PNNL

Abstract

Red alder (Alnus rubra) has highly desirable wood, dye pigment, and (traditional) medicinal properties which have been capitalized on for thousands of years, including by Pacific West Coast Native Americans. A rapid growing tree species native to North American western coastal and riparian regions, it undergoes symbiosis with actinobacterium Frankia via their nitrogen-fixing root nodules. Red alder’s desirable properties are largely attributed to its bioactive plant phenol metabolites, including for plant defense, for its attractive wood and bark coloration, and for its various beneficial medicinal properties. Herein we carried out integrated transcriptomics and metabolomics analyses of a particularly fast-growing red alder clone, using seven different tissue types collected at different time-points during the growing season. One major objective was to potentially provide new insights including to the long unknown biochemical pathway gateway entry points to its important bioactive proanthocyanidins and ellagitannins, as well as to the more abundant diarylheptanoids.