nine diterpene resin acids were always found, with the abietane type prevailing on the pimarane type, although their quantitative distribution was found to be remarkably tissue-specific. The scrutiny of the available literature revealed species specificity as well. A phylogeny-based approach allowed us to isolate four cDNAs coding for diterpene synthases in Calabrian pine, each of which belonging to one of the four groups into which the d3 clade of the plants’ terpene synthases family can be divided. The deduced amino acid sequences allowed predicting that both monofunctional and bifunctional diterpene synthases are involved in the biosynthesis of diterpene resin acids in Calabrian pine. Transcript profiling revealed differential expression across the different tissues and was found to be consistent with the corresponding diterpenoid profiles. The isolation of the complete genomic sequences and the determination of their exon/intron structures allowed us to place the diterpene synthase genes from Calabrian pine on the background of current ideas on the functional evolution of diterpene synthases in Gymnosperms

Diterpene Resin Acids and Olefins in Calabrian Pine (Pinus nigra subsp. laricio (Poiret) Maire) Oleoresin: GC-MS Profiling of Major Diterpenoids in Different Plant Organs, Molecular Identification and Expression Analysis of Diterpene Synthase Genes

A quali-quantitative analysis of diterpenoid composition in tissues obtained from different organs of Pinus nigra subsp. laricio (Poiret) Maire (Calabrian pine) was carried out. Diterpene resin acids were the most abundant diterpenoids across all the examined tissues. The same nine diterpene resin acids were always found, with the abietane type prevailing on the pimarane type, although their quantitative distribution was found to be remarkably tissue-specific. The scrutiny of the available literature revealed species specificity as well. A phylogeny-based approach allowed us to isolate four cDNAs coding for diterpene synthases in Calabrian pine, each of which belonging to one of the four groups into which the d3 clade of the plants' terpene synthases family can be divided. The deduced amino acid sequences allowed predicting that both monofunctional and bifunctional diterpene synthases are involved in the biosynthesis of diterpene resin acids in Calabrian pine. Transcript profiling revealed differential expression across the different tissues and was found to be consistent with the corresponding diterpenoid profiles. The isolation of the complete genomic sequences and the determination of their exon/intron structures allowed us to place the diterpene synthase genes from Calabrian pine on the background of current ideas on the functional evolution of diterpene synthases in Gymnosperms.9n

Genetic Diversity and Population Structure of Common Bean (<i>Phaseolus vulgaris</i> L.) Landraces in the Lazio Region of Italy

Common bean cultivation has historically been a typical component of rural economies in Italy, particularly in mountainous and hilly zones along the Apennine ridge of the central and southern regions, where the production is focused on local landraces cultivated by small-scale farmers using low-input production systems. Such landraces are at risk of genetic erosion because of the recent socioeconomic changes in rural communities. One hundred fourteen accessions belonging to 66 landraces still being grown in the Lazio region were characterized using a multidisciplinary approach. This approach included morphological (seed traits), biochemical (phaseolin and phytohemagglutinin patterns), and molecular (microsatellite loci) analyses to investigate their genetic variation, structure, and distinctiveness, which will be essential for the implementation of adequate ex situ and in situ conservation strategies. Another objective of this study was to determine the original gene pool (Andean and Mesoamerican) of the investigated landraces and to evaluate the cross-hybridization events between the two ancestral gene pools in the P. vulgaris germplasm in the Lazio region. Molecular analyses on 456 samples (four for each of the 114 accessions) revealed that the P. vulgaris germplasm in the Lazio region exhibited a high level of genetic diversity (He = 0.622) and that the Mesoamerican and Andean gene pools were clearly differentiated, with the Andean gene pool prevailing (77%) and 12% of landraces representing putative hybrids between the two gene pools. A model-based cluster analysis based on the molecular markers highlighted three main groups in agreement with the phaseolin patterns and growth habit of landraces. The combined utilisation of morphological, biochemical, and molecular data allowed for the differentiation of all landraces and the resolution of certain instances of homonymy and synonymy. Furthermore, although a high level of homozygosity was found across all landraces, 32 of the 66 examined (49%) exhibited genetic variability, indicating that the analysis based on a single or few plants per landrace, as usually carried out, may provide incomplete information