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Jhajhariya M, Mangla Y, Chandra A, Goel S, Tandon R. Variable resource allocation pattern, biased sex-ratio, and extent of sexual dimorphism in subdioecious Hippophae rhamnoides. PLoS One 2024; 19:e0302211. [PMID: 38635726 PMCID: PMC11025892 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0302211] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2023] [Accepted: 03/30/2024] [Indexed: 04/20/2024] Open
Abstract
Evolutionary maintenance of dioecy is a complex phenomenon and varies by species and underlying pathways. Also, different sexes may exhibit variable resource allocation (RA) patterns among the vegetative and reproductive functions. Such differences are reflected in the extent of sexual dimorphism. Though rarely pursued, investigation on plant species harbouring intermediate sexual phenotypes may reveal useful information on the strategy pertaining to sex-ratios and evolutionary pathways. We studied H. rhamnoides ssp. turkestanica, a subdioecious species with polygamomonoecious (PGM) plants, in western Himalaya. The species naturally inhabits a wide range of habitats ranging from river deltas to hill slopes. These attributes of the species are conducive to test the influence of abiotic factors on sexual dimorphism, and RA strategy among different sexes. The study demonstrates sexual dimorphism in vegetative and reproductive traits. The sexual dimorphism index, aligned the traits like height, number of branches, flower production, and dry-weight of flowers with males while others including fresh-weight of leaves, number of thorns, fruit production were significantly associated with females. The difference in RA pattern is more pronounced in reproductive traits of the male and female plants, while in the PGM plants the traits overlap. In general, habitat conditions did not influence either the extent of sexual dimorphism or RA pattern. However, it seems to influence secondary sex-ratio as females show their significant association with soil moisture. Our findings on sexual dimorphism and RA pattern supports attributes of wind-pollination in the species. The observed extent of sexual dimorphism in the species reiterates limited genomic differences among the sexes and the ongoing evolution of dioecy via monoecy in the species. The dynamics of RA in the species appears to be independent of resource availability in the habitats as the species grows in a resource-limited and extreme environment.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Yash Mangla
- Department of Botany, Kirori Mal College, University of Delhi, New Delhi, Delhi, India
| | - Atika Chandra
- Department of Botany, Maitreyi College, University of Delhi, New Delhi, Delhi, India
| | | | - Rajesh Tandon
- Department of Botany, University of Delhi, New Delhi, India
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He D, Liu XY, Zheng LT. Sex-specific scaling of leaf phosphorus vs. nitrogen under unequal reproductive requirements in Eurya japonica, a dioecious plant. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF BOTANY 2024; 111:e16311. [PMID: 38571288 DOI: 10.1002/ajb2.16311] [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: 10/11/2023] [Revised: 01/30/2024] [Accepted: 01/31/2024] [Indexed: 04/05/2024]
Abstract
PREMISE Previous work searching for sexual dimorphism has largely relied on the comparison of trait mean vectors between sexes in dioecious plants. Whether trait scaling (i.e., the ratio of proportional changes in covarying traits) differs between sexes, along with its functional significance, remains unclear. METHODS We measured 10 vegetative traits pertaining to carbon, water, and nutrient economics across 337 individuals (157 males and 180 females) of the diocious species Eurya japonica during the fruiting season in eastern China. Piecewise structural equation modeling was employed to reveal the scaling relationships of multiple interacting traits, and multivariate analysis of (co)variance was conducted to test for intersexual differences. RESULTS There was no sexual dimorphism in terms of trait mean vectors across the 10 vegetative traits in E. japonica. Moreover, most relationships for covarying trait pairs (17 out of 19) exhibited common scaling slopes between sexes. However, the scaling slopes for leaf phosphorus (P) vs. nitrogen (N) differed between sexes, with 5.6- and 3.0-fold increases of P coinciding with a 10-fold increase of N in male and female plants, respectively. CONCLUSIONS The lower ratio of proportional changes in P vs. N for females likely reflects stronger P limitation for their vegetative growth, as they require greater P investments in fruiting. Therefore, P vs. N scaling can be a key avenue allowing for sex-specific strategic optimization under unequal reproductive requirements. This study uncovers a hidden aspect of secondary sex character in dioecious plants, and highlights the use of trait scaling to understand sex-defined economic strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dong He
- College of Ecology and the Environment, Xinjiang University, Urumchi, PR China
- School of Ecological and Environmental Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai, PR China
| | - Xiang-Yu Liu
- School of Ecological and Environmental Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai, PR China
- Plant Ecology and Phytochemistry Group, Institute of Biology, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Li-Ting Zheng
- School of Ecological and Environmental Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai, PR China
- Institute for Global Change Biology, School for Environment and Sustainability, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, 48109, Michigan, USA
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3
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Scheuerell RP, LeRoy CJ. Plant sex influences on riparian communities and ecosystems. Ecol Evol 2023; 13:e10308. [PMID: 37449021 PMCID: PMC10337289 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.10308] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2023] [Revised: 06/05/2023] [Accepted: 06/30/2023] [Indexed: 07/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Over the past several decades, we have increased our understanding of the influences of plant genetics on associated communities and ecosystem functions. These influences have been shown at both broad spatial scales and across many plant families, creating an active subdiscipline of ecology research focused on genes-to-ecosystems connections. One complex aspect of plant genetics is the distinction between males and females in dioecious plants. The genetic determinants of plant sex are poorly understood for most plants, but the influences of plant sex on morphological, physiological, and chemical plant traits are well-studied. We argue that these plant traits, controlled by plant sex, may have wide-reaching influences on both terrestrial and aquatic communities and ecosystem processes, particularly for riparian plants. Here we systematically review the influences of plant sex on plant traits, influences of plant traits on terrestrial community members, and how interactions between plant traits and terrestrial community members can influence terrestrial ecosystem functions in riparian forests. We then extend these influences into adjacent aquatic ecosystem functions and aquatic communities to explore how plant sex might influence linked terrestrial-aquatic systems as well as the physical structure of riparian systems. This review highlights data gaps in empirical studies exploring the direct influences of plant sex on communities and ecosystems but draws inference from community and ecosystem genetics. Overall, this review highlights how variation by plant sex has implications for climate change adaptations in riparian habitats, the evolution and range shifts of riparian species and the methods used for conserving and restoring riparian systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- River P. Scheuerell
- Environmental Studies ProgramThe Evergreen State CollegeOlympiaWashingtonUSA
| | - Carri J. LeRoy
- Environmental Studies ProgramThe Evergreen State CollegeOlympiaWashingtonUSA
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Liu G, Wang Y, Lian B, Ma Z, Xiang X, Wu J, Luo C, Ma D, Chen Y, Yu C, Zhong F, Wei H, Zhang J. Molecular responses to salinity stress in Salix matsudana (Koidz) females and males. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2023; 14:1122197. [PMID: 36778681 PMCID: PMC9911873 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2023.1122197] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2022] [Accepted: 01/12/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Sexual dimorphism has commonly been found in many species. The phenotypes of Salix matsudana females and males are different under salinity stress. An F1 population was selected to compare the differences between males and females. As a result, males showed stronger roots and heavier dry weights than females. The unique molecular mechanisms of males and females under salinity stress were further analyzed based on the root transcriptome of males and females. Both males and females up-regulated systemic acquired resistance genes, such as ADH and oxygenase-related genes, to resist salt. Moreover, many other abiotic stress response genes were up-regulated in males to adjust to salinity stress, while females showed more down-regulation of nitrogen metabolism-related genes to decrease the harm from salinity stress. The research on salinity tolerance in Salix matsudana males and females would help to further understand sexual dimorphism under selection pressure and provide benefits to the ecological environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guoyuan Liu
- School of Life Science, Nantong University, Nantong, China
- Key Lab of Landscape Plant Genetics and Breeding, Nantong, China
| | - Yuqing Wang
- School of Life Science, Nantong University, Nantong, China
| | - Bolin Lian
- School of Life Science, Nantong University, Nantong, China
- Key Lab of Landscape Plant Genetics and Breeding, Nantong, China
| | - Ziqi Ma
- School of Life Science, Nantong University, Nantong, China
| | - Xiaoting Xiang
- School of Life Science, Nantong University, Nantong, China
| | - Jing Wu
- School of Life Science, Nantong University, Nantong, China
| | - Chunying Luo
- School of Life Science, Nantong University, Nantong, China
| | - Duojin Ma
- School of Life Science, Nantong University, Nantong, China
| | - Yanhong Chen
- School of Life Science, Nantong University, Nantong, China
- Key Lab of Landscape Plant Genetics and Breeding, Nantong, China
| | - Chunmei Yu
- School of Life Science, Nantong University, Nantong, China
- Key Lab of Landscape Plant Genetics and Breeding, Nantong, China
| | - Fei Zhong
- School of Life Science, Nantong University, Nantong, China
- Key Lab of Landscape Plant Genetics and Breeding, Nantong, China
| | - Hui Wei
- School of Life Science, Nantong University, Nantong, China
- Key Lab of Landscape Plant Genetics and Breeding, Nantong, China
| | - Jian Zhang
- School of Life Science, Nantong University, Nantong, China
- Key Lab of Landscape Plant Genetics and Breeding, Nantong, China
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Sex ratios, damage and distribution of Myrianthus holstii Engl.: a dioecious afromontane forest tree. JOURNAL OF TROPICAL ECOLOGY 2023. [DOI: 10.1017/s0266467422000499] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
Abstract
Male and female dioecious tropical trees are subjected to distinct demands that may influence their ecology. An example is Myrianthus holstii Engl. that produces persistent fruit eaten by elephants and other large mammals that frequently damage the trees. Myrianthus holstii populations were assessed with 24 2-km transects, spanning an elevation range of 1435–2495 m in the Bwindi Impenetrable National Park in Uganda. Of 1089 stems ≥ 5 cm diameter 449 were female, 383 were male and the rest were non-fertile. We also noted one apparently monoecious individual. Males produced flowers at smaller sizes than did females (minimum recorded diameters 5.5 cm and 6.8 cm, respectively). Both sexes had similar distributions, favouring moderately closed forest and mid-slope locations. Female trees were more frequently damaged and typically slightly shorter than males at large diameters. Seedling densities were positively associated with the presence of larger female trees. Our results are consistent with a life history where both sexes have similar requirements, but fruiting females experience a greater frequency of severe damage.
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Zhou Y, Pang Z, Yuan Z, Fallah N, Jia H, Ming R. Sex-based metabolic and microbiota differences in roots and rhizosphere soils of dioecious papaya ( Carica papaya L.). FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2022; 13:991114. [PMID: 36311075 PMCID: PMC9612958 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2022.991114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2022] [Accepted: 09/30/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Dioecious plant species have a high genetic variation that is important for coping with or adapting to environmental stress through natural selection. Intensive studies have reported dimorphism morphism in morphology, physiology, as well as biotic and abiotic stress responses in dioecious plants. Here, we demonstrated the dimorphism of metabolic profile and the preference of some microorganisms in the roots and rhizosphere soils of male and female papaya. The metabolic composition of roots were significantly different between the males and females. Some sex hormones occurred in the differential metabolites in roots and rhizosphere soils. For example, testosterone was up-regulated in male papaya roots and rhizosphere soils, whereas norgestrel was up-regulated in the female papaya roots, indicating a possible balance in papaya roots to control the sexual differentiation. Plant hormones such as BRs, JAs, SA and GAs were also detected among the differential metabolites in the roots and rhizosphere soils of dioecious papaya. In addition, some metabolites that have medicinal values, such as ecliptasaponin A, crocin, berberine and sapindoside A were also expressed differentially between the two sexes. Numerous differential metabolites from the papaya roots were secreted in the soil, resulting in the differences in microbial community structure in the roots and rhizosphere soils. Some nitrogen-fixing bacteria such as Allorhizobium-Neorhizobium-Pararhizobium-Rhizobium, Brevundimonas and Microvirga were enriched in the male papaya roots or rhizosphere soils. While Candidatus Solibacter and Tumebacillus, which utilize organic matters, were enriched in the roots or rhizosphere soils of the female papaya. Some differences in the fungi abundance were also observed in both male and female papaya roots. These findings uncovered the effect of sex types on the metabolic and microbiota differences in roots and rhizosphere soils in papaya and will lead to investigations of underlining genomic and molecular mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yongmei Zhou
- FAFU and UIUC Joint Center for Genomics and Biotechnology, Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Haixia Applied Plant Systems Biology, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, China
| | - Ziqin Pang
- Key Laboratory of Sugarcane Biology and Genetic Breeding, Ministry of Agriculture, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, China
| | - Zhaonian Yuan
- Key Laboratory of Sugarcane Biology and Genetic Breeding, Ministry of Agriculture, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, China
| | - Nyumah Fallah
- Key Laboratory of Sugarcane Biology and Genetic Breeding, Ministry of Agriculture, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, China
| | - Haifeng Jia
- FAFU and UIUC Joint Center for Genomics and Biotechnology, Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Haixia Applied Plant Systems Biology, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, China
| | - Ray Ming
- Department of Plant Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, United States
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Tonnabel J, Cosette P, Lehner A, Mollet JC, Amine Ben Mlouka M, Grladinovic L, David P, Pannell JR. Rapid evolution of pollen and pistil traits as a response to sexual selection in the post-pollination phase of mating. Curr Biol 2022; 32:4465-4472.e6. [PMID: 36027911 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2022.07.077] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2022] [Revised: 05/26/2022] [Accepted: 07/29/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Sexual selection is the basis of some of the most striking phenotypic variation in nature.1,2 In animals, sexual selection in males can act on traits that improve access to mates prior to copulation,3-8 but also on sperm traits filtered by sperm competition,9-14 or female choice expressed simply by the morphology and physiology of genital tracts.14-16 Although long overlooked as a mode of selection on plant traits, sexual selection should act on land plants too because they are anisogamous: males produce more, and smaller, gametes than females.17-19 Numerical asymmetry in gamete production is thought to play a central role in selection on traits that affect pollen transfer to mates,20,21 but very little is known about how pollen competition or cryptic female choice might affect the evolution of traits expressed after pollination.22,23 Here, we report the divergence of pollen and pistil traits of the dioecious wind-pollinated annual herb Mercurialis annua during evolution over three generations between populations at low versus high plant density, corresponding to low versus higher levels of polyandry;24 we expected selection under higher polyandry to strengthen competition among pollen donors for fertilizing ovules. We found that populations at high density evolved faster-growing pollen tubes (an equivalent of greater sperm velocity), greater expression of pollen proteins involved in pollen growth, and larger stigmas (a trait likely enhancing the number of pollen donors and thus competition for ovules). Our results identify the post-pollination phase of plant mating as an important arena for the action of sexual selection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeanne Tonnabel
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Lausanne, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland; CEFE, CNRS, University of Montpellier, EPHE, IRD, Montpellier, France; ISEM, University Montpellier, CNRS, IRD, Montpellier, France.
| | - Pascal Cosette
- Normandie University, UNIROUEN UMR6270 CNRS, PISSARO Proteomic Facility, Carnot I2C, 76130 Mont Saint Aigan, France
| | - Arnaud Lehner
- Normandie University, UNIROUEN, Laboratoire Glycobiologie et Matrice Extracellulaire Végétale, SFR 4377 NORVEGE, IRIB, Carnot I2C, 76000 Rouen, France
| | - Jean-Claude Mollet
- Normandie University, UNIROUEN, Laboratoire Glycobiologie et Matrice Extracellulaire Végétale, SFR 4377 NORVEGE, IRIB, Carnot I2C, 76000 Rouen, France
| | - Mohamed Amine Ben Mlouka
- Normandie University, UNIROUEN UMR6270 CNRS, PISSARO Proteomic Facility, Carnot I2C, 76130 Mont Saint Aigan, France
| | - Lucija Grladinovic
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Lausanne, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Patrice David
- CEFE, CNRS, University of Montpellier, EPHE, IRD, Montpellier, France
| | - John R Pannell
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Lausanne, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
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8
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Tonnabel J, David P, Pannell JR. Rapid divergence in vegetative morphology of a wind-pollinated plant between populations at contrasting densities. Evolution 2022; 76:1737-1748. [PMID: 35713285 PMCID: PMC9544426 DOI: 10.1111/evo.14539] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2021] [Revised: 12/20/2021] [Accepted: 01/05/2022] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
Plant sexual dimorphism is thought to evolve in response to sex-specific selection associated with competition for access to mates or resources, both of which may be density dependent. In wind-pollinated plants in particular, vegetative traits such as plant size and architecture may influence resource acquisition and both pollen dispersal and receipt, with potential conflict between these two components of fitness. We evaluated the role of plant density in shaping plant traits by measuring evolutionary responses in experimental populations of the sexually dimorphic wind-pollinated plant Mercurialis annua. After three generations of evolution, we observed divergence between high- and low-density populations in several vegetative traits, whereas there was no divergence for reproductive traits. A reversal in the direction of sexually dimorphic traits expressed in young plants evolved in both low- and high-density populations compared to the original population (stored as seeds). Compared to the source population, males at high density evolved to be taller when young, whereas at low density young females tended to become smaller. These results demonstrate that a simple change in plant density can induce age-dependent and sex-specific evolution in the ontogeny of vegetative organs, and illustrates the power of experimental evolution for investigating plant trait evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeanne Tonnabel
- Department of Ecology and EvolutionUniversity of LausanneLausanneCH‐1015Switzerland,CEFE, Univ Montpellier, CNRS, EPHE, IRD, Montpellier, FranceCNRSMontpellier34293France
| | - Patrice David
- CEFE, Univ Montpellier, CNRS, EPHE, IRD, Montpellier, FranceCNRSMontpellier34293France
| | - John R. Pannell
- Department of Ecology and EvolutionUniversity of LausanneLausanneCH‐1015Switzerland
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9
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Bürli S, Pannell JR, Tonnabel J. Environmental variation in sex ratios and sexual dimorphism in three wind‐pollinated dioecious plant species. OIKOS 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/oik.08651] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Sarah Bürli
- Dept of Ecology and Evolution, Le Biophore, UNIL‐SORGE, Univ. of Lausanne Lausanne Switzerland
- Botanical Garden&Inst. of Plant Sciences of the Univ. of Bern Bern Switzerland
| | - John R. Pannell
- Dept of Ecology and Evolution, Le Biophore, UNIL‐SORGE, Univ. of Lausanne Lausanne Switzerland
| | - Jeanne Tonnabel
- Dept of Ecology and Evolution, Le Biophore, UNIL‐SORGE, Univ. of Lausanne Lausanne Switzerland
- CEFE, Univ. Montpellier, CNRS, Univ. Paul Valéry Montpellier 3, EPHE, IRD Montpellier France
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10
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Villamil N, Li X, Seddon E, Pannell JR. Simulated herbivory enhances leaky sex expression in the dioecious herb Mercurialis annua. ANNALS OF BOTANY 2022; 129:79-86. [PMID: 34668537 PMCID: PMC8829902 DOI: 10.1093/aob/mcab129] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2021] [Accepted: 10/01/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIMS Plant reproductive traits are widely understood to be responsive to the selective pressures exerted by pollinators, but there is also increasing evidence for an important role for antagonists such as herbivores in shaping these traits. Many dioecious species show leaky sex expression, with males and females occasionally producing flowers of the opposite sex. Here, we asked to what extent leakiness in sex expression in Mercurialis annua (Euphorbiaceae) might also be plastically responsive to simulated herbivory. This is important because enhanced leakiness in dioecious populations could lead to a shift in both the mating system and in the conditions for transitions between combined and separate sexes. METHODS We examined the effect of simulated herbivory on the sexual expression of males and females of M. annua in two experiments in which different levels of simulated herbivory led to enhanced leakiness in both sexes. KEY RESULTS We showed that leaky sex expression in both males and females of the wind-pollinated dioecious herb M. annua is enhanced in response to simulated herbivory, increasing the probability for and the degree of leakiness in both sexes. We also found that leakiness was greater in larger females but not in larger males. CONCLUSIONS We discuss hypotheses for a possible functional link between herbivory and leaky sex expression, and consider what simulated herbivory-induced leakiness might imply for the evolutionary ecology of plant reproductive systems, especially the breakdown of dioecy and the evolution of hermaphroditism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nora Villamil
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, Université de Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Xinji Li
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, Université de Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Emily Seddon
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, Université de Lausanne, Switzerland
- Vegetation Ecologist, NatureServe, Boulder, CO 80301, USA
| | - John R Pannell
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, Université de Lausanne, Switzerland
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11
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Ferreira INM, Cavalcante RKDO, Borges JPR, Teixeira TPDO, Silva DP, Sá T, Franceschinelli EV. Two dioecious Simarouba species with a specialized pollination system and low reproductive efficacy in Central Brazil. RODRIGUÉSIA 2022. [DOI: 10.1590/2175-7860202273030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Abstract Several possible correlations between dioecy and eco-morphological features have been suggested to infer the conditions that would favor this sexual system. Dioecy has been associated either with specialized or generalized pollination systems. The genus Simarouba has six dioecious species that seem to have generalized pollinators. In this study, we examined the reproductive biology aspects of two Simarouba species to evaluate which of their eco-morphological attributes may favor dioecy. Our data suggest that S. amara and S. versicolor have small, inconspicuous, and abundant flowers of nocturnal anthesis and are only pollinated by nocturnal moths. They have a stable sexual system with flower, inflorescence, and flowering phenology dimorphism that is part of their pollination system strategies. Male plants of both species produce more flowers per individual than do female plants. A larger floral display may have an essential role in increasing male reproductive success. However, both species showed low reproductive efficacy, especially S. versicolor. The low reproductive efficacy may be due to the lack of pollinators or to the inefficacy of the pollinators available locally.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | - Túlio Sá
- Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Brasil
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12
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DING G, LI B, LIU Z, MA W, JIA H, LIU X, ZHANG H, ZHAO Z, ZHANG X, ZHANG X. Effect of altitude on reproductive ingredient and sex allocation of different colors of Anemone obtusiloba in populations. FOOD SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY 2022. [DOI: 10.1590/fst.34421] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Bing LI
- Institute of Gansu Province Light Industrial Scientific Research, China
| | | | - WenJin MA
- Institute of Gansu Province Light Industrial Scientific Research, China
| | - HongZhen JIA
- Institute of Gansu Province Light Industrial Scientific Research, China
| | - XiaoBo LIU
- Institute of Gansu Province Light Industrial Scientific Research, China
| | - Hui ZHANG
- Lanzhou University of Technology, China
| | | | - XiaoXue ZHANG
- Institute of Gansu Province Light Industrial Scientific Research, China
| | - XiaoYan ZHANG
- Institute of Gansu Province Light Industrial Scientific Research, China
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13
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Scharmann M, Rebelo AG, Pannell JR. High rates of evolution preceded shifts to sex-biased gene expression in Leucadendron, the most sexually dimorphic angiosperms. eLife 2021; 10:e67485. [PMID: 34726596 PMCID: PMC8635981 DOI: 10.7554/elife.67485] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2021] [Accepted: 10/27/2021] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Differences between males and females are usually more subtle in dioecious plants than animals, but strong sexual dimorphism has evolved convergently in the South African Cape plant genus Leucadendron. Such sexual dimorphism in leaf size is expected largely to be due to differential gene expression between the sexes. We compared patterns of gene expression in leaves among 10 Leucadendron species across the genus. Surprisingly, we found no positive association between sexual dimorphism in morphology and the number or the percentage of sex-biased genes (SBGs). Sex bias in most SBGs evolved recently and was species specific. We compared rates of evolutionary change in expression for genes that were sex biased in one species but unbiased in others and found that SBGs evolved faster in expression than unbiased genes. This greater rate of expression evolution of SBGs, also documented in animals, might suggest the possible role of sexual selection in the evolution of gene expression. However, our comparative analysis clearly indicates that the more rapid rate of expression evolution of SBGs predated the origin of bias, and shifts towards bias were depleted in signatures of adaptation. Our results are thus more consistent with the view that sex bias is simply freer to evolve in genes less subject to constraints in expression level.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mathias Scharmann
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of LausanneLausanneSwitzerland
| | - Anthony G Rebelo
- Applied Biodiversity Research Division, South African National Biodiversity InstituteCape TownSouth Africa
| | - John R Pannell
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of LausanneLausanneSwitzerland
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Muñoz P, Cotado A, Munné-Bosch S. Transient photoinhibition and photo-oxidative stress as an integral part of stress acclimation and plant development in a dioecious tree adapted to Mediterranean ecosystems. TREE PHYSIOLOGY 2021; 41:1212-1229. [PMID: 33388772 DOI: 10.1093/treephys/tpaa177] [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: 07/31/2020] [Revised: 12/04/2020] [Accepted: 12/21/2020] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Mastic trees (Pistacia lentiscus L.) are dioecious perennial plants that are highly adapted to Mediterranean climates but display a high sensitivity to winter periods. In order to understand how sex, leaf phenology and ecological context could condition sensitivity to winter and associated mechanisms to acclimate to these conditions, photoinhibition and photo-oxidative stress markers were examined in mastic trees (P. lentiscus) from a natural population growing in the Garraf Natural Park for a consecutive 12-month period (seasonal study), as well as in three populations naturally growing in the Montseny Natural Park, including the highest altitudes described for this species, during winter (altitudinal study). Results from these studies indicate that both the winter period and higher elevation influenced the degree of photoinhibition, but this was not conditioned by sex. In fact, winter photoinhibition occurred transiently even though it was accompanied by chlorophyll loss and malondialdehyde contents. Stress acclimation was achieved through biochemical adjustments in chloroplasts, characterized by anthocyanin shielding, increased de-epoxidation state of the xanthophyll cycle as well as tocopherol accumulation, and phenological adaptations, the latter allowing a complete resetting of the physiological performance of leaves. Moreover, although females showed higher lipid peroxidation than males during the coldest winter months, at the highest elevation and during flowering in spring, this oxidative stress was mild and transient with no negative consequences for the physiology of plants. It is concluded that evergreen mastic trees acclimate to winter conditions and higher elevations by activation of antioxidant defenses together with phenological adjustments, altogether playing a crucial role in plant survival. Sexual dimorphism in mastic trees appears as a relevant factor when considering sensitivity to photo-oxidative stress in winter and altitudinal conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paula Muñoz
- Department of Evolutionary Biology, Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Plant Physiology Section, Faculty of Biology, Av. Diagonal 643, 08028 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Alba Cotado
- Department of Evolutionary Biology, Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Plant Physiology Section, Faculty of Biology, Av. Diagonal 643, 08028 Barcelona, Spain
- Institut de Recerca de la Biodiversitat, Faculty of Biology, University of Barcelona, Av. Diagonal 643, 08028 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Sergi Munné-Bosch
- Department of Evolutionary Biology, Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Plant Physiology Section, Faculty of Biology, Av. Diagonal 643, 08028 Barcelona, Spain
- Institut de Recerca de la Biodiversitat, Faculty of Biology, University of Barcelona, Av. Diagonal 643, 08028 Barcelona, Spain
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15
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Tonnabel J, Klein EK, Ronce O, Oddou-Muratorio S, Rousset F, Olivieri I, Courtiol A, Mignot A. Sex-specific spatial variation in fitness in the highly dimorphic Leucadendron rubrum. Mol Ecol 2021; 30:1721-1735. [PMID: 33559274 DOI: 10.1111/mec.15833] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2020] [Revised: 01/27/2021] [Accepted: 01/29/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Sexual dimorphism in plants may emerge as a result of sex-specific selection on traits enhancing access to nutritive resources and/or to sexual partners. Here we investigated sex-specific differences in selection of sexually dimorphic traits and in the spatial distribution of effective fecundity (our fitness proxy) in a highly dimorphic dioecious wind-pollinated shrub, Leucadendron rubrum. In particular, we tested for the effect of density on male and female effective fecundity. We used spatial and genotypic data of parent and offspring cohorts to jointly estimate individual male and female effective fecundity on the one hand and pollen and seed dispersal kernels on the other hand. This methodology was adapted to the case of dioecious species. Explicitly modelling dispersal avoids the confounding effects of heterogeneous spatial distribution of mates and sampled seedlings on the estimation of effective fecundity. We also estimated selection gradients on plant traits while modelling sex-specific spatial autocorrelation in fecundity. Males exhibited spatial autocorrelation in effective fecundity at a smaller scale than females. A higher local density of plants was associated with lower effective fecundity in males but was not related to female effective fecundity. These results suggest sex-specific sensitivities to environmental heterogeneity in L. rubrum. Despite these sexual differences, we found directional selection for wider canopies and smaller leaves in both sexes, and no sexually antagonistic selection on strongly dimorphic traits in L. rubrum. Many empirical studies in animals similarly failed to detect sexually antagonistic selection in species expressing strong sexual dimorphism, and we discuss reasons explaining this common pattern.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeanne Tonnabel
- ISEM, Université de Montpellier, CNRS, IRD, EPHE, Montpellier, France.,Department of Ecology and Evolution, Le Biophore, UNIL-SORGE, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | | | - Ophélie Ronce
- ISEM, Université de Montpellier, CNRS, IRD, EPHE, Montpellier, France.,CNRS, Biodiversity Research Center, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
| | | | - François Rousset
- ISEM, Université de Montpellier, CNRS, IRD, EPHE, Montpellier, France
| | - Isabelle Olivieri
- ISEM, Université de Montpellier, CNRS, IRD, EPHE, Montpellier, France
| | - Alexandre Courtiol
- Department of Evolutionary Genetics, Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research, Berlin, Germany
| | - Agnès Mignot
- ISEM, Université de Montpellier, CNRS, IRD, EPHE, Montpellier, France
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16
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Liu M, Wang Y, Liu X, Korpelainen H, Li C. Intra- and intersexual interactions shape microbial community dynamics in the rhizosphere of Populus cathayana females and males exposed to excess Zn. JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS 2021; 402:123783. [PMID: 33254793 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2020.123783] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2020] [Revised: 08/12/2020] [Accepted: 08/15/2020] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
In this study, we intended to investigate the responses of rhizospheric bacterial communities of Populus cathayana to excess Zn under different planting patterns. The results suggested that intersexual and intrasexual interactions strongly affect plant growth and Zn extraction in both sexes, as well as rhizosphere-associated bacterial community structures. Females had a higher capacity of Zn accumulation and translocation than males under all planting patterns. Males had lower Zn accumulation and translocation under intersexual than under intrasexual interaction; the contrary was true for females. Females harbored abundant Streptomyces and Nocardioides in their rhizosphere, similarly to males under intersexual interaction, but differed from single-sex males under excess Zn. Conversely, intersexual interaction increased the abundance of key taxa Actinomycetales and Betaproteobacteria in both sexes exposed to excess Zn. Males improved the female rhizospheric microenvironment by increasing the abundance of some key tolerance taxa of Chloroflexi, Proteobacteria and Actinobacteria in both sexes under excess Zn in intersexual interaction. These results indicated that the sex of neighboring plants affected sexual differences in the choice of specific bacterial colonizations for phytoextraction and tolerance to Zn-contaminated soils, which might regulate the spatial segregation and phytoremediation potential of P. cathayana females and males under heavy metal contaminated soils.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miao Liu
- College of Life and Environmental Sciences, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou 311121, China
| | - Yuting Wang
- College of Life and Environmental Sciences, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou 311121, China
| | - Xiucheng Liu
- College of Life and Environmental Sciences, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou 311121, China
| | - Helena Korpelainen
- Department of Agricultural Sciences, Viikki Plant Science Centre, P.O. Box 27, FI-00014 University of Helsinki, Finland
| | - Chunyang Li
- College of Life and Environmental Sciences, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou 311121, China.
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17
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Rabska M, Pers-Kamczyc E, Żytkowiak R, Adamczyk D, Iszkuło G. Sexual Dimorphism in the Chemical Composition of Male and Female in the Dioecious Tree, Juniperus communis L., Growing under Different Nutritional Conditions. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:E8094. [PMID: 33142994 PMCID: PMC7663750 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21218094] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2020] [Revised: 10/26/2020] [Accepted: 10/27/2020] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
We hypothesized that female and male individuals of the dioecious tree species, Juniperus communis, exhibit different strategies of resource allocation when growing under stress conditions. To test this hypothesis, we performed a two-year pot experiment on plants exposed to different levels of nutrient availability. Analysis of the plants revealed a higher concentration of carbohydrates, carbon, and phenolic compounds in needles of female plants, indicating that females allocate more resources to storage and defense than males. This difference was independent of nutrient availability. Differences in carbohydrates levels between the sexes were most often significant in June, during the most intensive phase of vegetative growth in both sexes, but could also be attributed to female resources investment in cone development. A higher level of nitrogen and other macroelements was observed in males than in females, which may have been connected to the accumulation of resources (nitrogen) for pollen grain production in males or greater allocation of these elements to seeds and cones in females. The interaction between sex and soil fertilization for the C:N ratio may also indicate sex-specific patterns of resource allocation and utilization, which is impacted by their availability during specific periods of J. communis annual life cycle.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mariola Rabska
- Institute of Dendrology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Parkowa 5, 62-035 Kórnik, Poland; (E.P.-K.); (R.Ż.); (D.A.); (G.I.)
| | - Emilia Pers-Kamczyc
- Institute of Dendrology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Parkowa 5, 62-035 Kórnik, Poland; (E.P.-K.); (R.Ż.); (D.A.); (G.I.)
| | - Roma Żytkowiak
- Institute of Dendrology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Parkowa 5, 62-035 Kórnik, Poland; (E.P.-K.); (R.Ż.); (D.A.); (G.I.)
| | - Dawid Adamczyk
- Institute of Dendrology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Parkowa 5, 62-035 Kórnik, Poland; (E.P.-K.); (R.Ż.); (D.A.); (G.I.)
| | - Grzegorz Iszkuło
- Institute of Dendrology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Parkowa 5, 62-035 Kórnik, Poland; (E.P.-K.); (R.Ż.); (D.A.); (G.I.)
- Institute of Biological Sciences, University of Zielona Góra, Prof. Z. Szafrana 1, 65-516 Zielona Góra, Poland
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Rusman Q, Lucas‐Barbosa D, Hassan K, Poelman EH. Plant ontogeny determines strength and associated plant fitness consequences of plant-mediated interactions between herbivores and flower visitors. THE JOURNAL OF ECOLOGY 2020; 108:1046-1060. [PMID: 32421019 PMCID: PMC7217261 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2745.13370] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2019] [Accepted: 01/22/2020] [Indexed: 05/30/2023]
Abstract
Plants show ontogenetic variation in growth-defence strategies to maximize reproductive output within a community context. Most work on plant ontogenetic variation in growth-defence trade-offs has focussed on interactions with antagonistic insect herbivores. Plants respond to herbivore attack with phenotypic changes. Despite the knowledge that plant responses to herbivory affect plant mutualistic interactions with pollinators required for reproduction, indirect interactions between herbivores and pollinators have not been included in the evaluation of how ontogenetic growth-defence trajectories affect plant fitness.In a common garden experiment with the annual Brassica nigra, we investigated whether exposure to various herbivore species on different plant ontogenetic stages (vegetative, bud or flowering stage) affects plant flowering traits, interactions with flower visitors and results in fitness consequences for the plant.Effects of herbivory on flowering plant traits and interactions with flower visitors depended on plant ontogeny. Plant exposure in the vegetative stage to the caterpillar Pieris brassicae and aphid Brevicoryne brassicae led to reduced flowering time and flower production, and resulted in reduced pollinator attraction, pollen beetle colonization, total seed production and seed weight. When plants had buds, infestation by most herbivore species tested reduced flower production and pollen beetle colonization. Pollinator attraction was either increased or reduced. Plants infested in the flowering stage with P. brassicae or Lipaphis erysimi flowered longer, while infestation by any of the herbivore species tested increased the number of flower visits by pollinators.Our results show that the outcome of herbivore-flower visitor interactions in B. nigra is specific for the combination of herbivore species and plant ontogenetic stage. Consequences of herbivory for flowering traits and reproductive output were strongest when plants were attacked early in life. Such differences in selection pressures imposed by herbivores to specific plant ontogenetic stages may drive the evolution of distinct ontogenetic trajectories in growth-defence-reproduction strategies and include indirect interactions between herbivores and flower visitors. Synthesis. Plant ontogeny can define the direct and indirect consequences of herbivory. Our study shows that the ontogenetic stage of plant individuals determined the effects of herbivory on plant flowering traits, interactions with flower visitors and plant fitness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Quint Rusman
- Laboratory of EntomologyWageningen UniversityWageningenThe Netherlands
| | - Dani Lucas‐Barbosa
- Laboratory of EntomologyWageningen UniversityWageningenThe Netherlands
- Present address:
Bio‐communication & EcologyETH ZürichSchmelzbergstrasse 98092ZürichSwitzerland
| | - Kamrul Hassan
- Laboratory of EntomologyWageningen UniversityWageningenThe Netherlands
- Present address:
Hawkesbury Institute for the EnvironmentWestern Sydney UniversityLocked Bag 1797PenrithNSW2751Australia
| | - Erik H. Poelman
- Laboratory of EntomologyWageningen UniversityWageningenThe Netherlands
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19
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Optimization of Artificial Light for Spinach Growth in Plant Factory Based on Orthogonal Test. PLANTS 2020; 9:plants9040490. [PMID: 32290219 PMCID: PMC7238427 DOI: 10.3390/plants9040490] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2020] [Revised: 04/07/2020] [Accepted: 04/08/2020] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
Artificial LED source provides the possibility to regulate the lighting environment in plant factorys that use limited space to plant, aiming at high throughput and good quality. However, different parameters of light intensity, quality, and photoperiod will influence the growth and accumulation of bio-compounds in plants. In order to find the optimal setting of LED light for spinach planting, four group experiments were designed using the orthogonal testing method. According to the experimental results, for growth indexes including fresh weight, dry weight, root length and so on, photoperiod is the most influential factor, light intensity is the second, and light quality is the least. The best light mode (R:B = 4:1, photosynthetic photon flux density (PPFD) = 100 μmol∙m−2∙s−1 and 13/11 h) among all eight possible combinations in the range was also determined. Furthermore, for quality indexes, including the soluble sugar content, protein content and so on, a new scoring method was introduced to make a comprehensive score for evaluating. Then, the light combination (R:B = 4:1, PPFD = 150 μmol∙m−2∙s−1 and 9/15 h) in the range was found as the optimal scheme for spinach quality under those parameters. As there is trade-off between the optimal light parameters for growth and quality, it is necessary to achieve a balance between yield and quality of the plant during production. If farmers want to harvest spinach with larger leaf area and higher yield, they need to pay attention to the adjustment of the photoperiod and use a lower light intensity and a longer lighting time. If they do not mind the yield of the vegetable but want to improve the taste and nutrition of spinach products, they should pay more attention to the light intensity and use a higher light intensity and a shorter lighting time.
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20
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Zhou Y, Li L, Song Z. Plasticity in Sexual Dimorphism Enhances Adaptation of Dioecious Vallisneria natans Plants to Water Depth Change. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2019; 10:826. [PMID: 31333692 PMCID: PMC6617988 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2019.00826] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2018] [Accepted: 06/07/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Sexual dimorphism in vegetative and reproductive traits is associated with contrasting strategies of males and females for response to varied environmental conditions, causing sex-specific reproduction success and consequently long-distance dispersal and colonization. Aquatic plants usually exhibit rich phenotypic plasticity and great diversity in reproductive systems, but the influence of aquatic conditions on the plasticity of sexual dimorphism has received less attention. Using a common garden experiment with dioecious submerged plant Vallisneria natans grown at various water depths simulating different light availability, we measured variations in 20 traits for females and 19 traits for males (total = 540 plants from 30 seed families) including morphology, reproductive traits and photosynthesis. We investigated sex-specific plastic responses and variation of sexual dimorphism in response to water depth change. Females displayed much greater leaf length, vegetative biomass and resource allocation to reproduction than males at all depths, whereas spathe number and gamete production per spathe displayed reverse pattern. Besides most traits in each sex (16 in female and 12 in male) showing striking phenotypic plasticity, the degree of sexual dimorphism increased significantly for total biomass and reproductive investment, but decreased for leaf length, spathe number and flowering ramet percentage in low light and deep water. Females varied more than males in leaf length, total biomass, reproductive investment, length and biomass of reproductive organs and rate of photosynthesis in response to decreased underwater light availability, suggesting that female has greater plasticity than male. These findings illustrated considerable plasticity in the degree of sexual dimorphism in a variety of vegetative and reproductive traits across different environments driven by the contrasting reproductive functions of the sexes in relation to pollen and seed dispersal. Females of V. natans responded more plastically than males to low light conditions resulted from water depth variation in either aboveground vegetative growth or reproduction. This study provides novel insight into adaptive strategies of submerged dioecious macrophytes to survive and increase fitness in freshwater habitats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yin Zhou
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Biodiversity Science and Ecological Engineering, Institute of Biodiversity Science, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Lei Li
- Jiangxi Province Key Laboratory of Watershed Ecosystem Change and Biodiversity, Center for Watershed Ecology, Institute of Life Science and School of Life Sciences, Nanchang University, Nanchang, China
- Key Laboratory of Poyang Lake Environment and Resource Utilization, Ministry of Education, Nanchang University, Nanchang, China
- National Ecosystem Research Station of Jiangxi Poyang Lake Wetland, Nanchang, China
| | - Zhiping Song
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Biodiversity Science and Ecological Engineering, Institute of Biodiversity Science, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
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21
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Tonnabel J, David P, Pannell JR. Do metrics of sexual selection conform to Bateman's principles in a wind-pollinated plant? Proc Biol Sci 2019; 286:20190532. [PMID: 31213181 PMCID: PMC6599987 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2019.0532] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Bateman's principles posit that male fitness varies more, and relies more on mate acquisition, than female fitness. While Bateman's principles should apply to any organism producing gametes of variable sizes, their application to plants is potentially complicated by the high levels of polyandry suspected for plants, and by variation in the spatial distribution of prospective mates. Here we quantify the intensity of sexual selection by classical Bateman metrics using two common gardens of the wind-pollinated dioecious plant Mercurialis annua. Consistent with Bateman's principles, males displayed significantly positive Bateman gradients (a regression of fitness on mate number), whereas the reproductive success of females was independent of their ability to access mates. A large part of male fitness was explained by their mate number, which in turn was associated with males' abilities to disperse pollen. Our results suggest that sexual selection can act in plant species in much the same way as in many animals, increasing the number of mates through traits that promote pollen dispersal.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeanne Tonnabel
- 1 Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Lausanne , CH-1015 Lausanne , Switzerland
| | - Patrice David
- 2 Centre d'Ecologie Fonctionnelle et Evolutive (CEFE), UMR 5175, CNRS, UM, Université Paul Valéry Montpellier, EPHE , 1919 route de Mende, 34293 Montpellier Cedex 5 , France
| | - John R Pannell
- 1 Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Lausanne , CH-1015 Lausanne , Switzerland
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22
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Tonnabel J, David P, Klein EK, Pannell JR. Sex‐specific selection on plant architecture through “budget” and “direct” effects in experimental populations of the wind‐pollinated herb,
Mercurialis annua. Evolution 2019; 73:897-912. [DOI: 10.1111/evo.13714] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2018] [Accepted: 02/11/2019] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Jeanne Tonnabel
- Department of Ecology and EvolutionUniversity of Lausanne CH‐1015 Lausanne Switzerland
| | - Patrice David
- CEFE, CNRS, Univ MontpellierUniv Paul Valéry Montpellier 3, EPHE, IRD Montpellier France
| | | | - John R. Pannell
- Department of Ecology and EvolutionUniversity of Lausanne CH‐1015 Lausanne Switzerland
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23
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Li L, Ding M, Lan Z, Zhao Y, Chen J. Light Availability and Patterns of Allocation to Reproductive and Vegetative Biomass in the Sexes of the Dioecious Macrophyte Vallisneria spinulosa. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2019; 10:572. [PMID: 31130977 PMCID: PMC6510307 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2019.00572] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2019] [Accepted: 04/16/2019] [Indexed: 05/30/2023]
Abstract
Environmental changes, e.g., eutrophication, in aquatic ecosystems can greatly alter light available to submerged macrophytes. In dioecious plants, given potential for sex-specific differences in resource requirements (i.e., high-carbon for seeds vs. high-nitrogen for pollen), females and males are expected to divergently adjust allocations toward resource acquisition structures when resources are limited during growth. Here, Vallisneria spinulosa was used as a representative dioecious submerged macrophyte to detect sex-specific responses to light limitation and assess whether sexual dimorphism varied with resource availability. Plants were grown under varying levels of light availability in nine outdoor mesocosms for 14 weeks. Late in the reproductive season, allocations to vegetative and reproductive traits for both sexes were determined and relative allocation to reproduction vs. vegetative growth was analyzed. Female and male reproductive plants differed in adjustments of resource allocation in response to light availability. Under low light, females showed a smaller reduction in allocation of resources to vegetative tissues and greater leaf area than males, suggesting female plasticity to increase carbon capture. Under low light, males showed a smaller reduction in reproductive allocation than females (flowers and inflorescences in males vs. fruits in females), suggesting that carbon limitation has greater impacts on sexual reproduction by females than males. Our study provides evidence of differences in reproductive costs and currencies for female vs. male reproduction in aquatic macrophytes, as V. spinulosa responded plastically to reduced light, with sexually dimorphic allocation strategies. Sex-related resource currencies are potentially important drivers for sex-specific variations in allocation patterns, with females safeguarding their vegetative carbon-rich biomass to satisfy future fruit and seed production.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lei Li
- Jiangxi Province Key Laboratory of Watershed Ecosystem Change and Biodiversity, Center for Watershed Ecology, Institute of Life Science and School of Life Sciences, Nanchang University, Nanchang, China
- National Ecosystem Research Station of Jiangxi Poyang Lake Wetland, Nanchang, China
| | - Mingming Ding
- Jiangxi Province Key Laboratory of Watershed Ecosystem Change and Biodiversity, Center for Watershed Ecology, Institute of Life Science and School of Life Sciences, Nanchang University, Nanchang, China
| | - Zhichun Lan
- Jiangxi Province Key Laboratory of Watershed Ecosystem Change and Biodiversity, Center for Watershed Ecology, Institute of Life Science and School of Life Sciences, Nanchang University, Nanchang, China
- National Ecosystem Research Station of Jiangxi Poyang Lake Wetland, Nanchang, China
| | - Yao Zhao
- Jiangxi Province Key Laboratory of Watershed Ecosystem Change and Biodiversity, Center for Watershed Ecology, Institute of Life Science and School of Life Sciences, Nanchang University, Nanchang, China
| | - Jiakuan Chen
- Jiangxi Province Key Laboratory of Watershed Ecosystem Change and Biodiversity, Center for Watershed Ecology, Institute of Life Science and School of Life Sciences, Nanchang University, Nanchang, China
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Biodiversity Science and Ecological Engineering, Institute of Biodiversity Science, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
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24
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Spigler RB, Woodard AJ. Context-dependency of resource allocation trade-offs highlights constraints to the evolution of floral longevity in a monocarpic herb. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2019; 221:2298-2307. [PMID: 30256414 DOI: 10.1111/nph.15498] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2018] [Accepted: 09/14/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Floral longevity is a critical component of floral display, yet there is a conspicuous paucity of empirical research on its evolution within species. Evolutionary models of floral longevity are grounded in resource allocation theory and propose that selection acts on heritable variation to optimize longevity in light of competing floral construction and maintenance costs. Key assumptions remain untested within wild species. We measured maximum floral longevity alongside protandry, flower size, flower number and flowering rate across families of the monocarpic herb Sabatia angularis grown under high and low resources. We evaluated genetic variation, plasticity and correlations between display traits, including fundamental resource-allocation trade-offs and their interactions with resource availability. All display traits showed significant genetic variation. Resource availability influenced mean floral longevity and flower number, with genetic variation in these responses. Importantly, both floral longevity-flower number and flower number-size trade-offs were significant and stronger under low resources. This study reinforces the application of resource allocation theory to floral display trait evolution. Our work highlights the context-dependency of trade-offs and the potential importance of plasticity in resource allocation, with plants investing in the construction of new flowers at faster rates when resources are high rather than in the maintenance of longer-lived flowers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rachel B Spigler
- Department of Biology, Temple University, 1900 N. 12th Street, Philadelphia, PA, 19122, USA
| | - Alyssa J Woodard
- Department of Biology, Temple University, 1900 N. 12th Street, Philadelphia, PA, 19122, USA
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25
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Santos Del Blanco L, Tudor E, Pannell JR. Low siring success of females with an acquired male function illustrates the legacy of sexual dimorphism in constraining the breakdown of dioecy. Ecol Lett 2019; 22:486-497. [PMID: 30618173 PMCID: PMC6850444 DOI: 10.1111/ele.13207] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2018] [Revised: 10/24/2018] [Accepted: 11/20/2018] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
Dioecy has often broken down in flowering plants, yielding functional hermaphroditism. We reasoned that evolutionary transitions from dioecy to functional hermaphroditism must overcome an inertia of sexual dimorphism, because modified males or females will express the opposite sexual function for which their phenotypes have been optimised. We tested this prediction by assessing the siring success of monoecious individuals of the plant Mercurialis annua with an acquired male function but that are phenotypically still female‐like. We found that pollen dispersed by female‐like monoecious individuals was ~ 1/3 poorer at siring outcrossed offspring than pollen from monoecious individuals with an alternative male‐like inflorescence. We conclude that whereas dioecy might evolve from functional hermaphroditism by conferring upon individuals certain benefits of sexual specialisation, reversion from a strategy of separate sexes to one of combined sexes must overcome constraints imposed by the advantages of sexual dimorphism. The breakdown of dioecy must therefore often be limited to situations in which outcrossing cannot be maintained and where selection favours a capacity for inbreeding by functional hermaphrodites.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luis Santos Del Blanco
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, Biophore Building, University of Lausanne, 1015, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Eleri Tudor
- Department of Plant Sciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX1 3RB, UK
| | - John R Pannell
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, Biophore Building, University of Lausanne, 1015, Lausanne, Switzerland
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Li L, Barrett SCH, Song Z, Chen J. Sex-specific plasticity of reproductive allocation in response to water depth in a clonal, dioecious macrophyte. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF BOTANY 2019; 106:42-50. [PMID: 30629301 DOI: 10.1002/ajb2.1218] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2018] [Accepted: 10/15/2018] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
PREMISE OF THE STUDY Sex-specific differences in reproductive investment contribute to sexual dimorphism in dioecious plants. Along environmental gradients, males and females may plastically adjust reproductive allocation differently because of contrasting reproductive costs. In dioecious macrophytes, variation in water depth is likely to influence reproductive allocation but has not been investigated in detail. METHODS Vallisneria spinulosa was grown in aquatic mesocosms at water depths of 50, 100 and 150 cm for 14 weeks. Plasticity in allocation was measured to investigate whether sexual dimorphism in reproductive allocation and vegetative growth changed in response to varying water depths. KEY RESULTS Females invested a higher fraction of resources to sexual reproduction than males across all water depths and decreased proportional allocation to sexual structures in shallow and deep water compared to intermediate water depth. In contrast, males maintained similar sexual allocation across all water depths. Females displayed larger vegetative size than males, despite greater sexual investment, but decreased vegetative biomass more than males in shallow or deep water. The sexes invested similarly in clonal propagation by tubers at all water depths, but a trade-off with sexual reproduction was only evident in females. CONCLUSIONS Our results suggest that females of V. spinulosa have mechanisms to compensate for the costs of sexual reproduction in heterogeneous environments. Compared to males, females expressed greater plasticity in biomass allocated to sexual reproduction and vegetative growth in response to water depth variation. Environmental variation in underwater light availability probably caused the sex-specific allocation strategies found in V. spinulosa.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lei Li
- Jiangxi Province Key Laboratory of Watershed Ecosystem Change and Biodiversity, Center for Watershed Ecology, Institute of Life Science and School of Life Sciences, Nanchang University, Nanchang, 330031, China
- Key Laboratory of Poyang Lake Environment and Resource Utilization, Ministry of Education, Nanchang University, Nanchang, 330031, China
- National Ecosystem Research Station of Jiangxi Poyang Lake Wetland, Nanchang, 330038, China
| | - Spencer C H Barrett
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Toronto, 25 Willcocks St., Toronto, Ontario, Canada, M5S 3B2
| | - Zhiping Song
- The Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Biodiversity Science and Ecological Engineering, Institute of Biodiversity Science, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200438, China
| | - Jiakuan Chen
- Jiangxi Province Key Laboratory of Watershed Ecosystem Change and Biodiversity, Center for Watershed Ecology, Institute of Life Science and School of Life Sciences, Nanchang University, Nanchang, 330031, China
- The Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Biodiversity Science and Ecological Engineering, Institute of Biodiversity Science, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200438, China
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Kutschera U, Niklas KJ. Julius von Sachs' forgotten 1897-article: sexuality and gender in plants vs. humans. PLANT SIGNALING & BEHAVIOR 2018; 13:e1489671. [PMID: 29993309 PMCID: PMC6128683 DOI: 10.1080/15592324.2018.1489671] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2018] [Revised: 06/01/2018] [Accepted: 06/04/2018] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
One hundred and fifty years ago, Julius von Sachs' (1832-1897) monumental Lehrbuch der Botanik (Textbook of Botany) was published, which signified the origin of physiological botany and its integration with evolutionary biology. Sachs regarded the physiology of photoautotrophic organisms as a sub-discipline of botany, and introduced a Darwinian perspective into the emerging plant sciences. Here, we summarize Sachs' achievements and his description of sexuality with respect to the cellular basis of plant and animal biparental reproduction. We reproduce and analyze a forgotten paper (Gutachten) of Sachs dealing with Die Akademische Frau (The Academic Woman), published during the year of his death on the question concerning gender equality in humans. Finally, we summarize his endorsement of woman's rights to pursue academic studies in the natural sciences at the University level, and conclude that Sachs was a humanist as well as a great scientist.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Karl J. Niklas
- Plant Science Section, School of Integrative Plant Science, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA
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Oddou-Muratorio S, Gauzere J, Bontemps A, Rey JF, Klein EK. Tree, sex and size: Ecological determinants of male vs. female fecundity in three Fagus sylvatica
stands. Mol Ecol 2018; 27:3131-3145. [DOI: 10.1111/mec.14770] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2016] [Revised: 05/29/2018] [Accepted: 06/07/2018] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Julie Gauzere
- URFM; INRA; Avignon France
- BioSP; INRA; Avignon France
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