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Pavlovič A, Saganová M. A novel insight into the cost-benefit model for the evolution of botanical carnivory. ANNALS OF BOTANY 2015; 115:1075-92. [PMID: 25948113 PMCID: PMC4648460 DOI: 10.1093/aob/mcv050] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/02/2015] [Revised: 03/02/2015] [Accepted: 03/20/2015] [Indexed: 05/18/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The cost-benefit model for the evolution of botanical carnivory provides a conceptual framework for interpreting a wide range of comparative and experimental studies on carnivorous plants. This model assumes that the modified leaves called traps represent a significant cost for the plant, and this cost is outweighed by the benefits from increased nutrient uptake from prey, in terms of enhancing the rate of photosynthesis per unit leaf mass or area (AN) in the microsites inhabited by carnivorous plants. SCOPE This review summarizes results from the classical interpretation of the cost-benefit model for evolution of botanical carnivory and highlights the costs and benefits of active trapping mechanisms, including water pumping, electrical signalling and accumulation of jasmonates. Novel alternative sequestration strategies (utilization of leaf litter and faeces) in carnivorous plants are also discussed in the context of the cost-benefit model. CONCLUSIONS Traps of carnivorous plants have lower AN than leaves, and the leaves have higher AN after feeding. Prey digestion, water pumping and electrical signalling represent a significant carbon cost (as an increased rate of respiration, RD) for carnivorous plants. On the other hand, jasmonate accumulation during the digestive period and reprogramming of gene expression from growth and photosynthesis to prey digestion optimizes enzyme production in comparison with constitutive secretion. This inducibility may have evolved as a cost-saving strategy beneficial for carnivorous plants. The similarities between plant defence mechanisms and botanical carnivory are highlighted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrej Pavlovič
- Department of Biophysics, Centre of the Region Haná for Biotechnological and Agricultural Research, Palacký University, Šlechtitelů 11, CZ-783 71, Olomouc, Czech Republic and Department of Plant Physiology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Comenius University in Bratislava, Mlynská dolina B2, SK-842 15, Bratislava, Slovakia Department of Biophysics, Centre of the Region Haná for Biotechnological and Agricultural Research, Palacký University, Šlechtitelů 11, CZ-783 71, Olomouc, Czech Republic and Department of Plant Physiology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Comenius University in Bratislava, Mlynská dolina B2, SK-842 15, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Michaela Saganová
- Department of Biophysics, Centre of the Region Haná for Biotechnological and Agricultural Research, Palacký University, Šlechtitelů 11, CZ-783 71, Olomouc, Czech Republic and Department of Plant Physiology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Comenius University in Bratislava, Mlynská dolina B2, SK-842 15, Bratislava, Slovakia
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Bertol N, Paniw M, Ojeda F. Effective prey attraction in the rare Drosophyllum lusitanicum, a flypaper-trap carnivorous plant. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF BOTANY 2015; 102:689-94. [PMID: 26022483 DOI: 10.3732/ajb.1400544] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2014] [Accepted: 04/10/2015] [Indexed: 05/22/2023]
Abstract
PREMISE OF THE STUDY Carnivorous plants have unusually modified leaves to trap insects as an adaptation to low-nutrient environments. Disparate mechanisms have been suggested as luring traits to attract prey insects into their deadly leaves, ranging from very elaborate to none at all. Drosophyllum lusitanicum is a rare carnivorous plant with a common flypaper-trap mechanism. Here we tested whether Drosophyllum plants lure prey insects into their leaves or they act just as passive traps. METHODS We compared prey capture between live, potted plants and Drosophyllum-shaped artificial mimics coated with odorless glue. Since this species is insect-pollinated, we also explored the possible existence of a pollinator-prey conflict by quantifying the similarity between the pollination and prey guilds in a natural population. All experiments were done in southern Spain. KEY RESULTS The sticky leaves of Drosophyllum captured significantly more prey than mimics, particularly small dipterans. Prey attraction, likely exerted by scent or visual cues, seems to be unrelated to pollinator attraction by flowers, as inferred from the low similarity between pollinator and prey insect faunas found in this species. CONCLUSIONS Our results illustrate the effectiveness of this carnivorous species at attracting insects to their flypaper-trap leaves.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nils Bertol
- Departamento de Biología-ceiA3, Universidad de Cádiz, Campus Río San Pedro, E-11510 Puerto Real, Cádiz, Spain
| | - Maria Paniw
- Departamento de Biología-ceiA3, Universidad de Cádiz, Campus Río San Pedro, E-11510 Puerto Real, Cádiz, Spain
| | - Fernando Ojeda
- Departamento de Biología-ceiA3, Universidad de Cádiz, Campus Río San Pedro, E-11510 Puerto Real, Cádiz, Spain
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Gao P, Loeffler TS, Honsel A, Kruse J, Krol E, Scherzer S, Kreuzer I, Bemm F, Buegger F, Burzlaff T, Hedrich R, Rennenberg H. Integration of trap- and root-derived nitrogen nutrition of carnivorous Dionaea muscipula. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2015; 205:1320-1329. [PMID: 25345872 DOI: 10.1111/nph.13120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2014] [Accepted: 09/15/2014] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
Carnivorous Dionaea muscipula operates active snap traps for nutrient acquisition from prey; so what is the role of D. muscipula's reduced root system? We studied the capacity for nitrogen (N) acquisition via traps, and its effect on plant allometry; the capacity of roots to absorb NO₃(-), NH₄(+) and glutamine from the soil solution; and the fate and interaction of foliar- and root-acquired N. Feeding D. muscipula snap traps with insects had little effect on the root : shoot ratio, but promoted petiole relative to trap growth. Large amounts of NH₄(+) and glutamine were absorbed upon root feeding. The high capacity for root N uptake was maintained upon feeding traps with glutamine. High root acquisition of NH₄(+) was mediated by 2.5-fold higher expression of the NH₄(+) transporter DmAMT1 in the roots compared with the traps. Electrophysiological studies confirmed a high constitutive capacity for NH₄(+) uptake by roots. Glutamine feeding of traps inhibited the influx of (15)N from root-absorbed (15)N/(13)C-glutamine into these traps, but not that of (13)C. Apparently, fed traps turned into carbon sinks that even acquired organic carbon from roots. N acquisition at the whole-plant level is fundamentally different in D. muscipula compared with noncarnivorous species, where foliar N influx down-regulates N uptake by roots.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peng Gao
- Institut für Forstwissenschaften, Professur für Baumphysiologie, Universität Freiburg, Georges-Koehler-Allee 53/54, 79110, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Theresa Sofi Loeffler
- Institut für Forstwissenschaften, Professur für Baumphysiologie, Universität Freiburg, Georges-Koehler-Allee 53/54, 79110, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Anne Honsel
- Institut für Forstwissenschaften, Professur für Baumphysiologie, Universität Freiburg, Georges-Koehler-Allee 53/54, 79110, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Jörg Kruse
- Institut für Forstwissenschaften, Professur für Baumphysiologie, Universität Freiburg, Georges-Koehler-Allee 53/54, 79110, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Elzbieta Krol
- Institute for Molecular Plant Physiology and Biophysics, University of Würzburg, D-97070, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Sönke Scherzer
- Institute for Molecular Plant Physiology and Biophysics, University of Würzburg, D-97070, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Ines Kreuzer
- Institute for Molecular Plant Physiology and Biophysics, University of Würzburg, D-97070, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Felix Bemm
- Institute for Molecular Plant Physiology and Biophysics, University of Würzburg, D-97070, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Franz Buegger
- German Research Center for Environmental Health, Institut für Bodenökologie, Helmholtz Zentrum München, 85764, Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Tim Burzlaff
- Institut für Forstwissenschaften, Forstzoologisches Institut, Tennenbacher Strasse 4, 79085, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Rainer Hedrich
- Institute for Molecular Plant Physiology and Biophysics, University of Würzburg, D-97070, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Heinz Rennenberg
- Institut für Forstwissenschaften, Professur für Baumphysiologie, Universität Freiburg, Georges-Koehler-Allee 53/54, 79110, Freiburg, Germany
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Wheeler AG, Krimmel BA. Mirid (Hemiptera: Heteroptera) specialists of sticky plants: adaptations, interactions, and ecological implications. ANNUAL REVIEW OF ENTOMOLOGY 2015; 60:393-414. [PMID: 25564742 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-ento-010814-020932] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
Sticky plants-those having glandular trichomes (hairs) that produce adhesive, viscous exudates-can impede the movement of, and entrap, generalist insects. Disparate arthropod groups have adapted to these widespread and taxonomically diverse plants, yet their interactions with glandular hosts rarely are incorporated into broad ecological theory. Ecologists and entomologists might be unaware of even well-documented examples of insects that are sticky-plant specialists. The hemipteran family Miridae (more specifically, the omnivorous Dicyphini: Dicyphina) is the best-known group of arthropods that specializes on sticky plants. In the first synthesis of relationships with glandular plants for any insect family, we review mirid interactions with sticky hosts, including their adaptations (behavioral, morphological, and physiological) and mutualisms with carnivorous plants, and the ecological and agricultural implications of mirid-sticky plant systems. We propose that mirid research applies generally to tritrophic interactions on trichome-defended plants, enhances an understanding of insect-plant interactions, and provides information useful in managing crop pests.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alfred G Wheeler
- School of Agricultural, Forest, and Environmental Sciences, Clemson University, Clemson, South Carolina 29634;
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Pavlovič A, Krausko M, Libiaková M, Adamec L. Feeding on prey increases photosynthetic efficiency in the carnivorous sundew Drosera capensis. ANNALS OF BOTANY 2014; 113:69-78. [PMID: 24201141 PMCID: PMC3864725 DOI: 10.1093/aob/mct254] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2013] [Accepted: 09/11/2013] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
UNLABELLED BACKROUND AND AIMS: It has been suggested that the rate of net photosynthesis (AN) of carnivorous plants increases in response to prey capture and nutrient uptake; however, data confirming the benefit from carnivory in terms of increased AN are scarce and unclear. The principal aim of our study was to investigate the photosynthetic benefit from prey capture in the carnivorous sundew Drosera capensis. METHODS Prey attraction experiments were performed, with measurements and visualization of enzyme activities, elemental analysis and pigment quantification together with simultaneous measurements of gas exchange and chlorophyll a fluorescence in D. capensis in response to feeding with fruit flies (Drosophila melanogaster). KEY RESULTS Red coloration of tentacles did not act as a signal to attract fruit flies onto the traps. Phosphatase, phophodiesterase and protease activities were induced 24 h after prey capture. These activities are consistent with the depletion of phosphorus and nitrogen from digested prey and a significant increase in their content in leaf tissue after 10 weeks. Mechanical stimulation of tentacle glands alone was not sufficient to induce proteolytic activity. Activities of β-D-glucosidases and N-acetyl-β-D-glucosaminidases in the tentacle mucilage were not detected. The uptake of phosphorus from prey was more efficient than that of nitrogen and caused the foliar N:P ratio to decrease; the contents of other elements (K, Ca, Mg) decreased slightly in fed plants. Increased foliar N and P contents resulted in a significant increase in the aboveground plant biomass, the number of leaves and chlorophyll content as well as AN, maximum quantum yield (Fv/Fm) and effective photochemical quantum yield of photosystem II (ΦPSII). CONCLUSIONS According to the stoichiometric relationships among different nutrients, the growth of unfed D. capensis plants was P-limited. This P-limitation was markedly alleviated by feeding on fruit flies and resulted in improved plant nutrient status and photosynthetic performance. This study supports the original cost/benefit model proposed by T. Givnish almost 30 years ago and underlines the importance of plant carnivory for increasing phosphorus, and thereby photosynthesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrej Pavlovič
- Department of Biophysics, Centre of the Region Haná for Biotechnological and Agricultural Research, Faculty of Science, Palacký University Olomouc, Šlechtitelů 11, CZ-783 71, Olomouc, Czech Republic
- Department of Plant Physiology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Comenius University in Bratislava, Mlynská dolina B2, SK-842 15, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Miroslav Krausko
- Department of Plant Physiology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Comenius University in Bratislava, Mlynská dolina B2, SK-842 15, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Michaela Libiaková
- Department of Plant Physiology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Comenius University in Bratislava, Mlynská dolina B2, SK-842 15, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Lubomír Adamec
- Institute of Botany of the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Section of Plant Ecology, Dukelská 135, CZ-379 82, Třeboň, Czech Republic
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Xiong TC, Ronzier E, Sanchez F, Corratgé-Faillie C, Mazars C, Thibaud JB. Imaging long distance propagating calcium signals in intact plant leaves with the BRET-based GFP-aequorin reporter. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2014; 5:43. [PMID: 24600459 PMCID: PMC3927637 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2014.00043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2013] [Accepted: 01/29/2014] [Indexed: 05/18/2023]
Abstract
Calcium (Ca(2+)) is a second messenger involved in many plant signaling processes. Biotic and abiotic stimuli induce Ca(2+) signals within plant cells, which, when decoded, enable these cells to adapt in response to environmental stresses. Multiple examples of Ca(2+) signals from plants containing the fluorescent yellow cameleon sensor (YC) have contributed to the definition of the Ca(2+) signature in some cell types such as root hairs, pollen tubes and guard cells. YC is, however, of limited use in highly autofluorescent plant tissues, in particular mesophyll cells. Alternatively, the bioluminescent reporter aequorin enables Ca(2+) imaging in the whole plant, including mesophyll cells, but this requires specific devices capable of detecting the low amounts of emitted light. Another type of Ca(2+) sensor, referred to as GFP-aequorin (G5A), has been engineered as a chimeric protein, which combines the two photoactive proteins from the jellyfish Aequorea victoria, the green fluorescent protein (GFP) and the bioluminescent protein aequorin. The Ca(2+)-dependent light-emitting property of G5A is based on a bioluminescence resonance energy transfer (BRET) between aequorin and GFP. G5A has been used for over 10 years for enhanced in vivo detection of Ca(2+) signals in animal tissues. Here, we apply G5A in Arabidopsis and show that G5A greatly improves the imaging of Ca(2+) dynamics in intact plants. We describe a simple method to image Ca(2+) signals in autofluorescent leaves of plants with a cooled charge-coupled device (cooled CCD) camera. We present data demonstrating how plants expressing the G5A probe can be powerful tools for imaging of Ca(2+) signals. It is shown that Ca(2+) signals propagating over long distances can be visualized in intact plant leaves and are visible mainly in the veins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tou Cheu Xiong
- Biochimie et Physiologie Moléculaire des Plantes, Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique, UMR 386Montpellier, France
- Biochimie et Physiologie Moléculaire des Plantes, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, UMR 5004Montpellier, France
- Biochimie et Physiologie Moléculaire des PlantesSupAgro, Montpellier, France
- Biochimie et Physiologie Moléculaire des Plantes, UM2Montpellier, France
- *Correspondence: Tou Cheu Xiong, Biochimie et Physiologie Moléculaire des Plantes, Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique, UMR 386/Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, UMR 5004/Montpellier SupAgro/Université Montpellier 2, Campus INRA-SupAgro, Place Pierre Viala, F34060 Montpellier Cedex 2, France e-mail:
| | - Elsa Ronzier
- Biochimie et Physiologie Moléculaire des Plantes, Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique, UMR 386Montpellier, France
- Biochimie et Physiologie Moléculaire des Plantes, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, UMR 5004Montpellier, France
- Biochimie et Physiologie Moléculaire des PlantesSupAgro, Montpellier, France
- Biochimie et Physiologie Moléculaire des Plantes, UM2Montpellier, France
| | - Frédéric Sanchez
- Biochimie et Physiologie Moléculaire des Plantes, Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique, UMR 386Montpellier, France
- Biochimie et Physiologie Moléculaire des Plantes, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, UMR 5004Montpellier, France
- Biochimie et Physiologie Moléculaire des PlantesSupAgro, Montpellier, France
- Biochimie et Physiologie Moléculaire des Plantes, UM2Montpellier, France
| | - Claire Corratgé-Faillie
- Biochimie et Physiologie Moléculaire des Plantes, Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique, UMR 386Montpellier, France
- Biochimie et Physiologie Moléculaire des Plantes, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, UMR 5004Montpellier, France
- Biochimie et Physiologie Moléculaire des PlantesSupAgro, Montpellier, France
- Biochimie et Physiologie Moléculaire des Plantes, UM2Montpellier, France
| | - Christian Mazars
- Laboratoire de Recherche en Sciences Végétales, Université de Toulouse, UPS, UMR 5546Castanet-Tolosan, France
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, UMR 5546Castanet-Tolosan, France
| | - Jean-Baptiste Thibaud
- Biochimie et Physiologie Moléculaire des Plantes, Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique, UMR 386Montpellier, France
- Biochimie et Physiologie Moléculaire des Plantes, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, UMR 5004Montpellier, France
- Biochimie et Physiologie Moléculaire des PlantesSupAgro, Montpellier, France
- Biochimie et Physiologie Moléculaire des Plantes, UM2Montpellier, France
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Crowley PH, Hopper KR, Krupa JJ. An Insect-Feeding Guild of Carnivorous Plants and Spiders: Does Optimal Foraging Lead to Competition or Facilitation? Am Nat 2013; 182:801-19. [DOI: 10.1086/673477] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
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Strategy of nitrogen acquisition and utilization by carnivorous Dionaea muscipula. Oecologia 2013; 174:839-51. [PMID: 24141381 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-013-2802-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2013] [Accepted: 10/03/2013] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Abstract
Plant carnivory represents an exceptional means to acquire N. Snap traps of Dionaea muscipula serve two functions, and provide both N and photosynthate. Using (13)C/(15)N-labelled insect powder, we performed feeding experiments with Dionaea plants that differed in physiological state and N status (spring vs. autumn plants). We measured the effects of (15)N uptake on light-saturated photosynthesis (A(max)), dark respiration (R(D)) and growth. Depending on N status, insect capture briefly altered the dynamics of R(D)/A(max), reflecting high energy demand during insect digestion and nutrient uptake, followed by enhanced photosynthesis and growth. Organic N acquired from insect prey was immediately redistributed, in order to support swift renewal of traps and thereby enhance probability of prey capture. Respiratory costs associated with permanent maintenance of the photosynthetic machinery were thereby minimized. Dionaea's strategy of N utilization is commensurate with the random capture of large prey, occasionally transferring a high load of organic nutrients to the plant. Our results suggest that physiological adaptations to unpredictable resource availability are essential for Dionaea's success with regards to a carnivorous life style.
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Michalko J, Socha P, Mészáros P, Blehová A, Libantová J, Moravčíková J, Matušíková I. Glucan-rich diet is digested and taken up by the carnivorous sundew (Drosera rotundifolia L.): implication for a novel role of plant β-1,3-glucanases. PLANTA 2013; 238:715-725. [PMID: 23832529 DOI: 10.1007/s00425-013-1925-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2013] [Accepted: 06/20/2013] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
Carnivory in plants evolved as an adaptation strategy to nutrient-poor environments. Thanks to specialized traps, carnivorous plants can gain nutrients from various heterotrophic sources such as small insects. Digestion in traps requires a coordinated action of several hydrolytic enzymes that break down complex substances into simple absorbable nutrients. Among these, several pathogenesis-related proteins including β-1,3-glucanases have previously been identified in digestive fluid of some carnivorous species. Here we show that a single acidic endo-β-1,3-glucanase of ~50 kDa is present in the digestive fluid of the flypaper-trapped sundew (Drosera rotundifolia L.). The enzyme is inducible with a complex plant β-glucan laminarin from which it releases simple saccharides when supplied to leaves as a substrate. Moreover, thin-layer chromatography of digestive exudates showed that the simplest degradation products (especially glucose) are taken up by the leaves. These results for the first time point on involvement of β-1,3-glucanases in digestion of carnivorous plants and demonstrate the uptake of saccharide-based compounds by traps. Such a strategy could enable the plant to utilize other types of nutritional sources e.g., pollen grains, fungal spores or detritus from environment. Possible multiple roles of β-1,3-glucanases in the digestive fluid of carnivorous sundew are also discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jaroslav Michalko
- Institute of Plant Genetics and Biotechnology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Akademická 2, P.O. Box 39A, 950 07, Nitra, Slovak Republic,
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Joyeux M. Elastic models of the fast traps of carnivorous Dionaea and Aldrovanda. PHYSICAL REVIEW. E, STATISTICAL, NONLINEAR, AND SOFT MATTER PHYSICS 2013; 88:034701. [PMID: 24125387 DOI: 10.1103/physreve.88.034701] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2013] [Revised: 07/10/2013] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Abstract
The carnivorous aquatic waterwheel plant (Aldrovanda vesiculosa L.) and the closely related terrestrial Venus flytrap (Dionaea muscipula Sol. ex J. Ellis) both feature elaborate snap-traps, which shut after reception of an external mechanical stimulus by prey animals. Although Aldrovanda is usually considered a miniature aquatic Dionaea, the shutting mechanisms of the two plants differ quite markedly. The fast shutting of Aldrovanda is indeed based on a simple swelling or shrinking mechanism, while the movement of Dionaea's traps is accelerated by the snap-buckling of the lobes. The purpose of this Brief Report is to describe several key improvements to the elastic models that have recently been introduced to elucidate these movements [Poppinga and Joyeux, Phys. Rev. E 84, 041928 (2011)]. In particular, a precise mechanism for the action of the motor cells of Aldrovanda is proposed, the facts that the opening of the leaves of Dionaea is an irreversible mechanism based on growth and that the strain field is anisotropic and much smaller on the inner than on the outer surface of the leaves during shutting are taken properly into account, and a more accurate formula for calculating mean curvatures is used. The improvements brought to the model are described in detail and the physical consequences of these improvements are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marc Joyeux
- Laboratoire Interdisciplinaire de Physique (CNRS UMR 5588), Université Joseph Fourier Grenoble 1, BP 87, 38402 St Martin d'Hères, France
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Gaascht F, Dicato M, Diederich M. Venus Flytrap (Dionaea muscipula Solander ex Ellis) Contains Powerful Compounds that Prevent and Cure Cancer. Front Oncol 2013; 3:202. [PMID: 23971004 PMCID: PMC3747514 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2013.00202] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2013] [Accepted: 07/24/2013] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Chemoprevention uses natural or synthetic molecules without toxic effects to prevent and/or block emergence and development of diseases including cancer. Many of these natural molecules modulate mitogenic signals involved in cell survival, apoptosis, cell cycle regulation, angiogenesis, or on processes involved in the development of metastases occur naturally, especially in fruits and vegetables bur also in non-comestible plants. Carnivorous plants including the Venus flytrap (Dionaea muscipula Solander ex Ellis) are much less investigated, but appear to contain a wealth of potent bioactive secondary metabolites. Aim of this review is to give insight into molecular mechanisms triggered by compounds isolated from these interesting plants with either therapeutic or chemopreventive potential.
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Affiliation(s)
- François Gaascht
- Laboratory for Molecular and Cellular Biology of Cancer (LBMCC), Hôpital Kirchberg, Luxembourg, Luxembourg
| | - Mario Dicato
- Laboratory for Molecular and Cellular Biology of Cancer (LBMCC), Hôpital Kirchberg, Luxembourg, Luxembourg
| | - Marc Diederich
- Department of Pharmacy, College of Pharmacy, Seoul National University, Seoul, South Korea
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Poppinga S, Hartmeyer SR, Masselter T, Hartmeyer I, Speck T. Trap diversity and evolution in the family Droseraceae. PLANT SIGNALING & BEHAVIOR 2013; 8:e24685. [PMID: 23603942 PMCID: PMC3907454 DOI: 10.4161/psb.24685] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2013] [Revised: 04/12/2013] [Accepted: 04/12/2013] [Indexed: 05/18/2023]
Abstract
We review trapping mechanisms in the carnivorous flowering plant family Droseraceae (order Caryophyllales). Its members are generally known to attract, capture, retain and digest prey animals (mainly arthropods) with active snap-traps (Aldrovanda, Dionaea) or with active sticky flypaper traps (Drosera) and to absorb the resulting nutrients. Recent investigations revealed how the snap-traps of Aldrovanda vesiculosa (waterwheel plant) and Dionaea muscipula (Venus' flytrap) work mechanically and how these apparently similar devices differ as to their functional morphology and shutting mechanics. The Sundews (Drosera spp.) are generally known to possess leaves covered with glue-tentacles that both can bend toward and around stuck prey. Recently, it was shown that there exists in this genus a higher diversity of different tentacle types and trap configurations than previously known which presumably reflect adaptations to different prey spectra. Based on these recent findings, we finally comment on possible ways for intrafamiliar trap evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simon Poppinga
- Plant Biomechanics Group; Botanic Garden; Faculty of Biology, University of Freiburg; Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany
- Correspondence to: Simon Poppinga,
| | | | - Tom Masselter
- Plant Biomechanics Group; Botanic Garden; Faculty of Biology, University of Freiburg; Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany
| | | | - Thomas Speck
- Plant Biomechanics Group; Botanic Garden; Faculty of Biology, University of Freiburg; Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany
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63
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Volkov AG, Vilfranc CL, Murphy VA, Mitchell CM, Volkova MI, O'Neal L, Markin VS. Electrotonic and action potentials in the Venus flytrap. JOURNAL OF PLANT PHYSIOLOGY 2013; 170:838-46. [PMID: 23422156 DOI: 10.1016/j.jplph.2013.01.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2012] [Revised: 01/21/2013] [Accepted: 01/21/2013] [Indexed: 05/12/2023]
Abstract
The electrical phenomena and morphing structures in the Venus flytrap have attracted researchers since the nineteenth century. We have observed that mechanical stimulation of trigger hairs on the lobes of the Venus flytrap induces electrotonic potentials in the lower leaf. Electrostimulation of electrical circuits in the Venus flytrap can induce electrotonic potentials propagating along the upper and lower leaves. The instantaneous increase or decrease in voltage of stimulating potential generates a nonlinear electrical response in plant tissues. Any electrostimulation that is not instantaneous, such as sinusoidal or triangular functions, results in linear responses in the form of small electrotonic potentials. The amplitude and sign of electrotonic potentials depend on the polarity and the amplitude of the applied voltage. Electrical stimulation of the lower leaf induces electrical signals, which resemble action potentials, in the trap between the lobes and the midrib. The trap closes if the stimulating voltage is above the threshold level of 4.4V. Electrical responses in the Venus flytrap were analyzed and reproduced in the discrete electrical circuit. The information gained from this study can be used to elucidate the coupling of intracellular and intercellular communications in the form of electrical signals within plants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander G Volkov
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Oakwood University, Huntsville, AL 35896, USA.
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64
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Schmidt S, Raven JA, Paungfoo-Lonhienne C. The mixotrophic nature of photosynthetic plants. FUNCTIONAL PLANT BIOLOGY : FPB 2013; 40:425-438. [PMID: 32481119 DOI: 10.1071/fp13061] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2013] [Accepted: 03/22/2013] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Plants typically have photosynthetically competent green shoots. To complement resources derived from the atmospheric environment, plants also acquire essential elements from soil. Inorganic ions and molecules are generally considered to be the sources of soil-derived nutrients, and plants tested in this respect can grow with only inorganic nutrients and so can live as autotrophs. However, mycorrhizal symbionts are known to access nutrients from organic matter. Furthermore, specialist lineages of terrestrial photosynthetically competent plants are mixotrophic, including species that obtain organic nutrition from animal prey (carnivores), fungal partners (mycoheterotrophs) or plant hosts (hemi-parasites). Although mixotrophy is deemed the exception in terrestrial plants, it is a common mode of nutrition in aquatic algae. There is mounting evidence that non-specialist plants acquire organic compounds as sources of nutrients, taking up and metabolising a range of organic monomers, oligomers, polymers and even microbes as sources of nitrogen and phosphorus. Plasma-membrane located transporter proteins facilitate the uptake of low-molecular mass organic compounds, endo- and phagocytosis may enable the acquisition of larger compounds, although this has not been confirmed. Identifying the mechanisms involved in the acquisition of organic nutrients will provide understanding of the ecological significance of mixotrophy. Here, we discuss mixotrophy in the context of nitrogen and phosphorus nutrition drawing parallels between algae and plants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Susanne Schmidt
- School of Agriculture and Food Sciences, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Qld 4072, Australia
| | - John A Raven
- Division of Plant Sciences, University of Dundee at the James Hutton Institute, Invergowrie, Dundee DD2 5DA, UK
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65
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Poppinga S, Masselter T, Speck T. Faster than their prey: new insights into the rapid movements of active carnivorous plants traps. Bioessays 2013; 35:649-57. [PMID: 23613360 DOI: 10.1002/bies.201200175] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Plants move in very different ways and for different reasons, but some active carnivorous plants perform extraordinary motion: Their snap-, catapult- and suction traps perform very fast and spectacular motions to catch their prey after receiving mechanical stimuli. Numerous investigations have led to deeper insights into the physiology and biomechanics of these trapping devices, but they are far from being fully understood. We review concisely how plant movements are classified and how they follow principles that bring together speed, actuation and architecture of the moving organ. In particular, we describe and discuss how carnivorous plants manage to execute fast motion. We address open questions and assess the prospects for future studies investigating potential universal mechanisms that could be the basis of key characteristic features in plant movement such as stimulus transduction, post-stimulatory mechanical answers, and organ formation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simon Poppinga
- Plant Biomechanics Group, Botanic Garden, Faculty of Biology, University of Freiburg, Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany.
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66
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Tylko G. Analysis of biologically-derived small particles--searching for geometry correction factors using Monte Carlo simulation. MICROSCOPY AND MICROANALYSIS : THE OFFICIAL JOURNAL OF MICROSCOPY SOCIETY OF AMERICA, MICROBEAM ANALYSIS SOCIETY, MICROSCOPICAL SOCIETY OF CANADA 2013; 19:56-65. [PMID: 23302468 DOI: 10.1017/s1431927612013803] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
A Monte Carlo simulation was used to determine geometry correction factors that increase accuracy of quantitative X-ray microanalysis of laterally semithick biological materials. A model composed of cellulose with homogeneously distributed biological elements and lateral dimensions between 0.5-25 μm was chosen. The specimen was exposed to 5, 10, and 15 keV electrons, the net intensities of characteristic X-rays registered for the elements, and presented as a function of the lateral dimensions of the model. This showed the double decay exponential function fitted the distribution of X-ray intensities in relation to the model size. The applicability of the function as a correction method was successfully tested for 30 specimens with varying composition and dimensions. The value of relative error decreased from ±60% to ±5% when the correction was applied. Moreover, the minimal lateral size of the material was defined, below which the correction is not required. The simulation also revealed that the difference of the weighted sum of Z²/A between the unknown and the standard could reach 25% without significant influence on the quantitative results. The correction method could be helpful for accurate assessment of elemental composition in biological or organic matrices, when their lateral dimensions are smaller than the distribution range.
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Affiliation(s)
- Grzegorz Tylko
- Department of Cell Biology and Imaging, Institute of Zoology, Jagiellonian University, Gronostajowa 9, 30-387 Krakow, Poland.
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67
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Nishi AH, Vasconcellos-Neto J, Romero GQ. The role of multiple partners in a digestive mutualism with a protocarnivorous plant. ANNALS OF BOTANY 2013; 111:143-50. [PMID: 23131297 PMCID: PMC3523655 DOI: 10.1093/aob/mcs242] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2012] [Accepted: 10/08/2012] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIMS The protocarnivorous plant Paepalanthus bromelioides (Eriocaulaceae) is similar to bromeliads in that this plant has a rosette-like structure that allows rainwater to accumulate in leaf axils (i.e. phytotelmata). Although the rosettes of P. bromelioides are commonly inhabited by predators (e.g. spiders), their roots are wrapped by a cylindrical termite mound that grows beneath the rosette. In this study it is predicted that these plants can derive nutrients from recycling processes carried out by termites and from predation events that take place inside the rosette. It is also predicted that bacteria living in phytotelmata can accelerate nutrient cycling derived from predators. METHODS The predictions were tested by surveying plants and animals, and also by performing field experiments in rocky fields from Serra do Cipó, Brazil, using natural abundance and enriched isotopes of (15)N. Laboratory bioassays were also conducted to test proteolytic activities of bacteria from P. bromelioides rosettes. KEY RESULTS Analyses of (15)N in natural nitrogen abundances showed that the isotopic signature of P. bromelioides is similar to that of carnivorous plants and higher than that of non-carnivorous plants in the study area. Linear mixing models showed that predatory activities on the rosettes (i.e. spider faeces and prey carcass) resulted in overall nitrogen contributions of 26·5 % (a top-down flux). Although nitrogen flux was not detected from termites to plants via decomposition of labelled cardboard, the data on (15)N in natural nitrogen abundance indicated that 67 % of nitrogen from P. bromelioides is derived from termites (a bottom-up flux). Bacteria did not affect nutrient cycling or nitrogen uptake from prey carcasses and spider faeces. CONCLUSIONS The results suggest that P. bromelioides derive nitrogen from associated predators and termites, despite differences in nitrogen cycling velocities, which seem to have been higher in nitrogen derived from predators (leaves) than from termites (roots). This is the first study that demonstrates partitioning effects from multiple partners in a digestion-based mutualism. Despite most of the nitrogen being absorbed through their roots (via termites), P. bromelioides has all the attributes necessary to be considered as a carnivorous plant in the context of digestive mutualism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aline Hiroko Nishi
- Pós-graduação em Biologia Animal, IBILCE, Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP), CEP 15054-000, São José do Rio Preto-SP, Brazil
| | - João Vasconcellos-Neto
- Departamento de Biologia Animal, Instituto de Biologia, Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP), CEP 13083-970, CP 6109, Campinas-SP, Brazil
| | - Gustavo Quevedo Romero
- Departamento de Biologia Animal, Instituto de Biologia, Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP), CEP 13083-970, CP 6109, Campinas-SP, Brazil
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68
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Poppinga S, Hartmeyer SRH, Seidel R, Masselter T, Hartmeyer I, Speck T. Catapulting tentacles in a sticky carnivorous plant. PLoS One 2012; 7:e45735. [PMID: 23049849 PMCID: PMC3458893 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0045735] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2012] [Accepted: 08/24/2012] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Among trapping mechanisms in carnivorous plants, those termed ‘active’ have especially fascinated scientists since Charles Darwin’s early works because trap movements are involved. Fast snap-trapping and suction of prey are two of the most spectacular examples for how these plants actively catch animals, mainly arthropods, for a substantial nutrient supply. We show that Drosera glanduligera, a sundew from southern Australia, features a sophisticated catapult mechanism: Prey animals walking near the edge of the sundew trigger a touch-sensitive snap-tentacle, which swiftly catapults them onto adjacent sticky glue-tentacles; the insects are then slowly drawn within the concave trap leaf by sticky tentacles. This is the first detailed documentation and analysis of such catapult-flypaper traps in action and highlights a unique and surprisingly complex mechanical adaptation to carnivory.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simon Poppinga
- Plant Biomechanics Group, University of Freiburg, Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany.
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69
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Gegenbauer C, Mayer VE, Zotz G, Richter A. Uptake of ant-derived nitrogen in the myrmecophytic orchid Caularthron bilamellatum. ANNALS OF BOTANY 2012; 110:757-66. [PMID: 22778148 PMCID: PMC3423799 DOI: 10.1093/aob/mcs140] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2012] [Revised: 03/05/2012] [Accepted: 04/25/2012] [Indexed: 05/12/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIMS Mutualistic ant-plant associations are common in a variety of plant families. Some myrmecophytic plants, such as the epiphytic orchid Caularthron bilamellatum, actively form hollow structures that provide nesting space for ants (myrmecodomatia), despite a substantial loss of water-storage tissue. This study aimed at assessing the ability of the orchid to take up nitrogen from ant-inhabited domatia as possible trade-off for the sacrifice of potential water storage capacity. METHODS Nitrogen uptake capabilities and uptake kinetics of (15)N-labelled compounds (NH(4)(+), urea and l -glutamine) were studied in field-grown Caularthron bilamellatum plants in a tropical moist forest in Panama. Plants were either labelled directly, by injecting substrates into the hollow pseudobulbs or indirectly, by labelling of the associated ants in situ. KEY RESULTS Caularthron bilamellatum plants were able to take up all tested inorganic and organic nitrogen forms through the inner surface of the pseudobulbs. Uptake of NH(4)(+) and glutamine followed Michaelis-Menten kinetics, but urea uptake was not saturable up to 2 mm. (15)N-labelled compounds were rapidly translocated and incorporated into vegetative and reproductive structures. By labelling ants with (15)N in situ, we were able to prove that ants transfer N to the plants under field conditions. CONCLUSIONS Based on (15)N labelling experiments we were able to demonstrate, for the first time, that a myrmecophytic orchid is capable of actively acquiring different forms of nitrogen from its domatia and that nutrient flux from ants to plants does indeed occur under natural conditions. This suggests that beyond anti-herbivore protection host plants benefit from ants by taking up nitrogen derived from ant debris.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christian Gegenbauer
- Department of Terrestrial Ecosystem Research, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Vienna, Austria
- Department of Structural and Functional Botany, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Vienna, Austria
| | - Veronika E. Mayer
- Department of Structural and Functional Botany, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Vienna, Austria
| | - Gerhard Zotz
- Department of Biology and Environmental Sciences, Carl von Ossietzky University of Oldenburg, Germany
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Balboa, Republic of Panama
| | - Andreas Richter
- Department of Terrestrial Ecosystem Research, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Vienna, Austria
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Pereira CG, Almenara DP, Winter CE, Fritsch PW, Lambers H, Oliveira RS. Underground leaves of Philcoxia trap and digest nematodes. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2012; 109:1154-8. [PMID: 22232687 PMCID: PMC3268334 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1114199109] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The recently described genus Philcoxia comprises three species restricted to well lit and low-nutrient soils in the Brazilian Cerrado. The morphological and habitat similarities of Philcoxia to those of some carnivorous plants, along with recent observations of nematodes over its subterranean leaves, prompted the suggestion that the genus is carnivorous. Here we report compelling evidence of carnivory in Philcoxia of the Plantaginaceae, a family in which no carnivorous members are otherwise known. We also document both a unique capturing strategy for carnivorous plants and a case of a plant that traps and digests nematodes with underground adhesive leaves. Our findings illustrate how much can still be discovered about the origin, distribution, and frequency of the carnivorous syndrome in angiosperms and, more generally, about the diversity of nutrient-acquisition mechanisms that have evolved in plants growing in severely nutrient-impoverished environments such as the Brazilian Cerrado, one of the world's 34 biodiversity hotspots.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caio G. Pereira
- Plant Functional Ecology Laboratory, Plant Biology Department Institute of Biology Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Campinas 13083-970, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Daniela P. Almenara
- Laboratory of Nematode Molecular Biology, Department of Parasitology Institute of Biomedical Sciences Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo 05508-900, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Carlos E. Winter
- Laboratory of Nematode Molecular Biology, Department of Parasitology Institute of Biomedical Sciences Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo 05508-900, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Peter W. Fritsch
- Department of Botany, California Academy of Sciences, San Francisco, CA 94118; and
| | - Hans Lambers
- School of Plant Biology, University of Western Australia, Crawley 6009, Australia
| | - Rafael S. Oliveira
- Plant Functional Ecology Laboratory, Plant Biology Department Institute of Biology Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Campinas 13083-970, São Paulo, Brazil
- School of Plant Biology, University of Western Australia, Crawley 6009, Australia
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Joyeux M. At the conjunction of biology, chemistry and physics: the fast movements ofDionaea, Aldrovanda, UtriculariaandStylidium. FRONTIERS IN LIFE SCIENCE 2011. [DOI: 10.1080/21553769.2012.708907] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
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