Abstract
Populus is an effective model for genetic studies in trees. The genus Populus includes dioecious species, and the differences exhibited in males and females have been intensively studied. This review focused on the distinctions between male and female poplar and aspen plants under stress conditions, such as drought, salinity, heavy metals, and nutrient deficiency on morphological, physiological, proteome, and gene expression levels. In most studies, males of Populus species were more adaptive to the majority of the stress conditions and showed less damage, better growth, and higher photosynthetic capacity and antioxidant activity than that of the females. However, in two recent studies, no differences in non-reproductive traits were revealed for male and female trees. This discrepancy of the results could be associated with experimental design: different species and genotypes, stress conditions, types of plant materials, sampling sizes. Knowledge of sex-specific differences is crucial for basic and applied research in Populus species.
Highlights
The genus Populus includes 29 species as per Eckenwalder’s classification (Eckenwalder, 1996)
We summarized recent studies related to differences between male and female individuals of Populus species regarding their response to different stress conditions, including drought, salinity, heavy metals, nutrient deficiency, and elevated CO2 concentration
Most research has shown that male Populus plants tend to be more tolerant to environmental stresses, such as drought, salinity, heavy metals, and nutrient deficiency, than female plants
Summary
The genus Populus includes 29 species as per Eckenwalder’s classification (Eckenwalder, 1996). We summarized recent studies related to differences between male and female individuals of Populus species regarding their response to different stress conditions, including drought, salinity, heavy metals, nutrient deficiency, and elevated CO2 concentration. Roots of P. cathayana male plants were less sensitive to water deficiency than those of female plants under drought stress. Cuttings of male P. cathayana plants were observed to be less sensitive to salinity than those of females, in which the negative effects on growth and photosynthesis were more pronounced. Salinity has a similar effect on Populus to drought, with males being more adaptive to salt stress than females, with a higher growth rate, photosynthetic capacity, and antioxidant activity. P. cathayana females were more sensitive to iron (Fe) deficiency and had higher growth inhibition and more serious damage of photosynthesis system II than males (Zhang et al, 2016a). Males were more adaptive to the combined conditions imposed by elevated CO2 levels and N deposition than females (Zhao et al, 2011)
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