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Gelambi M, Whitehead SR. Untargeted Metabolomics Reveals Fruit Secondary Metabolites Alter Bat Nutrient Absorption. J Chem Ecol 2024:10.1007/s10886-024-01503-z. [PMID: 38758510 DOI: 10.1007/s10886-024-01503-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 05/03/2024] [Indexed: 05/18/2024]
Abstract
The ecological interaction between fleshy fruits and frugivores is influenced by diverse mixtures of secondary metabolites that naturally occur in the fruit pulp. Although some fruit secondary metabolites have a primary role in defending the pulp against antagonistic frugivores, these metabolites also potentially affect mutualistic interactions. The physiological impact of these secondary metabolites on mutualistic frugivores remains largely unexplored. Using a mutualistic fruit bat (Carollia perspicillata), we showed that ingesting four secondary metabolites commonly found in plant tissues affects bat foraging behavior and induces changes in the fecal metabolome. Our behavioral trials showed that the metabolites tested typically deter bats. Our metabolomic surveys suggest that secondary metabolites alter, either by increasing or decreasing, the absorption of essential macronutrients. These behavioral and physiological effects vary based on the specific identity and concentration of the metabolite tested. Our results also suggest that a portion of the secondary metabolites consumed is excreted by the bat intact or slightly modified. By identifying key shifts in the fecal metabolome of a mutualistic frugivore caused by secondary metabolite consumption, this study improves our understanding of the effects of fruit chemistry on frugivore physiology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mariana Gelambi
- Department of Biological Sciences, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Latham Hall RM 427, 220 Ag Quad Lane, Blacksburg, VA, 24060, USA.
- La Selva Biological Station, Organization for Tropical Studies, Puerto Viejo de Sarapiquí, Heredia Province, Costa Rica.
| | - Susan R Whitehead
- Department of Biological Sciences, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Latham Hall RM 427, 220 Ag Quad Lane, Blacksburg, VA, 24060, USA
- La Selva Biological Station, Organization for Tropical Studies, Puerto Viejo de Sarapiquí, Heredia Province, Costa Rica
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2
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Lim-Hing S, Gandhi KJK, Villari C. The role of Manganese in tree defenses against pests and pathogens. PLANT PHYSIOLOGY AND BIOCHEMISTRY : PPB 2024; 210:108641. [PMID: 38663267 DOI: 10.1016/j.plaphy.2024.108641] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2023] [Revised: 03/25/2024] [Accepted: 04/17/2024] [Indexed: 05/12/2024]
Abstract
Manganese (Mn) deficiency is a widespread occurrence across different landscapes, including agricultural systems and managed forests, and causes interruptions in the normal metabolic functioning of plants. The microelement is well-characterized for its role in the oxygen-evolving complex in photosystem II and maintenance of photosynthetic structures. Mn is also required for a variety of enzymatic reactions in secondary metabolism, which play a crucial role in defense strategies for trees. Despite the strong relationship between Mn availability and the biosynthesis of defense-related compounds, there are few studies addressing how Mn deficiency can impact tree defense mechanisms and the ensuing ecological patterns and processes. Understanding this relationship and highlighting the potentially deleterious effects of Mn deficiency in trees can also inform silvicultural and management decisions to build more robust forests. In this review, we address this relationship, focusing on forest trees. We describe Mn availability in forest soils, characterize the known impacts of Mn deficiency in plant susceptibility, and discuss the relationship between Mn and defense-related compounds by secondary metabolite class. In our review, we find several lines of evidence that low Mn availability is linked with lowered or altered secondary metabolite activity. Additionally, we compile documented instances where Mn limitation has altered the defense capabilities of the host plant and propose potential ecological repercussions when studies are not available. Ultimately, this review aims to highlight the importance of untangling the effects of Mn limitation on the ecophysiology of plants, with a focus on forest trees in both managed and natural stands.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simone Lim-Hing
- D.B. Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources, University of Georgia, 180 East Green Street, Athens, 30602, Georgia, USA; Department of Plant Biology, University of Georgia, 120 Carlton Street, Athens, 30602, Georgia, USA.
| | - Kamal J K Gandhi
- D.B. Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources, University of Georgia, 180 East Green Street, Athens, 30602, Georgia, USA
| | - Caterina Villari
- D.B. Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources, University of Georgia, 180 East Green Street, Athens, 30602, Georgia, USA.
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Gelambi M, Whitehead SR. Multiscale variability in nutrients and secondary metabolites in a bat-dispersed neotropical fruit. Ecol Evol 2023; 13:e10453. [PMID: 37664504 PMCID: PMC10474796 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.10453] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2023] [Revised: 07/31/2023] [Accepted: 08/15/2023] [Indexed: 09/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Ripe fleshy fruits contain not only nutrients but also a diverse array of secondary metabolites. Nutrients serve as a reward for mutualists, whereas defensive metabolites protect the fruit against pests and predators. The composition of these chemical traits is highly variable, both across different plants and even within repeating structures on the same individual plant. This intraspecific and intraindividual variation has important fitness consequences for both plants and animals, yet patterns of variation and covariation in nutrients and secondary metabolites are not well understood, especially at smaller scales. Here, we investigate the multiscale variation and covariation between nutrients and defensive metabolites in Piper sancti-felicis ripe fruits. Means and measures of variation of sugars, proteins, phenolics, and alkenylphenols vary greatly among plants, and at least 50% of the trait variation occurs at the intraindividual level. Also, we found that proteins, but not sugars, were correlated with phenolics and alkenylphenols at multiple scales, suggesting trait variation in protein content may be more constrained than sugars. Our findings emphasize the importance of examining patterns across scales and provide the groundwork to better understand how complex patterns of variation and covariation in nutrients and defensive metabolites shape ecological interactions surrounding fruits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mariana Gelambi
- Department of Biological SciencesVirginia Polytechnic Institute and State UniversityBlacksburgVirginiaUSA
- La Selva Biological StationOrganization for Tropical StudiesPuerto Viejo de SarapiquíHeredia ProvinceCosta Rica
| | - Susan R. Whitehead
- Department of Biological SciencesVirginia Polytechnic Institute and State UniversityBlacksburgVirginiaUSA
- La Selva Biological StationOrganization for Tropical StudiesPuerto Viejo de SarapiquíHeredia ProvinceCosta Rica
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Salgado AL, Glassmire AE, Sedio BE, Diaz R, Stout MJ, Čuda J, Pyšek P, Meyerson LA, Cronin JT. Metabolomic Evenness Underlies Intraspecific Differences Among Lineages of a Wetland Grass. J Chem Ecol 2023; 49:437-450. [PMID: 37099216 DOI: 10.1007/s10886-023-01425-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2023] [Revised: 03/20/2023] [Accepted: 04/05/2023] [Indexed: 04/27/2023]
Abstract
The metabolome represents an important functional trait likely important to plant invasion success, but we have a limited understanding of whether the entire metabolome or targeted groups of compounds confer an advantage to invasive as compared to native taxa. We conducted a lipidomic and metabolomic analysis of the cosmopolitan wetland grass Phragmites australis. We classified features into metabolic pathways, subclasses, and classes. Subsequently, we used Random Forests to identify informative features to differentiate five phylogeographic and ecologically distinct lineages: European native, North American invasive, North American native, Gulf, and Delta. We found that lineages had unique phytochemical fingerprints, although there was overlap between the North American invasive and North American native lineages. Furthermore, we found that divergence in phytochemical diversity was driven by compound evenness rather than metabolite richness. Interestingly, the North American invasive lineage had greater chemical evenness than the Delta and Gulf lineages but lower evenness than the North American native lineage. Our results suggest that metabolomic evenness may represent a critical functional trait within a plant species. Its role in invasion success, resistance to herbivory, and large-scale die-off events common to this and other plant species remain to be investigated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana L Salgado
- Department of Biological Sciences, Louisiana State University, Life Sciences Building, Baton Rouge, LA, 70803, USA.
| | - Andrea E Glassmire
- Department of Biological Sciences, Louisiana State University, Life Sciences Building, Baton Rouge, LA, 70803, USA
| | - Brian E Sedio
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Texas, Austin, TX, 78712, USA
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Balboa, Ancón, Apartado, 0843-03092, Republic of Panama
| | - Rodrigo Diaz
- Department of Entomology, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA, 70803, USA
| | - Michael J Stout
- Department of Entomology, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA, 70803, USA
| | - Jan Čuda
- Department of Invasion Ecology, Czech Academy of Sciences, Institute of Botany, Průhonice, Czech Republic
| | - Petr Pyšek
- Department of Invasion Ecology, Czech Academy of Sciences, Institute of Botany, Průhonice, Czech Republic
- Department of Ecology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, CZ -128 44, Czech Republic
| | - Laura A Meyerson
- Department of Natural Resource Sciences, University of Rhode Island, Kingston, RI, 02881, USA
| | - James T Cronin
- Department of Biological Sciences, Louisiana State University, Life Sciences Building, Baton Rouge, LA, 70803, USA
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de Brito-Machado D, Ramos YJ, Defaveri ACAE, de Queiroz GA, Guimarães EF, de Lima Moreira D. Volatile Chemical Variation of Essential Oils and Their Correlation with Insects, Phenology, Ontogeny and Microclimate: Piper mollicomum Kunth, a Case of Study. PLANTS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2022; 11:3535. [PMID: 36559647 PMCID: PMC9785739 DOI: 10.3390/plants11243535] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2022] [Revised: 12/08/2022] [Accepted: 12/10/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
The aim of this study was to monitor the volatile chemical composition from leaves and reproductive organs of Piper mollicomum Kunth (PM), in its reproduction period, as well as register inflorescence visitors, microclimate and phenological information. The essential oils (EOs) obtained from the different fresh organs by hydrodistillation were identified and quantified by Gas Chromatography/Mass Spectrometry (GC/MS) and by GC coupled to a Flame Ionization Detector (GC/FID), respectively. The cercentage content of some volatiles present in reproductive organs, such as limonene, 1,8-cineole, linalool and eupatoriochromene, increased during the maturation period of the inflorescences, and decreased during the fruiting period, suggesting a defense/attraction activities. Furtermore, a biosynthetic dichotomy between 1,8-cineole (leaves) and linalool (reproductive organs) was recorded. A high frequency of bee visits was registered weekly, and some correlations showed a positive relationship between this variable and terpenes. Microclimate has an impact on this species' phenological cycles and insect visiting behavior. All correlations between volatiles, insects, phenology and microclimate allowed us to present important data about the complex information network in PM. These results are extremely relevant for the understanding of the mechanisms of chemical-ecological plant-insect interactions in Piperaceae, a basal angiosperm.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel de Brito-Machado
- Instituto de Biologia, Pós-Graduação em Biologia Vegetal, Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro, Maracanã, Rio de Janeiro 20550-013, Brazil
- Diretoria de Pesquisa do Instituto de Pesquisas Jardim Botânico do Rio de Janeiro, Jardim Botânico do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro 22460-030, Brazil
- Centro de Responsabilidade Socioambiental do Instituto de Pesquisas Jardim Botânico do Rio de Janeiro, Jardim Botânico do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro 22460-030, Brazil
| | - Ygor Jessé Ramos
- Diretoria de Pesquisa do Instituto de Pesquisas Jardim Botânico do Rio de Janeiro, Jardim Botânico do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro 22460-030, Brazil
- Centro de Responsabilidade Socioambiental do Instituto de Pesquisas Jardim Botânico do Rio de Janeiro, Jardim Botânico do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro 22460-030, Brazil
| | - Anna Carina Antunes e Defaveri
- Centro de Responsabilidade Socioambiental do Instituto de Pesquisas Jardim Botânico do Rio de Janeiro, Jardim Botânico do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro 22460-030, Brazil
| | - George Azevedo de Queiroz
- Diretoria de Pesquisa do Instituto de Pesquisas Jardim Botânico do Rio de Janeiro, Jardim Botânico do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro 22460-030, Brazil
| | - Elsie Franklin Guimarães
- Diretoria de Pesquisa do Instituto de Pesquisas Jardim Botânico do Rio de Janeiro, Jardim Botânico do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro 22460-030, Brazil
| | - Davyson de Lima Moreira
- Instituto de Biologia, Pós-Graduação em Biologia Vegetal, Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro, Maracanã, Rio de Janeiro 20550-013, Brazil
- Diretoria de Pesquisa do Instituto de Pesquisas Jardim Botânico do Rio de Janeiro, Jardim Botânico do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro 22460-030, Brazil
- Instituto de Tecnologia em Fármacos, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Manguinhos, Rio de Janeiro 21041-250, Brazil
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Fruit secondary metabolites shape seed dispersal effectiveness. Trends Ecol Evol 2021; 36:1113-1123. [PMID: 34509316 DOI: 10.1016/j.tree.2021.08.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2021] [Revised: 08/05/2021] [Accepted: 08/09/2021] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Plant secondary metabolites (PSMs) play a central role in seed dispersal and fruit defense, with potential for large impacts on plant fitness and demography. Yet because PSMs can have multiple interactive functions across seed dispersal stages, we must systematically study their effects to determine the net consequences for plant fitness. To tackle this issue, we integrate the role of fruit PSMs into the seed dispersal effectiveness (SDE) framework. We describe PSM effects on the quantity and quality of animal-mediated seed dispersal, both in pairwise interactions and diverse disperser communities, as well as trade-offs that occur across dispersal stages. By doing so, this review provides structure to a rapidly growing field and yields insights into a critical process shaping plant populations.
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Hemingway CT, Aversa III JC, Ryan MJ, Page RA. Context-dependent preferences in wild fruit bats. Anim Behav 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2021.06.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
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Schneider GF, Salazar D, Hildreth SB, Helm RF, Whitehead SR. Comparative Metabolomics of Fruits and Leaves in a Hyperdiverse Lineage Suggests Fruits Are a Key Incubator of Phytochemical Diversification. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2021; 12:693739. [PMID: 34527005 PMCID: PMC8435686 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2021.693739] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2021] [Accepted: 07/30/2021] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
Interactions between plants and leaf herbivores have long been implicated as the major driver of plant secondary metabolite diversity. However, other plant-animal interactions, such as those between fruits and frugivores, may also be involved in phytochemical diversification. Using 12 species of Piper, we conducted untargeted metabolomics and molecular networking with extracts of fruits and leaves. We evaluated organ-specific secondary metabolite composition and compared multiple dimensions of phytochemical diversity across organs, including richness, structural complexity, and variability across samples at multiple scales within and across species. Plant organ identity, species identity, and the interaction between the two all significantly influenced secondary metabolite composition. Leaves and fruit shared a majority of compounds, but fruits contained more unique compounds and had higher total estimated chemical richness. While the relative levels of chemical richness and structural complexity across organs varied substantially across species, fruit diversity exceeded leaf diversity in more species than the reverse. Furthermore, the variance in chemical composition across samples was higher for fruits than leaves. By documenting a broad pattern of high phytochemical diversity in fruits relative to leaves, this study lays groundwork for incorporating fruit into a comprehensive and integrative understanding of the ecological and evolutionary factors shaping secondary metabolite composition at the whole-plant level.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gerald F. Schneider
- Department of Biological Sciences, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA, United States
- Department of Biology, Utah State University, Logan, UT, United States
- *Correspondence: Gerald F. Schneider,
| | - Diego Salazar
- Department of Biological Sciences, International Center for Tropical Botany, Florida International University, Miami, FL, United States
| | - Sherry B. Hildreth
- Department of Biological Sciences, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA, United States
- Department of Biochemistry, Fralin Life Sciences Institute, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA, United States
| | - Richard F. Helm
- Department of Biochemistry, Fralin Life Sciences Institute, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA, United States
| | - Susan R. Whitehead
- Department of Biological Sciences, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA, United States
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Nevo O, Valenta K, Kleiner A, Razafimandimby D, Jeffrey JAJ, Chapman CA, Ayasse M. The evolution of fruit scent: phylogenetic and developmental constraints. BMC Evol Biol 2020; 20:138. [PMID: 33109084 PMCID: PMC7590443 DOI: 10.1186/s12862-020-01708-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2019] [Accepted: 10/21/2020] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Fruit scent is increasingly recognized as an evolved signal whose function is to attract animal seed dispersers and facilitate plant reproduction. However, like all traits, fruit scent is likely to evolve in response to conflicting selective pressures and various constraints. Two major constraints are (i) phylogenetic constraints, in which traits are inherited from ancestors rather than adapted to current conditions and (ii) developmental constraints, if phenotypes are limited by the expression of other traits within the individual. We tested whether phylogenetic constraints play a role in fruit scent evolution by calculating the phylogenetic signal in ripe fruits of 98 species from three study sites. We then estimated the importance of developmental constraints by examining whether ripe fruits tend to emit compounds that are chemically similar to, and share biosynthetic pathways with, compounds emitted by conspecific unripe fruits from which they develop. RESULTS We show that closely related taxa are not more similar to each other than to very distinct taxa, thus indicating that fruit scent shows little phylogenetic signal. At the same time, although ripe and unripe fruits of the same species tend to emit different chemicals, they tend to employ chemicals originating from similar biosynthetic pathways, thus indicating that some developmental constraints determine ripe fruit scent. CONCLUSIONS Our results highlight the complex landscape in which fruit scent has evolved. On one hand, fruit scent evolution is not limited by common ancestry. On the other hand, the range of chemicals that can be employed in ripe fruits is probably constrained by the needs of unripe fruits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Omer Nevo
- Institute of Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation Genomics, Ulm University, Ulm, Germany
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Puschstraße 4, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
- Institute of Biodiversity, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Dornburgerstr 159, 07743 Jena, Germany
| | - Kim Valenta
- Department of Anthropology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL USA
| | - Annemarie Kleiner
- Institute of Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation Genomics, Ulm University, Ulm, Germany
| | - Diary Razafimandimby
- Faculty of Sciences, Zoology and Animal Biodiversity, University of Antananarivo, Antananarivo, Madagascar
| | - Juan Antonio James Jeffrey
- Institute of Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation Genomics, Ulm University, Ulm, Germany
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT USA
- School of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH USA
| | - Colin A. Chapman
- Department of Anthropology, Center for the Advanced Study of Human Paleobiology, The George Washington University, Washington, DC 20037 USA
- School of Life Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Scottsville, Pietermaritzburg, South Africa
- Shaanxi Key Laboratory for Animal Conservation, Northwest University, Xi’an, China
| | - Manfred Ayasse
- Institute of Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation Genomics, Ulm University, Ulm, Germany
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