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Quevarec L, Brasseur G, Aragnol D, Robaglia C. Tracking the early events of photosymbiosis evolution. TRENDS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2024; 29:406-412. [PMID: 38016867 DOI: 10.1016/j.tplants.2023.11.005] [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: 07/13/2023] [Revised: 10/19/2023] [Accepted: 11/07/2023] [Indexed: 11/30/2023]
Abstract
Oxygenic photosynthesis evolved in cyanobacteria around 3.2 giga-annum (Ga) ago and was acquired by eukaryotes starting around 1.8 Ga ago by endosymbiosis. Photosymbiosis results either from integration of a photosynthetic bacteria by heterotrophic eukaryotes (primary photosymbiosis) or by successive integration of photosymbiotic eukaryotes by heterotrophic eukaryotes (secondary photosymbiosis). Primary endosymbiosis is thought to have been a rare event, whereas secondary and higher-order photosymbiosis evolved multiple times independently in different taxa. Despite its recurrent evolution, the molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying photosymbiosis are unknown. In this opinion, we discuss the primary events leading to the establishment of photosymbiosis, and we present recent research suggesting that, in some cases, domestication occurred instead of symbiosis, and how oxygen and host immunity can be involved in symbiont maintenance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Loïc Quevarec
- Aix Marseille Université, CEA, CNRS, BIAM, Luminy Génétique et Biophysique des Plantes, 13009 Marseille, France; Laboratoire de Chimie Bactérienne, IMM, CNRS, Aix-Marseille Université, 13402 Marseille, France
| | - Gaël Brasseur
- Laboratoire de Chimie Bactérienne, IMM, CNRS, Aix-Marseille Université, 13402 Marseille, France
| | - Denise Aragnol
- Aix Marseille Université, CEA, CNRS, BIAM, Luminy Génétique et Biophysique des Plantes, 13009 Marseille, France
| | - Christophe Robaglia
- Aix Marseille Université, CEA, CNRS, BIAM, Luminy Génétique et Biophysique des Plantes, 13009 Marseille, France.
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2
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Płachno BJ, Kapusta M. The Localization of Cell Wall Components in the Quadrifids of Whole-Mount Immunolabeled Utricularia dichotoma Traps. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 25:56. [PMID: 38203227 PMCID: PMC10778831 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25010056] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2023] [Revised: 12/13/2023] [Accepted: 12/19/2023] [Indexed: 01/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Utricularia (bladderworts) are carnivorous plants. They produce small hollow vesicles, which function as suction traps that work underwater and capture fine organisms. Inside the traps, there are numerous glandular trichomes (quadrifids), which take part in the secretion of digestive enzymes, the resorption of released nutrients, and likely the pumping out of water. Due to the extreme specialization of quadrifids, they are an interesting model for studying the cell walls. This aim of the study was to fill in the gap in the literature concerning the immunocytochemistry of quadrifids in the major cell wall polysaccharides and glycoproteins. To do this, the localization of the cell wall components in the quadrifids was performed using whole-mount immunolabeled Utricularia traps. It was observed that only parts (arms) of the terminal cells had enough discontinuous cuticle to be permeable to antibodies. There were different patterns of the cell wall components in the arms of the terminal cells of the quadrifids. The cell walls of the arms were especially rich in low-methyl-esterified homogalacturonan. Moreover, various arabinogalactan proteins also occurred. Cell walls in glandular cells of quadrifids were rich in low-methyl-esterified homogalacturonan; in contrast, in the aquatic carnivorous plant Aldrovanda vesiculosa, cell walls in the glandular cells of digestive glands were poor in low-methyl-esterified homogalacturonan. Arabinogalactan proteins were found in the cell walls of trap gland cells in all studied carnivorous plants: Utricularia, and members of Droseraceae and Drosophyllaceae.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bartosz J. Płachno
- Department of Plant Cytology and Embryology, Institute of Botany, Faculty of Biology, Jagiellonian University in Kraków, 9 Gronostajowa St., 30-387 Cracow, Poland
| | - Małgorzata Kapusta
- Laboratory of Bioimaging, Faculty of Biology, University of Gdańsk, 59 Wita Stwosza St., 80-308 Gdańsk, Poland;
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Castaldi V, Bellino A, Baldantoni D. The ecology of bladderworts: The unique hunting-gathering-farming strategy in plants. FOOD WEBS 2023. [DOI: 10.1016/j.fooweb.2023.e00273] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/06/2023]
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Silva SR, Miranda VFO, Michael TP, Płachno BJ, Matos RG, Adamec L, Pond SLK, Lucaci AG, Pinheiro DG, Varani AM. The phylogenomics and evolutionary dynamics of the organellar genomes in carnivorous Utricularia and Genlisea species (Lentibulariaceae). Mol Phylogenet Evol 2023; 181:107711. [PMID: 36693533 DOI: 10.1016/j.ympev.2023.107711] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2022] [Revised: 01/13/2023] [Accepted: 01/18/2023] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
Utricularia and Genlisea are highly specialized carnivorous plants whose phylogenetic history has been poorly explored using phylogenomic methods. Additional sampling and genomic data are needed to advance our phylogenetic and taxonomic knowledge of this group of plants. Within a comparative framework, we present a characterization of plastome (PT) and mitochondrial (MT) genes of 26 Utricularia and six Genlisea species, with representatives of all subgenera and growth habits. All PT genomes maintain similar gene content, showing minor variation across the genes located between the PT junctions. One exception is a major variation related to different patterns in the presence and absence of ndh genes in the small single copy region, which appears to follow the phylogenetic history of the species rather than their lifestyle. All MT genomes exhibit similar gene content, with most differences related to a lineage-specific pseudogenes. We find evidence for episodic positive diversifying selection in PT and for most of the Utricularia MT genes that may be related to the current hypothesis that bladderworts' nuclear DNA is under constant ROS oxidative DNA damage and unusual DNA repair mechanisms, or even low fidelity polymerase that bypass lesions which could also be affecting the organellar genomes. Finally, both PT and MT phylogenetic trees were well resolved and highly supported, providing a congruent phylogenomic hypothesis for Utricularia and Genlisea clade given the study sampling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Saura R Silva
- UNESP - São Paulo State University, School of Agricultural and Veterinarian Sciences, Department of Agricultural and Environmental Biotechnology, Campus Jaboticabal, CEP 14884-900 SP, Brazil.
| | - Vitor F O Miranda
- UNESP - São Paulo State University, School of Agricultural and Veterinarian Sciences, Department of Biology, Laboratory of Plant Systematics, Campus Jaboticabal, CEP 14884-900 SP, Brazil.
| | - Todd P Michael
- Plant Molecular and Cellular Biology Laboratory, The Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA.
| | - Bartosz J Płachno
- Department of Plant Cytology and Embryology, Institute of Botany, Faculty of Biology, Jagiellonian University in Kraków, Gronostajowa 9 St., 30-387 Cracow, Poland.
| | - Ramon G Matos
- UNESP - São Paulo State University, School of Agricultural and Veterinarian Sciences, Department of Biology, Laboratory of Plant Systematics, Campus Jaboticabal, CEP 14884-900 SP, Brazil.
| | - Lubomir Adamec
- Department of Experimental and Functional Morphology, Institute of Botany CAS, Dukelská 135, CZ-379 01 Třeboň, Czech Republic.
| | - Sergei L K Pond
- Institute for Genomics and Evolutionary Medicine, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA 19122, USA.
| | - Alexander G Lucaci
- Institute for Genomics and Evolutionary Medicine, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA 19122, USA.
| | - Daniel G Pinheiro
- UNESP - São Paulo State University, School of Agricultural and Veterinarian Sciences, Department of Agricultural and Environmental Biotechnology, Campus Jaboticabal, CEP 14884-900 SP, Brazil.
| | - Alessandro M Varani
- UNESP - São Paulo State University, School of Agricultural and Veterinarian Sciences, Department of Agricultural and Environmental Biotechnology, Campus Jaboticabal, CEP 14884-900 SP, Brazil.
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The complete mitochondrial genome of carnivorous Genlisea tuberosa (Lentibulariaceae): Structure and evolutionary aspects. Gene 2022; 824:146391. [PMID: 35259463 DOI: 10.1016/j.gene.2022.146391] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2021] [Revised: 02/18/2022] [Accepted: 02/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Sequenced genomic data for carnivorous plants are scarce, especially regarding the mitogenomes (MTs) and further studies are crucial to obtain a better understanding of the topic. In this study, we sequenced and characterized the mitochondrial genome of the tuberous carnivorous plant Genlisea tuberosa, being the first of its genus to be sequenced. The genome comprises 729,765 bp, encoding 80 identified genes of which 36 are protein-coding, 40 tRNA, four rRNA genes, and three pseudogenes. An intronic region from the cox1 gene was identified that encodes an endonuclease enzyme that is present in the other sequenced species of Lentibulariaceae. Chloroplast genes (pseudogene and complete) inserted in the MT genome were identified, showing possible horizontal transfer between organelles. In addition, 50 pairs of long repeats from 94 to 274 bp are present, possibly playing an important role in the maintenance of the MT genome. Phylogenetic analysis carried out with 34 coding mitochondrial genes corroborated the positioning of the species listed here within the family. The molecular dynamism in the mitogenome (e.g. the loss or pseudogenization of genes, insertion of foreign genes, the long repeats as well as accumulated mutations) may be reflections of the carnivorous lifestyle where a significant part of cellular energy was shifted for the adaptation of leaves into traps molding the mitochondrial DNA. The sequence and annotation of G. tuberosa's MT will be useful for further studies and serve as a model for evolutionary and taxonomic clarifications of the group as well as improving our comprehension of MT evolution.
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Westermeier AS, Hiss N, Speck T, Poppinga S. Functional-morphological analyses of the delicate snap-traps of the aquatic carnivorous waterwheel plant (Aldrovanda vesiculosa) with 2D and 3D imaging techniques. ANNALS OF BOTANY 2020; 126:1099-1107. [PMID: 32780092 PMCID: PMC7596371 DOI: 10.1093/aob/mcaa135] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2020] [Accepted: 07/27/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIMS The endangered aquatic carnivorous waterwheel plant (Aldrovanda vesiculosa) catches prey with 3-5-mm-long underwater snap-traps. Trapping lasts 10-20 ms, which is 10-fold faster than in its famous sister, the terrestrial Venus flytrap (Dionaea muscipula). After successful capture, the trap narrows further and forms a 'stomach' for the digestion of prey, the so-called 'sickle-shaped cavity'. To date, knowledge is very scarce regarding the deformation process during narrowing and consequent functional morphology of the trap. METHODS We performed comparative analyses of virtual 3D histology using computed tomography (CT) and conventional 2D histology. For 3D histology we established a contrasting agent-based preparation protocol tailored for delicate underwater plant tissues. KEY RESULTS Our analyses reveal new structural insights into the adaptive architecture of the complex A. vesiculosa snap-trap. In particular, we discuss in detail the arrangement of sensitive trigger hairs inside the trap and present actual 3D representations of traps with prey. In addition, we provide trap volume calculations at different narrowing stages. Furthermore, the motile zone close to the trap midrib, which is thought to promote not only the fast trap closure by hydraulics but also the subsequent trap narrowing and trap reopening, is described and discussed for the first time in its entirety. CONCLUSIONS Our research contributes to the understanding of a complex, fast and reversible underwater plant movement and supplements preparation protocols for CT analyses of other non-lignified and sensitive plant structures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna S Westermeier
- Plant Biomechanics Group and Botanic Garden (PBG), University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
- Cluster of Excellence livMatS @ FIT - Freiburg Center for Interactive Materials and Bioinspired Technologies, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Natalie Hiss
- Plant Biomechanics Group and Botanic Garden (PBG), University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Thomas Speck
- Plant Biomechanics Group and Botanic Garden (PBG), University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
- Cluster of Excellence livMatS @ FIT - Freiburg Center for Interactive Materials and Bioinspired Technologies, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Simon Poppinga
- Plant Biomechanics Group and Botanic Garden (PBG), University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
- Freiburg Materials Research Center (FMF), University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
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Zhou J, Cao Y, Liu X, Jiang H, Li W. Bladder entrance of microplastic likely induces toxic effects in carnivorous macrophyte Utricularia aurea Lour. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2020; 27:32124-32131. [PMID: 32564318 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-020-09529-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2020] [Accepted: 05/29/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
The global distribution of microplastic (particle size < 5 mm) is of growing concern, especially in aquatic environments where it may cause adverse effects on resident organisms. To date, however, few studies have focused on the impacts of microplastic on aquatic plants. Here, we conducted a microcosm study to investigate the toxic effects of microplastic on the carnivorous aquatic macrophyte Utricularia aurea Lour. Based on microscopic images and Raman spectrum analysis, we found that most polyvinyl chloride (PVC) particles were smaller than the valve of U. aurea bladders, thus allowing entrance into the plant, but this was not so for polyethylene (PE) particles. Furthermore, PVC (50 mg L-1) had significantly negative effects on growth and physiological parameters such as macrophyte length, chlorophyll content, and fluorescence, whereas, at the same concentration, PE had no such effects. Further analysis revealed that after bladder removal, the macrophytes did not respond to PVC particle toxicity. Thus, intake of microplastics (i.e., PVC) through bladders is likely responsible for inducing toxic effects to the growth and physiological parameters of U. aurea.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jingzhe Zhou
- Key Laboratory of Aquatic Botany and Watershed Ecology, Wuhan Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, 430074, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Yu Cao
- Key Laboratory of Aquatic Botany and Watershed Ecology, Wuhan Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, 430074, China.
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China.
| | - Xiaoning Liu
- Institute of Hydroecology, State Key Laboratory of Water Resources and Hydropower Engineering Science, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430072, China
| | - Hongsheng Jiang
- Key Laboratory of Aquatic Botany and Watershed Ecology, Wuhan Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, 430074, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Wei Li
- Key Laboratory of Aquatic Botany and Watershed Ecology, Wuhan Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, 430074, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
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Sirová D, Bárta J, Šimek K, Posch T, Pech J, Stone J, Borovec J, Adamec L, Vrba J. Hunters or farmers? Microbiome characteristics help elucidate the diet composition in an aquatic carnivorous plant. MICROBIOME 2018; 6:225. [PMID: 30558682 PMCID: PMC6297986 DOI: 10.1186/s40168-018-0600-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2018] [Accepted: 11/18/2018] [Indexed: 05/09/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Utricularia are rootless aquatic carnivorous plants which have recently attracted the attention of researchers due to the peculiarities of their miniaturized genomes. Here, we focus on a novel aspect of Utricularia ecophysiology-the interactions with and within the complex communities of microorganisms colonizing their traps and external surfaces. RESULTS Bacteria, fungi, algae, and protozoa inhabit the miniature ecosystem of the Utricularia trap lumen and are involved in the regeneration of nutrients from complex organic matter. By combining molecular methods, microscopy, and other approaches to assess the trap-associated microbial community structure, diversity, function, as well as the nutrient turn-over potential of bacterivory, we gained insight into the nutrient acquisition strategies of the Utricularia hosts. CONCLUSIONS We conclude that Utricularia traps can, in terms of their ecophysiological function, be compared to microbial cultivators or farms, which center around complex microbial consortia acting synergistically to convert complex organic matter, often of algal origin, into a source of utilizable nutrients for the plants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dagmara Sirová
- Biology Centre CAS, Institute of Hydrobiology, Na Sádkách 7, CZ-37005, České Budějovice, Czech Republic.
- Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, Branišovská 1760, CZ-37005, České Budějovice, Czech Republic.
| | - Jiří Bárta
- Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, Branišovská 1760, CZ-37005, České Budějovice, Czech Republic
| | - Karel Šimek
- Biology Centre CAS, Institute of Hydrobiology, Na Sádkách 7, CZ-37005, České Budějovice, Czech Republic
- Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, Branišovská 1760, CZ-37005, České Budějovice, Czech Republic
| | - Thomas Posch
- Limnological Station, Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, University of Zurich, CH-8802, Kilchberg, Switzerland
| | - Jiří Pech
- Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, Branišovská 1760, CZ-37005, České Budějovice, Czech Republic
| | - James Stone
- Department of Biology and Wildlife, University of Alaska Fairbanks, Fairbanks, AK-99775, USA
- Institute of Experimental Botany CAS, Rozvojová 263, CZ-16502, Praha 6-Lysolaje, Czech Republic
| | - Jakub Borovec
- Biology Centre CAS, Institute of Hydrobiology, Na Sádkách 7, CZ-37005, České Budějovice, Czech Republic
| | - Lubomír Adamec
- Institute of Botany CAS, Dukelská 135, CZ-37982, Třeboň, Czech Republic
| | - Jaroslav Vrba
- Biology Centre CAS, Institute of Hydrobiology, Na Sádkách 7, CZ-37005, České Budějovice, Czech Republic
- Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, Branišovská 1760, CZ-37005, České Budějovice, Czech Republic
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Liang D. A Salutary Role of Reactive Oxygen Species in Intercellular Tunnel-Mediated Communication. Front Cell Dev Biol 2018; 6:2. [PMID: 29503816 PMCID: PMC5821100 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2018.00002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2017] [Accepted: 01/18/2018] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The reactive oxygen species, generally labeled toxic due to high reactivity without target specificity, are gradually uncovered as signaling molecules involved in a myriad of biological processes. But one important feature of ROS roles in macromolecule movement has not caught attention until recent studies with technique advance and design elegance have shed lights on ROS signaling for intercellular and interorganelle communication. This review begins with the discussions of genetic and chemical studies on the regulation of symplastic dye movement through intercellular tunnels in plants (plasmodesmata), and focuses on the ROS regulatory mechanisms concerning macromolecule movement including small RNA-mediated gene silencing movement and protein shuttling between cells. Given the premise that intercellular tunnels (bridges) in mammalian cells are the key physical structures to sustain intercellular communication, movement of macromolecules and signals is efficiently facilitated by ROS-induced membrane protrusions formation, which is analogously applied to the interorganelle communication in plant cells. Although ROS regulatory differences between plant and mammalian cells exist, the basis for ROS-triggered conduit formation underlies a unifying conservative theme in multicellular organisms. These mechanisms may represent the evolutionary advances that have enabled multicellularity to gain the ability to generate and utilize ROS to govern material exchanges between individual cells in oxygenated environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dacheng Liang
- Hubei Collaborative Innovation Center for Grain Industry, School of Agriculture, Yangtze University, Jingzhou, China.,Engineering Research Center of Ecology and Agricultural Use of Wetland, Ministry of Education, Yangtze University, Jingzhou, China
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Baby S, Johnson AJ, Zachariah EJ, Hussain AA. Nepenthes pitchers are CO 2-enriched cavities, emit CO 2 to attract preys. Sci Rep 2017; 7:11281. [PMID: 28900277 PMCID: PMC5595901 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-11414-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2016] [Accepted: 08/23/2017] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Carnivorous plants of the genus Nepenthes supplement their nutrient deficiency by capturing arthropods or by mutualistic interactions, through their leaf-evolved biological traps (pitchers). Though there are numerous studies on these traps, mostly on their prey capture mechanisms, the gas composition inside them remains unknown. Here we show that, Nepenthes unopened pitchers are CO2-enriched 'cavities', when open they emit CO2, and the CO2 gradient around open pitchers acts as a cue attracting preys towards them. CO2 contents in near mature, unopened Nepenthes pitchers were in the range 2500-5000 ppm. Gas collected from inside open N. khasiana pitchers showed CO2 at 476.75 ± 59.83 ppm. CO2-enriched air-streaming through N. khasiana pitchers (at 619.83 ± 4.53 ppm) attracted (captured) substantially higher number of aerial preys compared to air-streamed pitchers (CO2 at 412.76 ± 4.51 ppm). High levels of CO2 dissolved in acidic Nepenthes pitcher fluids were also detected. We demonstrate respiration as the source of elevated CO2 within Nepenthes pitchers. Most unique features of Nepenthes pitchers, viz., high growth rate, enhanced carbohydrate levels, declined protein levels, low photosynthetic capacity, high respiration rate and evolved stomata, are influenced by the CO2-enriched environment within them.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sabulal Baby
- Phytochemistry and Phytopharmacology Division, Jawaharlal Nehru Tropical Botanic Garden and Research Institute, Pacha-Palode, Thiruvananthapuram, 695 562, Kerala, India.
| | - Anil John Johnson
- Phytochemistry and Phytopharmacology Division, Jawaharlal Nehru Tropical Botanic Garden and Research Institute, Pacha-Palode, Thiruvananthapuram, 695 562, Kerala, India
| | - Elavinamannil Jacob Zachariah
- Atmospheric Sciences Division, National Centre for Earth Science Studies, Post Box No. 7250, Akkulam, Thiruvananthapuram, 695 011, Kerala, India
| | - Abdul Azeez Hussain
- Garden Management Division, Jawaharlal Nehru Tropical Botanic Garden and Research Institute, Pacha-Palode, Thiruvananthapuram, 695 562, Kerala, India
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11
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Poppinga S, Daber LE, Westermeier AS, Kruppert S, Horstmann M, Tollrian R, Speck T. Biomechanical analysis of prey capture in the carnivorous Southern bladderwort (Utricularia australis). Sci Rep 2017; 7:1776. [PMID: 28496168 PMCID: PMC5431978 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-01954-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2017] [Accepted: 04/04/2017] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
We recorded capture events (CEs) of the daphniid Ceriodaphnia dubia by the carnivorous Southern bladderwort with suction traps (Utricularia australis). Independent to orientation and behavior during trap triggering, the animals were successfully captured within 9 ms on average and sucked in with velocities of up to 4 m/s and accelerations of up to 2800 g. Phases of very high acceleration during onsets of suction were immediately followed by phases of similarly high deceleration (max.: -1900 g) inside the bladders, leading to immobilization of the prey which then dies. We found that traps perform a 'forward strike' during suction and that almost completely air-filled traps are still able to perform suction. The trigger hairs on the trapdoors can undergo strong bending deformation, which we interpret to be a safety feature to prevent fracture. Our results highlight the elaborate nature of the Utricularia suction traps which are functionally resilient and leave prey animals virtually no chance to escape.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simon Poppinga
- Plant Biomechanics Group, Botanic Garden, University of Freiburg, Schänzlestraße 1, D-79104, Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany.
| | - Lars Erik Daber
- Plant Biomechanics Group, Botanic Garden, University of Freiburg, Schänzlestraße 1, D-79104, Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany
| | - Anna Sofia Westermeier
- Plant Biomechanics Group, Botanic Garden, University of Freiburg, Schänzlestraße 1, D-79104, Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany
- Freiburg Centre for Interactive Materials and Bioinspired Technologies (FIT), Georges-Koehler-Allee 105, D-79110, Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany
| | - Sebastian Kruppert
- Department of Animal Ecology, Evolution and Biodiversity, Ruhr-University Bochum, Universitätsstraße 150, D-44780, Bochum, Germany
| | - Martin Horstmann
- Department of Animal Ecology, Evolution and Biodiversity, Ruhr-University Bochum, Universitätsstraße 150, D-44780, Bochum, Germany
| | - Ralph Tollrian
- Department of Animal Ecology, Evolution and Biodiversity, Ruhr-University Bochum, Universitätsstraße 150, D-44780, Bochum, Germany
| | - Thomas Speck
- Plant Biomechanics Group, Botanic Garden, University of Freiburg, Schänzlestraße 1, D-79104, Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany
- Freiburg Centre for Interactive Materials and Bioinspired Technologies (FIT), Georges-Koehler-Allee 105, D-79110, Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany
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Pitsch G, Adamec L, Dirren S, Nitsche F, Šimek K, Sirová D, Posch T. The Green Tetrahymena utriculariae n. sp. (Ciliophora, Oligohymenophorea) with Its Endosymbiotic Algae (Micractinium sp.), Living in Traps of a Carnivorous Aquatic Plant. J Eukaryot Microbiol 2016; 64:322-335. [PMID: 27613221 DOI: 10.1111/jeu.12369] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2016] [Revised: 09/05/2016] [Accepted: 09/05/2016] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
The genus Tetrahymena (Ciliophora, Oligohymenophorea) probably represents the best studied ciliate genus. At present, more than forty species have been described. All are colorless, i.e. they do not harbor symbiotic algae, and as aerobes they need at least microaerobic habitats. Here, we present the morphological and molecular description of the first green representative, Tetrahymena utriculariae n. sp., living in symbiosis with endosymbiotic algae identified as Micractinium sp. (Chlorophyta). The full life cycle of the ciliate species is documented, including trophonts and theronts, conjugating cells, resting cysts and dividers. This species has been discovered in an exotic habitat, namely in traps of the carnivorous aquatic plant Utricularia reflexa (originating from Okavango Delta, Botswana). Green ciliates live as commensals of the plant in this anoxic habitat. Ciliates are bacterivorous, however, symbiosis with algae is needed to satisfy cell metabolism but also to gain oxygen from symbionts. When ciliates are cultivated outside their natural habitat under aerobic conditions and fed with saturating bacterial food, they gradually become aposymbiotic. Based on phylogenetic analyses of 18S rRNA and mitochondrial cox1 genes T. utriculariae forms a sister group to Tetrahymena thermophila.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gianna Pitsch
- Limnological Station, Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, University of Zurich, Kilchberg, 8802, Switzerland
| | - Lubomír Adamec
- Institute of Botany CAS, Section of Plant Ecology, Třeboň, 379 82, Czech Republic
| | - Sebastian Dirren
- Limnological Station, Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, University of Zurich, Kilchberg, 8802, Switzerland
| | - Frank Nitsche
- Institute for Zoology, General Ecology, Biocenter, University of Cologne, Cologne, 50674, Germany
| | - Karel Šimek
- Biology Centre CAS, Institute of Hydrobiology, České Budějovice, 370 05, Czech Republic
| | - Dagmara Sirová
- Biology Centre CAS, Institute of Hydrobiology, České Budějovice, 370 05, Czech Republic.,Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, České Budějovice, 370 05, Czech Republic
| | - Thomas Posch
- Limnological Station, Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, University of Zurich, Kilchberg, 8802, Switzerland
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Šimek K, Pitsch G, Salcher MM, Sirová D, Shabarova T, Adamec L, Posch T. Ecological Traits of the Algae-Bearing Tetrahymena utriculariae (Ciliophora) from Traps of the Aquatic Carnivorous Plant Utricularia reflexa. J Eukaryot Microbiol 2016; 64:336-348. [PMID: 27613086 DOI: 10.1111/jeu.12368] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2016] [Revised: 08/17/2016] [Accepted: 08/26/2016] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Trap fluid of aquatic carnivorous plants of the genus Utricularia hosts specific microbiomes consisting of commensal pro- and eukaryotes of largely unknown ecology. We examined the characteristics and dynamics of bacteria and the three dominant eukaryotes, i.e. the algae-bearing ciliate Tetrahymena utriculariae (Ciliophora), a green flagellate Euglena agilis (Euglenophyta), and the alga Scenedesmus alternans (Chlorophyta), associated with the traps of Utricularia reflexa. Our study focused on ecological traits and life strategies of the highly abundant ciliate whose biomass by far exceeds that of other eukaryotes and bacteria independent of the trap age. The ciliate was the only bacterivore in the traps, driving rapid turnover of bacterial standing stock. However, given the large size of the ciliate and the cell-specific uptake rates of bacteria we estimated that bacterivory alone would likely be insufficient to support its apparent rapid growth in traps. We suggest that mixotrophy based on algal symbionts contributes significantly to the diet and survival strategy of the ciliate in the extreme (anaerobic, low pH) trap-fluid environment. We propose a revised concept of major microbial interactions in the trap fluid where ciliate bacterivory plays a central role in regeneration of nutrients bound in rapidly growing bacterial biomass.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karel Šimek
- Biology Centre CAS, v.v.i., Institute of Hydrobiology, Na Sádkách 7, České Budějovice, 370 05, Czech Republic.,Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, Branišovská 31, České Budějovice, 370 05, Czech Republic
| | - Gianna Pitsch
- Limnological Station, Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, University of Zurich, Kilchberg, 8802, Switzerland
| | - Michaela M Salcher
- Biology Centre CAS, v.v.i., Institute of Hydrobiology, Na Sádkách 7, České Budějovice, 370 05, Czech Republic
| | - Dagmara Sirová
- Biology Centre CAS, v.v.i., Institute of Hydrobiology, Na Sádkách 7, České Budějovice, 370 05, Czech Republic.,Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, Branišovská 31, České Budějovice, 370 05, Czech Republic
| | - Tanja Shabarova
- Biology Centre CAS, v.v.i., Institute of Hydrobiology, Na Sádkách 7, České Budějovice, 370 05, Czech Republic
| | - Lubomír Adamec
- Institute of Botany CAS, Section of Plant Ecology, Třeboň, 379 82, Czech Republic
| | - Thomas Posch
- Limnological Station, Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, University of Zurich, Kilchberg, 8802, Switzerland
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Poppinga S, Weisskopf C, Westermeier AS, Masselter T, Speck T. Fastest predators in the plant kingdom: functional morphology and biomechanics of suction traps found in the largest genus of carnivorous plants. AOB PLANTS 2015; 8:plv140. [PMID: 26602984 PMCID: PMC4717191 DOI: 10.1093/aobpla/plv140] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2015] [Accepted: 11/07/2015] [Indexed: 05/18/2023]
Abstract
Understanding the physics of plant movements, which describe the interplay between plant architecture, movement speed and actuation principles, is essential for the comprehension of important processes like plant morphogenesis. Recent investigations especially on rapid plant movements at the interface of biology, physics and engineering sciences highlight how such fast motions can be achieved without the presence of muscles, nerves and technical hinge analogies. The suction traps (bladders) of carnivorous bladderworts (Utricularia spp., Lentibulariaceae, Lamiales) are considered as some of the most elaborate moving structures in the plant kingdom. A complex interplay of morphological and physiological adaptations allows the traps to pump water out of their body and to store elastic energy in the deformed bladder walls. Mechanical stimulation by prey entails opening of the otherwise watertight trapdoor, followed by trap wall relaxation, sucking in of water and prey, and consecutive trapdoor closure. Suction can also occur spontaneously in non-stimulated traps. We review the current state of knowledge about the suction trap mechanism with a focus on architectonically homogeneous traps of aquatic bladderwort species from section Utricularia (the so-called 'Utricularia vulgaris trap type'). The functional morphology and biomechanics of the traps are described in detail. We discuss open questions and propose promising aspects for future studies on these sophisticated ultra-fast trapping devices.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simon Poppinga
- Plant Biomechanics Group, University of Freiburg, Botanic Garden, Schänzlestrasse 1, 79104 Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany Freiburg Materials Research Center (FMF), University of Freiburg, Stefan-Meier-Straße 21, 79104 Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany
| | - Carmen Weisskopf
- Plant Biomechanics Group, University of Freiburg, Botanic Garden, Schänzlestrasse 1, 79104 Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany Present address: Department of Biomaterials, Max Planck Institute of Colloids and Interfaces, Wissenschaftspark Potsdam-Golm, Am Mühlenberg 1, 14476 Potsdam, Germany
| | - Anna Sophia Westermeier
- Plant Biomechanics Group, University of Freiburg, Botanic Garden, Schänzlestrasse 1, 79104 Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany
| | - Tom Masselter
- Plant Biomechanics Group, University of Freiburg, Botanic Garden, Schänzlestrasse 1, 79104 Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany
| | - Thomas Speck
- Plant Biomechanics Group, University of Freiburg, Botanic Garden, Schänzlestrasse 1, 79104 Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany Freiburg Materials Research Center (FMF), University of Freiburg, Stefan-Meier-Straße 21, 79104 Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany
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Cao HX, Schmutzer T, Scholz U, Pecinka A, Schubert I, Vu GTH. Metatranscriptome analysis reveals host-microbiome interactions in traps of carnivorous Genlisea species. Front Microbiol 2015; 6:526. [PMID: 26236284 PMCID: PMC4500957 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2015.00526] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2015] [Accepted: 05/12/2015] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
In the carnivorous plant genus Genlisea a unique lobster pot trapping mechanism supplements nutrition in nutrient-poor habitats. A wide spectrum of microbes frequently occurs in Genlisea's leaf-derived traps without clear relevance for Genlisea carnivory. We sequenced the metatranscriptomes of subterrestrial traps vs. the aerial chlorophyll-containing leaves of G. nigrocaulis and of G. hispidula. Ribosomal RNA assignment revealed soil-borne microbial diversity in Genlisea traps, with 92 genera of 19 phyla present in more than one sample. Microbes from 16 of these phyla including proteobacteria, green algae, amoebozoa, fungi, ciliates and metazoans, contributed additionally short-lived mRNA to the metatranscriptome. Furthermore, transcripts of 438 members of hydrolases (e.g., proteases, phosphatases, lipases), mainly resembling those of metazoans, ciliates and green algae, were found. Compared to aerial leaves, Genlisea traps displayed a transcriptional up-regulation of endogenous NADH oxidases generating reactive oxygen species as well as of acid phosphatases for prey digestion. A leaf-vs.-trap transcriptome comparison reflects that carnivory provides inorganic P- and different forms of N-compounds (ammonium, nitrate, amino acid, oligopeptides) and implies the need to protect trap cells against oxidative stress. The analysis elucidates a complex food web inside the Genlisea traps, and suggests ecological relationships between this plant genus and its entrapped microbiome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hieu X. Cao
- Department of Breeding Research, Leibniz Institute of Plant Genetics and Crop Plant Research (IPK)Gatersleben, Germany
| | - Thomas Schmutzer
- Department of Breeding Research, Leibniz Institute of Plant Genetics and Crop Plant Research (IPK)Gatersleben, Germany
| | - Uwe Scholz
- Department of Breeding Research, Leibniz Institute of Plant Genetics and Crop Plant Research (IPK)Gatersleben, Germany
| | - Ales Pecinka
- Department of Plant Breeding and Genetics, Max Planck Institute for Plant Breeding Research (MPIPZ)Köln, Germany
| | - Ingo Schubert
- Department of Breeding Research, Leibniz Institute of Plant Genetics and Crop Plant Research (IPK)Gatersleben, Germany
- Faculty of Science and Central European Institute of Technology, Masaryk UniversityBrno, Czech Republic
| | - Giang T. H. Vu
- Department of Breeding Research, Leibniz Institute of Plant Genetics and Crop Plant Research (IPK)Gatersleben, Germany
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Pavlovič A, Saganová M. A novel insight into the cost-benefit model for the evolution of botanical carnivory. ANNALS OF BOTANY 2015; 115:1075-92. [PMID: 25948113 PMCID: PMC4648460 DOI: 10.1093/aob/mcv050] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/02/2015] [Revised: 03/02/2015] [Accepted: 03/20/2015] [Indexed: 05/18/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The cost-benefit model for the evolution of botanical carnivory provides a conceptual framework for interpreting a wide range of comparative and experimental studies on carnivorous plants. This model assumes that the modified leaves called traps represent a significant cost for the plant, and this cost is outweighed by the benefits from increased nutrient uptake from prey, in terms of enhancing the rate of photosynthesis per unit leaf mass or area (AN) in the microsites inhabited by carnivorous plants. SCOPE This review summarizes results from the classical interpretation of the cost-benefit model for evolution of botanical carnivory and highlights the costs and benefits of active trapping mechanisms, including water pumping, electrical signalling and accumulation of jasmonates. Novel alternative sequestration strategies (utilization of leaf litter and faeces) in carnivorous plants are also discussed in the context of the cost-benefit model. CONCLUSIONS Traps of carnivorous plants have lower AN than leaves, and the leaves have higher AN after feeding. Prey digestion, water pumping and electrical signalling represent a significant carbon cost (as an increased rate of respiration, RD) for carnivorous plants. On the other hand, jasmonate accumulation during the digestive period and reprogramming of gene expression from growth and photosynthesis to prey digestion optimizes enzyme production in comparison with constitutive secretion. This inducibility may have evolved as a cost-saving strategy beneficial for carnivorous plants. The similarities between plant defence mechanisms and botanical carnivory are highlighted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrej Pavlovič
- Department of Biophysics, Centre of the Region Haná for Biotechnological and Agricultural Research, Palacký University, Šlechtitelů 11, CZ-783 71, Olomouc, Czech Republic and Department of Plant Physiology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Comenius University in Bratislava, Mlynská dolina B2, SK-842 15, Bratislava, Slovakia Department of Biophysics, Centre of the Region Haná for Biotechnological and Agricultural Research, Palacký University, Šlechtitelů 11, CZ-783 71, Olomouc, Czech Republic and Department of Plant Physiology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Comenius University in Bratislava, Mlynská dolina B2, SK-842 15, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Michaela Saganová
- Department of Biophysics, Centre of the Region Haná for Biotechnological and Agricultural Research, Palacký University, Šlechtitelů 11, CZ-783 71, Olomouc, Czech Republic and Department of Plant Physiology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Comenius University in Bratislava, Mlynská dolina B2, SK-842 15, Bratislava, Slovakia
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Sirová D, Santrůček J, Adamec L, Bárta J, Borovec J, Pech J, Owens SM, Santrůčková H, Schäufele R, Storchová H, Vrba J. Dinitrogen fixation associated with shoots of aquatic carnivorous plants: is it ecologically important? ANNALS OF BOTANY 2014; 114:125-33. [PMID: 24817095 PMCID: PMC4071093 DOI: 10.1093/aob/mcu067] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2013] [Accepted: 03/11/2014] [Indexed: 05/08/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIMS Rootless carnivorous plants of the genus Utricularia are important components of many standing waters worldwide, as well as suitable model organisms for studying plant-microbe interactions. In this study, an investigation was made of the importance of microbial dinitrogen (N2) fixation in the N acquisition of four aquatic Utricularia species and another aquatic carnivorous plant, Aldrovanda vesiculosa. METHODS 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing was used to assess the presence of micro-organisms with known ability to fix N2. Next-generation sequencing provided information on the expression of N2 fixation-associated genes. N2 fixation rates were measured following (15)N2-labelling and were used to calculate the plant assimilation rate of microbially fixed N2. KEY RESULTS Utricularia traps were confirmed as primary sites of N2 fixation, with up to 16 % of the plant-associated microbial community consisting of bacteria capable of fixing N2. Of these, rhizobia were the most abundant group. Nitrogen fixation rates increased with increasing shoot age, but never exceeded 1·3 μmol N g(-1) d. mass d(-1). Plant assimilation rates of fixed N2 were detectable and significant, but this fraction formed less than 1 % of daily plant N gain. Although trap fluid provides conditions favourable for microbial N2 fixation, levels of nif gene transcription comprised <0·01 % of the total prokaryotic transcripts. CONCLUSIONS It is hypothesized that the reason for limited N2 fixation in aquatic Utricularia, despite the large potential capacity, is the high concentration of NH4-N (2·0-4·3 mg L(-1)) in the trap fluid. Resulting from fast turnover of organic detritus, it probably inhibits N2 fixation in most of the microorganisms present. Nitrogen fixation is not expected to contribute significantly to N nutrition of aquatic carnivorous plants under their typical growth conditions; however, on an annual basis the plant-microbe system can supply nitrogen in the order of hundreds of mg m(-2) into the nutrient-limited littoral zone, where it may thus represent an important N source.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dagmara Sirová
- Department of Ecosystem Biology, Department of Experimental Plant Biology, Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, Branišovská 31, CZ-37005 České Budějovice, Czech Republic
| | - Jiří Santrůček
- Department of Ecosystem Biology, Department of Experimental Plant Biology, Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, Branišovská 31, CZ-37005 České Budějovice, Czech Republic Institute of Plant Molecular Biology, Biology Centre AS CR, Branišovská 31, CZ-37005 České Budějovice, Czech Republic
| | - Lubomír Adamec
- Section of Plant Ecology, Institute of Botany AS CR, Dukelská 135, CZ-37982 Třeboň, Czech Republic
| | - Jiří Bárta
- Department of Ecosystem Biology, Department of Experimental Plant Biology, Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, Branišovská 31, CZ-37005 České Budějovice, Czech Republic
| | - Jakub Borovec
- Institute of Hydrobiology, Biology Centre AS CR, Na Sádkách 7, CZ-37005 České Budějovice, Czech Republic
| | - Jiří Pech
- Institute of Applied Informatics, Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, Branišovská 31, CZ-37005 České Budějovice, Czech Republic
| | - Sarah M Owens
- Institute of Genomics and Systems Biology, Argonne National Laboratory, Argonne, and Computation Institute, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Hana Santrůčková
- Department of Ecosystem Biology, Department of Experimental Plant Biology, Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, Branišovská 31, CZ-37005 České Budějovice, Czech Republic
| | - Rudi Schäufele
- Department of Grassland Study, Technical University Munich, Alte Akademie 12, Freising-Weihenstephan, Germany
| | - Helena Storchová
- Institute of Experimental Botany AS CR, Rozvojová 263, CZ-16502 Prague 6-Lysolaje, Czech Republic
| | - Jaroslav Vrba
- Department of Ecosystem Biology, Department of Experimental Plant Biology, Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, Branišovská 31, CZ-37005 České Budějovice, Czech Republic Institute of Hydrobiology, Biology Centre AS CR, Na Sádkách 7, CZ-37005 České Budějovice, Czech Republic
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Haron NW, Chew MY. Medicinal and environmental indicator species of Utricularia from montane forest of Peninsular Malaysia. ScientificWorldJournal 2012; 2012:234820. [PMID: 22619629 PMCID: PMC3353273 DOI: 10.1100/2012/234820] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2011] [Accepted: 12/07/2011] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The carnivorous Utricularia (Lentibulariaceae) is a small herb of multifarious wet habitats worldwide. Eleven of the 14 Peninsular Malaysian species range into the mountains. Distribution, disturbance adaptability and collection frequency were used to formulate their commonness category. Common (U. aurea, U. bifida, and U. minutissima) and fairly common (U. gibba and U. uliginosa) species are mostly lowland plants that ascend to open montane microhabitats, while the fairly common (U. striatula), narrow-range (U. caerulea pink form and U. involvens), rare (U. furcellata and U. scandens), and endemic (U. vitellina) species are restricted to mountainous sites. Common species that colonise dystrophic to oligotrophic man-made sites in late succession could serve as predictors for general health and recovery of wet habitats. Rarer species are often locally abundant, their niches situated around pristine forest edges. When in decline, they indicate the beginning of problems affecting the forest. Utricularia is reportedly nutritious, mildly astringent, and diuretic. Preadapted to nutrient-poor, waterlogged soils, U. bifida is suitable as an alternative for small-scale herb cultivation on low pH, wet poor soils usually deemed not suitable for any crops.
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Affiliation(s)
- Noorma Wati Haron
- Institute of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, University of Malaya, 50603 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
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Król E, Płachno BJ, Adamec L, Stolarz M, Dziubińska H, Trebacz K. Quite a few reasons for calling carnivores 'the most wonderful plants in the world'. ANNALS OF BOTANY 2012; 109:47-64. [PMID: 21937485 PMCID: PMC3241575 DOI: 10.1093/aob/mcr249] [Citation(s) in RCA: 71] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2011] [Accepted: 08/08/2011] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND A plant is considered carnivorous if it receives any noticeable benefit from catching small animals. The morphological and physiological adaptations to carnivorous existence is most complex in plants, thanks to which carnivorous plants have been cited by Darwin as 'the most wonderful plants in the world'. When considering the range of these adaptations, one realizes that the carnivory is a result of a multitude of different features. SCOPE This review discusses a selection of relevant articles, culled from a wide array of research topics on plant carnivory, and focuses in particular on physiological processes associated with active trapping and digestion of prey. Carnivory offers the plants special advantages in habitats where nutrient supply is scarce. Counterbalancing costs are the investments in synthesis and the maintenance of trapping organs and hydrolysing enzymes. With the progress in genetic, molecular and microscopic techniques, we are well on the way to a full appreciation of various aspects of plant carnivory. CONCLUSIONS Sufficiently complex to be of scientific interest and finite enough to allow conclusive appraisal, carnivorous plants can be viewed as unique models for the examination of rapid organ movements, plant excitability, enzyme secretion, nutrient absorption, food-web relationships, phylogenetic and intergeneric relationships or structural and mineral investment in carnivory.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elzbieta Król
- Department of Biophysics, Institute of Biology, Maria Curie-Skłodowska University, Akademicka 19, 20-033 Lublin, Poland.
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Sirov D, Borovec J, Picek TX, Adamec LR, Nedbalov L, Vrba J. Ecological implications of organic carbon dynamics in the traps of aquatic carnivorous Utricularia plants. FUNCTIONAL PLANT BIOLOGY : FPB 2011; 38:583-593. [PMID: 32480911 DOI: 10.1071/fp11023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2011] [Accepted: 05/23/2011] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
Rootless aquatic carnivorous Utricularia exude up to 25% of their photosynthates into the trap lumen, which also harbours a complex microbial community thought to play a role in enhancing Utricularia nutrient acquisition. We investigated the composition of organic carbon in the trap fluid, its availability for microbial uptake, the influence of plant nutrient status and trap age on its biodegradability, and the composition of prokaryotic assemblages within the traps of three aquatic Utricularia species. Using ion chromatography and basal respiration rate measurements we confirmed that up to 30% of total dissolved organic carbon in Utricularia trap fluid in oligotrophic conditions was easily biodegradable compounds commonly found in plant root exudates (mainly glucose, fructose and lactate). The proportion of these compounds and their microbial utilisation decreased with increasing mineral nutrient supply and trap age. Fluorescence in situ hybridisation analyses showed that microbial trap assemblages are dominated by alpha and beta Proteobacteria, and that the assemblage composition is affected by changes in the ambient mineral nutrient supply. We suggest that organic carbon dynamics within the traps, involving both the plant and associated microbial assemblages, underlies the acquisition of key nutrients by Utricularia and may help explain the evolutionary success of the genus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dagmara Sirov
- Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, Department of Ecosystem Biology, Branišovská 31, CZ-37005 České Budějovice, Czech Republic
| | - Jakub Borovec
- Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, Department of Ecosystem Biology, Branišovská 31, CZ-37005 České Budějovice, Czech Republic
| | - Tom X Picek
- Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, Department of Ecosystem Biology, Branišovská 31, CZ-37005 České Budějovice, Czech Republic
| | - Lubom R Adamec
- Institute of Botany AS CR, Dukelská 135, CZ-37982 Třeboň, Czech Republic
| | - Linda Nedbalov
- Institute of Botany AS CR, Dukelská 135, CZ-37982 Třeboň, Czech Republic
| | - Jaroslav Vrba
- Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, Department of Ecosystem Biology, Branišovská 31, CZ-37005 České Budějovice, Czech Republic
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Ibarra-Laclette E, Albert VA, Pérez-Torres CA, Zamudio-Hernández F, Ortega-Estrada MDJ, Herrera-Estrella A, Herrera-Estrella L. Transcriptomics and molecular evolutionary rate analysis of the bladderwort (Utricularia), a carnivorous plant with a minimal genome. BMC PLANT BIOLOGY 2011; 11:101. [PMID: 21639913 PMCID: PMC3141634 DOI: 10.1186/1471-2229-11-101] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2011] [Accepted: 06/03/2011] [Indexed: 05/18/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The carnivorous plant Utricularia gibba (bladderwort) is remarkable in having a minute genome, which at ca. 80 megabases is approximately half that of Arabidopsis. Bladderworts show an incredible diversity of forms surrounding a defined theme: tiny, bladder-like suction traps on terrestrial, epiphytic, or aquatic plants with a diversity of unusual vegetative forms. Utricularia plants, which are rootless, are also anomalous in physiological features (respiration and carbon distribution), and highly enhanced molecular evolutionary rates in chloroplast, mitochondrial and nuclear ribosomal sequences. Despite great interest in the genus, no genomic resources exist for Utricularia, and the substitution rate increase has received limited study. RESULTS Here we describe the sequencing and analysis of the Utricularia gibba transcriptome. Three different organs were surveyed, the traps, the vegetative shoot bodies, and the inflorescence stems. We also examined the bladderwort transcriptome under diverse stress conditions. We detail aspects of functional classification, tissue similarity, nitrogen and phosphorus metabolism, respiration, DNA repair, and detoxification of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Long contigs of plastid and mitochondrial genomes, as well as sequences for 100 individual nuclear genes, were compared with those of other plants to better establish information on molecular evolutionary rates. CONCLUSION The Utricularia transcriptome provides a detailed genomic window into processes occurring in a carnivorous plant. It contains a deep representation of the complex metabolic pathways that characterize a putative minimal plant genome, permitting its use as a source of genomic information to explore the structural, functional, and evolutionary diversity of the genus. Vegetative shoots and traps are the most similar organs by functional classification of their transcriptome, the traps expressing hydrolytic enzymes for prey digestion that were previously thought to be encoded by bacteria. Supporting physiological data, global gene expression analysis shows that traps significantly over-express genes involved in respiration and that phosphate uptake might occur mainly in traps, whereas nitrogen uptake could in part take place in vegetative parts. Expression of DNA repair and ROS detoxification enzymes may be indicative of a response to increased respiration. Finally, evidence from the bladderwort transcriptome, direct measurement of ROS in situ, and cross-species comparisons of organellar genomes and multiple nuclear genes supports the hypothesis that increased nucleotide substitution rates throughout the plant may be due to the mutagenic action of amplified ROS production.
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Affiliation(s)
- Enrique Ibarra-Laclette
- Laboratorio Nacional de Genómica para la Biodiversidad, Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados del Instituto Politécnico Nacional, 36821 Irapuato, Guanajuato, México
| | - Victor A Albert
- Department of Biological Sciences, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, New York 14260, USA
| | - Claudia A Pérez-Torres
- Laboratorio Nacional de Genómica para la Biodiversidad, Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados del Instituto Politécnico Nacional, 36821 Irapuato, Guanajuato, México
| | - Flor Zamudio-Hernández
- Laboratorio Nacional de Genómica para la Biodiversidad, Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados del Instituto Politécnico Nacional, 36821 Irapuato, Guanajuato, México
| | - María de J Ortega-Estrada
- Laboratorio Nacional de Genómica para la Biodiversidad, Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados del Instituto Politécnico Nacional, 36821 Irapuato, Guanajuato, México
| | - Alfredo Herrera-Estrella
- Laboratorio Nacional de Genómica para la Biodiversidad, Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados del Instituto Politécnico Nacional, 36821 Irapuato, Guanajuato, México
| | - Luis Herrera-Estrella
- Laboratorio Nacional de Genómica para la Biodiversidad, Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados del Instituto Politécnico Nacional, 36821 Irapuato, Guanajuato, México
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Adamec L. The smallest but fastest: ecophysiological characteristics of traps of aquatic carnivorous Utricularia. PLANT SIGNALING & BEHAVIOR 2011. [PMID: 21499028 DOI: 10.1016/j.aquabot.2011.07.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/09/2023]
Abstract
Aquatic Utricularia species usually grow in standing, nutrient-poor humic waters. They take up all necessary nutrients either directly from the water by rootless shoots or from animal prey by traps. The traps are hollow bladders, 1-6 mm long with elastic walls and have a mobile trap door. The inner part of the trap is densely lined with quadrifid and bifid glands and these are involved in the secretion of digestive enzymes, resorption of nutrients and pumping out the water. The traps capture small aquatic animals but they also host a community of microorganisms considered as commensals. How do these perfect traps function, kill and digest their prey? How do they provide ATP energy for their demanding physiological functions? What are the nature of the interactions between the traps and the mutualistic microorganisms living inside as commensals? In this mini review, all of these questions are considered from an ecophysiologist's point of view, based on the most recent literature data and unpublished results. A new concept on the role of the commensal community for the plants is presented.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lubomír Adamec
- Institute of Botany of Academy of Sciences of Czech Republic, Section of Plant Ecology, Dukelská, Třeboň, Czech Republic.
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Adamec L. The smallest but fastest: ecophysiological characteristics of traps of aquatic carnivorous Utricularia. PLANT SIGNALING & BEHAVIOR 2011; 6:640-6. [PMID: 21499028 PMCID: PMC3172828 DOI: 10.4161/psb.6.5.14980] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2011] [Accepted: 01/28/2011] [Indexed: 05/09/2023]
Abstract
Aquatic Utricularia species usually grow in standing, nutrient-poor humic waters. They take up all necessary nutrients either directly from the water by rootless shoots or from animal prey by traps. The traps are hollow bladders, 1-6 mm long with elastic walls and have a mobile trap door. The inner part of the trap is densely lined with quadrifid and bifid glands and these are involved in the secretion of digestive enzymes, resorption of nutrients and pumping out the water. The traps capture small aquatic animals but they also host a community of microorganisms considered as commensals. How do these perfect traps function, kill and digest their prey? How do they provide ATP energy for their demanding physiological functions? What are the nature of the interactions between the traps and the mutualistic microorganisms living inside as commensals? In this mini review, all of these questions are considered from an ecophysiologist's point of view, based on the most recent literature data and unpublished results. A new concept on the role of the commensal community for the plants is presented.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lubomír Adamec
- Institute of Botany of Academy of Sciences of Czech Republic, Section of Plant Ecology, Dukelská, Třeboň, Czech Republic.
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Płachno BJ. Female germ unit in Genlisea and Utricularia, with remarks about the evolution of the extra-ovular female gametophyte in members of Lentibulariaceae. PROTOPLASMA 2011; 248:391-404. [PMID: 20689973 PMCID: PMC3066386 DOI: 10.1007/s00709-010-0185-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2010] [Accepted: 07/14/2010] [Indexed: 05/22/2023]
Abstract
Lentibulariaceae is the largest family among carnivorous plants which displays not only an unusual morphology and anatomy but also the special evolution of its embryological characteristics. It has previously been reported by authors that Utricularia species lack a filiform apparatus in the synergids. The main purposes of this study were to determine whether a filiform apparatus occurs in the synergids of Utricularia and its sister genus Genlisea, and to compare the female germ unit in these genera. The present studies clearly show that synergids in both genera possess a filiform apparatus; however, it seems that Utricularia quelchii synergids have a simpler structure compared to Genlisea aurea and other typical angiosperms. The synergids are located at the terminal position in the embryo sacs of Pinguicula, Genlisea and were probably also located in that position in common Utricularia ancestor. This ancestral characteristic still occurs in some species from the Bivalvaria subgenus. An embryo sac, which grows out beyond the limit of the integument and has contact with nutritive tissue, appeared independently in different Utricularia lineages and as a consequence of this, the egg apparatus changes position from apical to lateral.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bartosz Jan Płachno
- Department of Plant Cytology and Embryology, Jagiellonian University, 52 Grodzka st., 31-044, Cracow, Poland.
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Adlassnig W, Peroutka M, Lendl T. Traps of carnivorous pitcher plants as a habitat: composition of the fluid, biodiversity and mutualistic activities. ANNALS OF BOTANY 2011; 107:181-94. [PMID: 21159782 PMCID: PMC3025736 DOI: 10.1093/aob/mcq238] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Carnivorous pitcher plants (CPPs) use cone-shaped leaves to trap animals for nutrient supply but are not able to kill all intruders of their traps. Numerous species, ranging from bacteria to vertrebrates, survive and propagate in the otherwise deadly traps. This paper reviews the literature on phytotelmata of CPPs. PITCHER Fluid as a Habitat The volumes of pitchers range from 0·2 mL to 1·5 L. In Nepenthes and Cephalotus, the fluid is secreted by the trap; the other genera collect rain water. The fluid is usually acidic, rich in O(2) and contains digestive enzymes. In some taxa, toxins or detergents are found, or the fluid is extremely viscous. In Heliamphora or Sarracenia, the fluid differs little from pure water. INQUILINE Diversity Pitcher inquilines comprise bacteria, protozoa, algae, fungi, rotifers, crustaceans, arachnids, insects and amphibia. The dominant groups are protists and Dipteran larvae. The various species of CPPs host different sets of inquilines. Sarracenia purpurea hosts up to 165 species of inquilines, followed by Nepenthes ampullaria with 59 species, compared with only three species from Brocchinia reducta. Reasons for these differences include size, the life span of the pitcher as well as its fluid. MUTUALISTIC: Activities Inquilines closely interact with their host. Some live as parasites, but the vast majority are mutualists. Beneficial activities include secretion of enzymes, feeding on the plant's prey and successive excretion of inorganic nutrients, mechanical break up of the prey, removal of excessive prey and assimilation of atmospheric N(2). CONCLUSIONS There is strong evidence that CPPs influence their phytotelm. Two strategies can be distinguished: (1) Nepenthes and Cephalotus produce acidic, toxic or digestive fluids and host a limited diversity of inquilines. (2) Genera without efficient enzymes such as Sarracenia or Heliamphora host diverse organisms and depend to a large extent on their symbionts for prey utilization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wolfram Adlassnig
- University of Vienna, Cell Imaging and Ultrastructure Research Unit, Althanstrasse 14, A-1090 Vienna, Austria.
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Fleischmann A, Schäferhoff B, Heubl G, Rivadavia F, Barthlott W, Müller KF. Phylogenetics and character evolution in the carnivorous plant genus Genlisea A. St.-Hil. (Lentibulariaceae). Mol Phylogenet Evol 2010; 56:768-83. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ympev.2010.03.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2009] [Revised: 03/01/2010] [Accepted: 03/07/2010] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
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