POTENTIAL OF THE USE OF MOLECULAR ANALYSES FOR GENETIC CHARACTERIZATION OF RESISTANT SCOTS PINE ( PINUS SYLVESTRIS L.) INDIVIDUALS

Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) is one of the most important economic trees with deteriorating health conditions observed in recent years. The work aimed to compare and evaluate the regulation of gene activities involved in defense mechanisms under biotic and abiotic stress conditions in a group of healthy individuals of Scots pine and individuals damaged by the pine beetle (Phaenops cyanea). Determination of the relative gene expression levels of twelve selected genes was carried out by qPCR analysis in samples of Scots pine needles collected at two localities, Star & aacute; Boleslav and Podbrahy. At both monitored locations we noted the same trends in the regulation of the relative gene expression profile for seven genes (CHS, CH5B, PR_P2, PO12, PAAL, SUCSYN3 and USP A), including a significant increase in the relative gene expression level of the phenylalanine-ammonia lyase (PAAL) involved in the biosynthesis of flavonoids, phenylpropanoids and lignin in plants, in the group of damaged individuals compared to the control group at the locality Old Boleslav. For both groups of samples (healthy and damaged individuals) we noticed considerable variability in the measured data related to many variable factors of the external environment and the genotype of each individual, even when comparing both habitats.