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Banaś K, Ronowski R, Marciniak P. Effects of Environmental Conditions on the Individual Architectures and Photosynthetic Performances of Three Species in Drosera. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:9823. [PMID: 37372970 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24129823] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2023] [Revised: 06/02/2023] [Accepted: 06/05/2023] [Indexed: 06/29/2023] Open
Abstract
The aim of this study was to determine the environmental conditions, individual architectures, and photosynthetic efficiencies of three sundew species: Drosera rotundifolia, D. anglica, and D. intermedia, found in well-preserved peatlands and sandy lake shores in NW Poland. Morphological traits and chlorophyll a fluorescence (Fv/Fm) were measured in 581 individuals of Drosera. D. anglica occupies the best-lit and warmest habitats, and also those that are the most heavily hydrated and the richest in organic matter; its rosettes are larger under conditions of higher pH, less organic matter, and less well-lit habitats. D. intermedia occupies substrates with the highest pH but the lowest conductivity, the poorest level of organic matter, and the least hydration. It is highly variable in terms of individual architecture. D. rotundifolia occupies habitats that are the most diverse, and that are often poorly lit, with the lowest pH but the highest conductivity. It is the least variable in terms of individual architecture. The value of the Fv/Fm ratio in Drosera is low (0.616 ± 0.137). The highest photosynthetic efficiency is achieved by D. rotundifolia (0.677 ± 0.111). It is significant for all substrates, indicating its high phenotypic plasticity. The other species have lower and similar Fv/Fm values (D. intermedia, 0.571 ± 0.118; D. anglica, 0.543 ± 0.154). Due to its very low photosynthetic efficiency, D. anglica avoids competition by occupying highly hydrated habitats. D. intermedia has adapted to the occupation of highly variable habitats in terms of hydration, while D. rotundifolia is primarily adapted to variable light conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Krzysztof Banaś
- Department of Plant Ecology, Faculty of Biology, University of Gdansk, Wita Stwosza 59, 80-308 Gdańsk, Poland
| | - Rafał Ronowski
- Department of Plant Ecology, Faculty of Biology, University of Gdansk, Wita Stwosza 59, 80-308 Gdańsk, Poland
| | - Paweł Marciniak
- Department of Plant Ecology, Faculty of Biology, University of Gdansk, Wita Stwosza 59, 80-308 Gdańsk, Poland
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Ivesic C, Krammer S, Koller-Peroutka M, Laarouchi A, Gruber D, Lang I, Lichtscheidl IK, Adlassnig W. Quantification of Protein Uptake by Endocytosis in Carnivorous Nepenthales. PLANTS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2023; 12:341. [PMID: 36679054 PMCID: PMC9863405 DOI: 10.3390/plants12020341] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2022] [Revised: 12/30/2022] [Accepted: 01/01/2023] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Carnivorous plants adsorb prey-derived nutrients partly by endocytosis. This study quantifies endocytosis in Drosophyllum lusitanicum, Drosera capensis, Drosera roseana, Dionaea muscipula and Nepenthes × ventrata. Traps were exposed to 1% fluorescent-labeled albumin (FITC-BSA), and uptake was quantified repeatedly for 64 h. Formation of vesicles started after ≤1 h in adhesive traps, but only after 16 h in species with temporary stomach (D. muscipula and N. × ventrata). In general, there are similarities in the observed species, especially in the beginning stages of endocytosis. Nonetheless, further intracellular processing of endocytotic vesicles seems to be widely different between species. Endocytotic vesicle size increased significantly over time in all species except in D. capensis. Fluorescence intensity of the endocytotic vesicles increased in all species except D. muscipula. After 64 h, estimates for FITC-BSA absorption per gland ranged from 5.9 ± 6.3 ng in D. roseana to 47.8 ± 44.3 ng in N. × ventrata, demonstrating that endocytosis substantially contributes to the adsorption of prey-derived nutrients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caroline Ivesic
- Functional and Evolutionary Ecology, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Vienna, Djerassiplatz 1, 1030 Vienna, Austria
- Core Facility Cell Imaging and Ultrastructure Research, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Vienna, Djerassiplatz 1, 1030 Vienna, Austria
| | - Stefanie Krammer
- Core Facility Cell Imaging and Ultrastructure Research, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Vienna, Djerassiplatz 1, 1030 Vienna, Austria
| | - Marianne Koller-Peroutka
- Core Facility Cell Imaging and Ultrastructure Research, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Vienna, Djerassiplatz 1, 1030 Vienna, Austria
| | - Aicha Laarouchi
- Core Facility Cell Imaging and Ultrastructure Research, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Vienna, Djerassiplatz 1, 1030 Vienna, Austria
| | - Daniela Gruber
- Core Facility Cell Imaging and Ultrastructure Research, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Vienna, Djerassiplatz 1, 1030 Vienna, Austria
| | - Ingeborg Lang
- Functional and Evolutionary Ecology, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Vienna, Djerassiplatz 1, 1030 Vienna, Austria
| | - Irene K. Lichtscheidl
- Core Facility Cell Imaging and Ultrastructure Research, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Vienna, Djerassiplatz 1, 1030 Vienna, Austria
| | - Wolfram Adlassnig
- Core Facility Cell Imaging and Ultrastructure Research, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Vienna, Djerassiplatz 1, 1030 Vienna, Austria
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Lichtscheidl I, Lancelle S, Weidinger M, Adlassnig W, Koller-Peroutka M, Bauer S, Krammer S, Hepler PK. Gland cell responses to feeding in Drosera capensis, a carnivorous plant. PROTOPLASMA 2021; 258:1291-1306. [PMID: 34155556 PMCID: PMC8523503 DOI: 10.1007/s00709-021-01667-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2021] [Accepted: 05/11/2021] [Indexed: 05/08/2023]
Abstract
Glands of Drosera absorb and transport nutrients from captured prey, but the mechanism and dynamics remain unclear. In this study, we offered animal proteins in the form of fluorescent albumin (FITC-BSA) and observed the reactions of the glands by live cell imaging and fluorescence microscopy. The ultrastructure of these highly dynamic processes was also assessed in high-pressure frozen and freeze substituted (HPF-FS) cells. HPF-FS yielded excellent preservation of the cytoplasm of all cell types, although the cytosol looked different in gland cells as compared to endodermoid and stalk cells. Especially prominent were the ER and its contacts with the plasma membrane, plasmodesmata, and other organelles as well as continuities between organelles. Also distinct were actin microfilaments in association with ER and organelles. Application of FITC-BSA to glands caused the formation of fluorescent endosomes that pinched off the plasma membrane. Endosomes fused to larger aggregates, and accumulated in the bulk cytoplasm around the nucleus. They did not fuse with the cell sap vacuole but remained for at least three days; in addition, fluorescent vesicles also proceeded through endodermoid and transfer cells to the epidermal and parenchymal cells of the tentacle stalk.
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Affiliation(s)
- Irene Lichtscheidl
- Cell Imaging and Ultrastructure Research, University of Vienna, Althanstrasse 14, A-1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Sue Lancelle
- Biology Department, University of Massachusetts Amherst, 221 Morrill Science Center III; 611 North Pleasant Street, Amherst, MA 01003-9297 USA
| | - Marieluise Weidinger
- Cell Imaging and Ultrastructure Research, University of Vienna, Althanstrasse 14, A-1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Wolfram Adlassnig
- Cell Imaging and Ultrastructure Research, University of Vienna, Althanstrasse 14, A-1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Marianne Koller-Peroutka
- Cell Imaging and Ultrastructure Research, University of Vienna, Althanstrasse 14, A-1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Sonja Bauer
- Cell Imaging and Ultrastructure Research, University of Vienna, Althanstrasse 14, A-1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Stefanie Krammer
- Cell Imaging and Ultrastructure Research, University of Vienna, Althanstrasse 14, A-1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Peter K. Hepler
- Biology Department, University of Massachusetts Amherst, 221 Morrill Science Center III; 611 North Pleasant Street, Amherst, MA 01003-9297 USA
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Arai N, Ohno Y, Jumyo S, Hamaji Y, Ohyama T. Organ-specific expression and epigenetic traits of genes encoding digestive enzymes in the lance-leaf sundew (Drosera adelae). JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL BOTANY 2021; 72:1946-1961. [PMID: 33247920 PMCID: PMC7921302 DOI: 10.1093/jxb/eraa560] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2020] [Accepted: 11/25/2020] [Indexed: 05/16/2023]
Abstract
Over the last two decades, extensive studies have been performed at the molecular level to understand the evolution of carnivorous plants. As fruits, the repertoire of protein components in the digestive fluids of several carnivorous plants have gradually become clear. However, the quantitative aspects of these proteins and the expression mechanisms of the genes that encode them are still poorly understood. In this study, using the Australian sundew Drosera adelae, we identified and quantified the digestive fluid proteins. We examined the expression and methylation status of the genes corresponding to major hydrolytic enzymes in various organs; these included thaumatin-like protein, S-like RNase, cysteine protease, class I chitinase, β-1, 3-glucanase, and hevein-like protein. The genes encoding these proteins were exclusively expressed in the glandular tentacles. Furthermore, the promoters of the β-1, 3-glucanase and cysteine protease genes were demethylated only in the glandular tentacles, similar to the previously reported case of the S-like RNase gene da-I. This phenomenon correlated with high expression of the DNA demethylase DEMETER in the glandular tentacles, strongly suggesting that it performs glandular tentacle-specific demethylation of the genes. The current study strengthens and generalizes the relevance of epigenetics to trap organ-specific gene expression in D. adelae. We also suggest similarities between the trap organs of carnivorous plants and the roots of non-carnivorous plants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Naoki Arai
- Major in Integrative Bioscience and Biomedical Engineering, Graduate School of Science and Engineering, Waseda University, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Yusuke Ohno
- Major in Integrative Bioscience and Biomedical Engineering, Graduate School of Science and Engineering, Waseda University, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Shinya Jumyo
- Major in Integrative Bioscience and Biomedical Engineering, Graduate School of Science and Engineering, Waseda University, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Yusuke Hamaji
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Education and Integrated Arts and Sciences, Waseda University, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Takashi Ohyama
- Major in Integrative Bioscience and Biomedical Engineering, Graduate School of Science and Engineering, Waseda University, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo, Japan
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Education and Integrated Arts and Sciences, Waseda University, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo, Japan
- Correspondence:
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Capó-Bauçà S, Font-Carrascosa M, Ribas-Carbó M, Pavlovič A, Galmés J. Biochemical and mesophyll diffusional limits to photosynthesis are determined by prey and root nutrient uptake in the carnivorous pitcher plant Nepenthes × ventrata. ANNALS OF BOTANY 2020; 126:25-37. [PMID: 32173732 PMCID: PMC7304475 DOI: 10.1093/aob/mcaa041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2019] [Accepted: 03/10/2020] [Indexed: 05/18/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIMS Carnivorous plants can enhance photosynthetic efficiency in response to prey nutrient uptake, but the underlying mechanisms of increased photosynthesis are largely unknown. Here we investigated photosynthesis in the pitcher plant Nepenthes × ventrata in response to different prey-derived and root mineral nutrition to reveal photosynthetic constrains. METHODS Nutrient-stressed plants were irrigated with full inorganic solution or fed with four different insects: wasps, ants, beetles or flies. Full dissection of photosynthetic traits was achieved by means of gas exchange, chlorophyll fluorescence and immunodetection of photosynthesis-related proteins. Leaf biochemical and anatomical parameters together with mineral composition, nitrogen and carbon isotopic discrimination of leaves and insects were also analysed. KEY RESULTS Mesophyll diffusion was the major photosynthetic limitation for nutrient-stressed Nepenthes × ventrata, while biochemistry was the major photosynthetic limitation after nutrient application. The better nutrient status of insect-fed and root-fertilized treatments increased chlorophyll, pigment-protein complexes and Rubisco content. As a result, both photochemical and carboxylation potential were enhanced, increasing carbon assimilation. Different nutrient application affected growth, and root-fertilized treatment led to the investment of more biomass in leaves instead of pitchers. CONCLUSIONS The study resolved a 35-year-old hypothesis that carnivorous plants increase photosynthetic assimilation via the investment of prey-derived nitrogen in the photosynthetic apparatus. The equilibrium between biochemical and mesophyll limitations of photosynthesis is strongly affected by the nutrient treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sebastià Capó-Bauçà
- Research Group on Plant Biology under Mediterranean Conditions, Universitat de les Illes Balears–INAGEA, Palma, Balearic Islands, Spain
| | - Marcel Font-Carrascosa
- Research Group on Plant Biology under Mediterranean Conditions, Universitat de les Illes Balears–INAGEA, Palma, Balearic Islands, Spain
| | - Miquel Ribas-Carbó
- Research Group on Plant Biology under Mediterranean Conditions, Universitat de les Illes Balears–INAGEA, Palma, Balearic Islands, Spain
| | - Andrej Pavlovič
- Department of Biophysics, Centre of Region Haná for Biotechnological and Agricultural Research, Faculty of Science, Palacký University in Olomouc, Šlechtitelů, CZ, Czech Republic
| | - Jeroni Galmés
- Research Group on Plant Biology under Mediterranean Conditions, Universitat de les Illes Balears–INAGEA, Palma, Balearic Islands, Spain
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Gruzdev EV, Kadnikov VV, Beletsky AV, Kochieva EZ, Mardanov AV, Skryabin KG, Ravin NV. Plastid Genomes of Carnivorous Plants Drosera rotundifolia and Nepenthes × ventrata Reveal Evolutionary Patterns Resembling Those Observed in Parasitic Plants. Int J Mol Sci 2019; 20:E4107. [PMID: 31443555 PMCID: PMC6747624 DOI: 10.3390/ijms20174107] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2019] [Revised: 08/20/2019] [Accepted: 08/21/2019] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Carnivorous plants have the ability to capture and digest small animals as a source of additional nutrients, which allows them to grow in nutrient-poor habitats. Here we report the complete sequences of the plastid genomes of two carnivorous plants of the order Caryophyllales, Drosera rotundifolia and Nepenthes × ventrata. The plastome of D. rotundifolia is repeat-rich and highly rearranged. It lacks NAD(P)H dehydrogenase genes, as well as ycf1 and ycf2 genes, and three essential tRNA genes. Intron losses are observed in some protein-coding and tRNA genes along with a pronounced reduction of RNA editing sites. Only six editing sites were identified by RNA-seq in D. rotundifolia plastid genome and at most conserved editing sites the conserved amino acids are already encoded at the DNA level. In contrast, the N. × ventrata plastome has a typical structure and gene content, except for pseudogenization of the ccsA gene. N. × ventrata and D. rotundifolia could represent different stages of evolution of the plastid genomes of carnivorous plants, resembling events observed in parasitic plants in the course of the switch from autotrophy to a heterotrophic lifestyle.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eugeny V Gruzdev
- Institute of Bioengineering, Research Center of Biotechnology of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 119071 Moscow, Russia
- Lomonosov Moscow State University, 119991 Moscow, Russia
| | - Vitaly V Kadnikov
- Institute of Bioengineering, Research Center of Biotechnology of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 119071 Moscow, Russia
| | - Alexey V Beletsky
- Institute of Bioengineering, Research Center of Biotechnology of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 119071 Moscow, Russia
| | - Elena Z Kochieva
- Institute of Bioengineering, Research Center of Biotechnology of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 119071 Moscow, Russia
| | - Andrey V Mardanov
- Institute of Bioengineering, Research Center of Biotechnology of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 119071 Moscow, Russia
| | - Konstantin G Skryabin
- Institute of Bioengineering, Research Center of Biotechnology of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 119071 Moscow, Russia
| | - Nikolai V Ravin
- Institute of Bioengineering, Research Center of Biotechnology of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 119071 Moscow, Russia.
- Lomonosov Moscow State University, 119991 Moscow, Russia.
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7
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Pavlovič A, Mithöfer A. Jasmonate signalling in carnivorous plants: copycat of plant defence mechanisms. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL BOTANY 2019; 70:3379-3389. [PMID: 31120525 DOI: 10.1093/jxb/erz188] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2019] [Accepted: 04/09/2019] [Indexed: 05/09/2023]
Abstract
The lipid-derived jasmonate phytohormones (JAs) regulate a wide spectrum of physiological processes in plants such as growth, development, tolerance to abiotic stresses, and defence against pathogen infection and insect attack. Recently, a new role for JAs has been revealed in carnivorous plants. In these specialized plants, JAs can induce the formation of digestive cavities and regulate enzyme production in response to different stimuli from caught prey. Appearing to be a new function for JAs in plants, a closer look reveals that the signalling pathways involved resemble known signalling pathways from plant defence mechanisms. Moreover, the digestion-related secretome of carnivorous plants is composed of many pathogenesis-related (PR) proteins and low molecular weight compounds, indicating that the plant carnivory syndrome is related to and has evolved from plant defence mechanisms. This review describes the similarities between defence and carnivory. It further describes how, after recognition of caught insects, JAs enable the carnivorous plants to digest and benefit from the prey. In addition, a causal connection between electrical and jasmonate signalling is discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrej Pavlovič
- Department of Biophysics, Centre of the Region Haná for Biotechnological and Agricultural Research, Faculty of Science, Palacký University, Šlechtitelů, CZ, Olomouc, Czech Republic
| | - Axel Mithöfer
- Research Group Plant Defense Physiology, Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, Hans-Knöll-Straße, Jena, Germany
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Nevill PG, Howell KA, Cross AT, Williams AV, Zhong X, Tonti-Filippini J, Boykin LM, Dixon KW, Small I. Plastome-Wide Rearrangements and Gene Losses in Carnivorous Droseraceae. Genome Biol Evol 2019; 11:472-485. [PMID: 30629170 PMCID: PMC6380313 DOI: 10.1093/gbe/evz005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 01/05/2019] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
The plastid genomes of four related carnivorous plants (Drosera regia, Drosera erythrorhiza, Aldrovanda vesiculosa, and Dionaea muscipula) were sequenced to examine changes potentially induced by the transition to carnivory. The plastid genomes of the Droseraceae show multiple rearrangements, gene losses, and large expansions or contractions of the inverted repeat. All the ndh genes are lost or nonfunctional, as well as in some of the species, clpP1, ycf1, ycf2 and some tRNA genes. Uniquely, among land plants, the trnK gene has no intron. Carnivory in the Droseraceae coincides with changes in plastid gene content similar to those induced by parasitism and mycoheterotrophy, suggesting parallel changes in chloroplast function due to the similar switch from autotrophy to (mixo-) heterotrophy. A molecular phylogeny of the taxa based on all shared plastid genes indicates that the "snap-traps" of Aldrovanda and Dionaea have a common origin.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul G Nevill
- ARC Centre for Mine Site Restoration, School of Molecular and Life Sciences, Curtin University, Bentley, Western Australia, Australia
- School of Plant Biology, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, Western Australia, Australia
- Kings Park and Botanic Garden, Kings Park, Western Australia, Australia
| | - Katharine A Howell
- Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence in Plant Energy Biology, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, Western Australia, Australia
- The University of Notre Dame, Fremantle, Western Australia, Australia
| | - Adam T Cross
- ARC Centre for Mine Site Restoration, School of Molecular and Life Sciences, Curtin University, Bentley, Western Australia, Australia
- School of Plant Biology, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, Western Australia, Australia
- Kings Park and Botanic Garden, Kings Park, Western Australia, Australia
| | - Anna V Williams
- School of Plant Biology, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, Western Australia, Australia
- Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence in Plant Energy Biology, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, Western Australia, Australia
| | - Xiao Zhong
- Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence in Plant Energy Biology, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, Western Australia, Australia
- School of Molecular Sciences, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, Western Australia, Australia
| | - Julian Tonti-Filippini
- Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence in Plant Energy Biology, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, Western Australia, Australia
- School of Molecular Sciences, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, Western Australia, Australia
| | - Laura M Boykin
- Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence in Plant Energy Biology, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, Western Australia, Australia
- School of Molecular Sciences, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, Western Australia, Australia
| | - Kingsley W Dixon
- ARC Centre for Mine Site Restoration, School of Molecular and Life Sciences, Curtin University, Bentley, Western Australia, Australia
- School of Plant Biology, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, Western Australia, Australia
| | - Ian Small
- Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence in Plant Energy Biology, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, Western Australia, Australia
- School of Molecular Sciences, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, Western Australia, Australia
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Ravee R, Mohd Salleh F‘I, Goh HH. Discovery of digestive enzymes in carnivorous plants with focus on proteases. PeerJ 2018; 6:e4914. [PMID: 29888132 PMCID: PMC5993016 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.4914] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2018] [Accepted: 05/16/2018] [Indexed: 01/30/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Carnivorous plants have been fascinating researchers with their unique characters and bioinspired applications. These include medicinal trait of some carnivorous plants with potentials for pharmaceutical industry. METHODS This review will cover recent progress based on current studies on digestive enzymes secreted by different genera of carnivorous plants: Drosera (sundews), Dionaea (Venus flytrap), Nepenthes (tropical pitcher plants), Sarracenia (North American pitcher plants), Cephalotus (Australian pitcher plants), Genlisea (corkscrew plants), and Utricularia (bladderworts). RESULTS Since the discovery of secreted protease nepenthesin in Nepenthes pitcher, digestive enzymes from carnivorous plants have been the focus of many studies. Recent genomics approaches have accelerated digestive enzyme discovery. Furthermore, the advancement in recombinant technology and protein purification helped in the identification and characterisation of enzymes in carnivorous plants. DISCUSSION These different aspects will be described and discussed in this review with focus on the role of secreted plant proteases and their potential industrial applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rishiesvari Ravee
- Institute of Systems Biology (INBIOSIS), Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Bangi, Selangor, Malaysia
| | - Faris ‘Imadi Mohd Salleh
- Institute of Systems Biology (INBIOSIS), Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Bangi, Selangor, Malaysia
| | - Hoe-Han Goh
- Institute of Systems Biology (INBIOSIS), Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Bangi, Selangor, Malaysia
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10
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Opell BD, Jain D, Dhinojwala A, Blackledge TA. Tuning orb spider glycoprotein glue performance to habitat humidity. J Exp Biol 2018; 221:221/6/jeb161539. [DOI: 10.1242/jeb.161539] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
ABSTRACT
Orb-weaving spiders use adhesive threads to delay the escape of insects from their webs until the spiders can locate and subdue the insects. These viscous threads are spun as paired flagelliform axial fibers coated by a cylinder of solution derived from the aggregate glands. As low molecular mass compounds (LMMCs) in the aggregate solution attract atmospheric moisture, the enlarging cylinder becomes unstable and divides into droplets. Within each droplet an adhesive glycoprotein core condenses. The plasticity and axial line extensibility of the glycoproteins are maintained by hygroscopic LMMCs. These compounds cause droplet volume to track changes in humidity and glycoprotein viscosity to vary approximately 1000-fold over the course of a day. Natural selection has tuned the performance of glycoprotein cores to the humidity of a species' foraging environment by altering the composition of its LMMCs. Thus, species from low-humidity habits have more hygroscopic threads than those from humid forests. However, at their respective foraging humidities, these species' glycoproteins have remarkably similar viscosities, ensuring optimal droplet adhesion by balancing glycoprotein adhesion and cohesion. Optimal viscosity is also essential for integrating the adhesion force of multiple droplets. As force is transferred to a thread's support line, extending droplets draw it into a parabolic configuration, implementing a suspension bridge mechanism that sums the adhesive force generated over the thread span. Thus, viscous capture threads extend an orb spider's phenotype as a highly integrated complex of large proteins and small molecules that function as a self-assembling, highly tuned, environmentally responsive, adhesive biomaterial. Understanding the synergistic role of chemistry and design in spider adhesives, particularly the ability to stick in wet conditions, provides insight in designing synthetic adhesives for biomedical applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brent D. Opell
- Department of Biological Sciences, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA 24061, USA
| | - Dharamdeep Jain
- Department of Polymer Science, Integrated Bioscience Program, The University of Akron, Akron, OH 44325, USA
| | - Ali Dhinojwala
- Department of Polymer Science, Integrated Bioscience Program, The University of Akron, Akron, OH 44325, USA
| | - Todd A. Blackledge
- Department of Biology, Integrated Bioscience Program, The University of Akron, Akron, OH 44325, USA
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11
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Kokubun T. Occurrence of myo-inositol and alkyl-substituted polysaccharide in the prey-trapping mucilage of Drosera capensis. THE SCIENCE OF NATURE - NATURWISSENSCHAFTEN 2017; 104:83. [PMID: 28940006 PMCID: PMC5610204 DOI: 10.1007/s00114-017-1502-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2017] [Revised: 08/29/2017] [Accepted: 09/01/2017] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
The chemical composition of the exudate mucilage droplets of the carnivorous plant Drosera capensis was investigated using nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. The mucilage was found to contain beside a very large molecular weight polysaccharide a significant amount of myo-inositol. It appears that myo-inositol escaped detection due to the commonly applied methodology on the chemical analysis of plant mucilage, such as dialysis, precipitation of polysaccharide component with alcohol, acid hydrolysis and detection of the resultant monosaccharide (aldose) units. The possible functions of myo-inositol in the mucilage droplets and the fate after being washed off from the leaf tentacles are proposed. On the polysaccharide component, the presence of methyl ester and alkyl chain-like moieties could be confirmed. These lipophilic moieties may provide the prey-trapping mucilage with the unique adhesive property onto the hydrophobic insect body parts, as well as onto the nature's well-known superhydrophobic surfaces such as the leaves of the sacred lotus plants. A re-evaluation of the mineral components of the mucilage, reported 40 years ago, is presented from the viewpoints of the current result and plants' natural habitat. A case for re-examination of the well-studied plant mucilaginous materials is made in light of the new findings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tetsuo Kokubun
- Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Richmond, Surrey, TW9 3AB, UK.
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Unhelkar MH, Duong VT, Enendu KN, Kelly JE, Tahir S, Butts CT, Martin RW. Structure prediction and network analysis of chitinases from the Cape sundew, Drosera capensis. Biochim Biophys Acta Gen Subj 2017; 1861:636-643. [PMID: 28040565 PMCID: PMC6679993 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbagen.2016.12.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2016] [Revised: 12/06/2016] [Accepted: 12/09/2016] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Carnivorous plants possess diverse sets of enzymes with novel functionalities applicable to biotechnology, proteomics, and bioanalytical research. Chitinases constitute an important class of such enzymes, with future applications including human-safe antifungal agents and pesticides. Here, we compare chitinases from the genome of the carnivorous plant Drosera capensis to those from related carnivorous plants and model organisms. METHODS Using comparative modeling, in silico maturation, and molecular dynamics simulation, we produce models of the mature enzymes in aqueous solution. We utilize network analytic techniques to identify similarities and differences in chitinase topology. RESULTS Here, we report molecular models and functional predictions from protein structure networks for eleven new chitinases from D. capensis, including a novel class IV chitinase with two active domains. This architecture has previously been observed in microorganisms but not in plants. We use a combination of comparative and de novo structure prediction followed by molecular dynamics simulation to produce models of the mature forms of these proteins in aqueous solution. Protein structure network analysis of these and other plant chitinases reveal characteristic features of the two major chitinase families. GENERAL SIGNIFICANCE This work demonstrates how computational techniques can facilitate quickly moving from raw sequence data to refined structural models and comparative analysis, and to select promising candidates for subsequent biochemical characterization. This capability is increasingly important given the large and growing body of data from high-throughput genome sequencing, which makes experimental characterization of every target impractical.
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Affiliation(s)
- Megha H Unhelkar
- Department of Chemistry, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697, USA
| | - Vy T Duong
- Department of Chemistry, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697, USA; Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697, USA
| | - Kaosoluchi N Enendu
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697, USA
| | - John E Kelly
- Department of Chemistry, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697, USA
| | - Seemal Tahir
- Department of Chemistry, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697, USA
| | - Carter T Butts
- Department of Sociology, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697, USA; Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697, USA; Department of Statistics, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697, USA.
| | - Rachel W Martin
- Department of Chemistry, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697, USA; Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697, USA.
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Mithöfer A. What Darwin only divined: unraveling the hierarchy of signaling events upon prey catch in carnivorous sundew plants. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2017; 213:1564-1566. [PMID: 28164339 DOI: 10.1111/nph.14463] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Axel Mithöfer
- Department of Bioorganic Chemistry, Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, Hans-Knöll-Straße 8, 07745, Jena, Germany
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Krausko M, Perutka Z, Šebela M, Šamajová O, Šamaj J, Novák O, Pavlovič A. The role of electrical and jasmonate signalling in the recognition of captured prey in the carnivorous sundew plant Drosera capensis. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2017; 213:1818-1835. [PMID: 27933609 DOI: 10.1111/nph.14352] [Citation(s) in RCA: 63] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2016] [Accepted: 10/17/2016] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
The carnivorous sundew plant (Drosera capensis) captures prey using sticky tentacles. We investigated the tentacle and trap reactions in response to the electrical and jasmonate signalling evoked by different stimuli to reveal how carnivorous sundews recognize digestible captured prey in their traps. We measured the electrical signals, phytohormone concentration, enzyme activities and Chla fluorescence in response to mechanical stimulation, wounding or insect feeding in local and systemic traps. Seven new proteins in the digestive fluid were identified using mass spectrometry. Mechanical stimuli and live prey induced a fast, localized tentacle-bending reaction and enzyme secretion at the place of application. By contrast, repeated wounding induced a nonlocalized convulsive tentacle movement and enzyme secretion in local but also in distant systemic traps. These differences can be explained in terms of the electrical signal propagation and jasmonate accumulation, which also had a significant impact on the photosynthesis in the traps. The electrical signals generated in response to wounding could partially mimic a mechanical stimulation of struggling prey and might trigger a false alarm, confirming that the botanical carnivory and plant defence mechanisms are related. To trigger the full enzyme activity, the traps must detect chemical stimuli from the captured prey.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miroslav Krausko
- Department of Plant Physiology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Comenius University in Bratislava, Mlynská dolina B2, Ilkovi?ova 6, Bratislava, SK-842 15, Slovakia
| | - Zdeněk Perutka
- Department of Protein Biochemistry and Proteomics, Centre of the Region Haná for Biotechnological and Agricultural Research, Faculty of Science, Palacký University, Šlechtitelů 27, Olomouc, CZ-78371, Czech Republic
| | - Marek Šebela
- Department of Protein Biochemistry and Proteomics, Centre of the Region Haná for Biotechnological and Agricultural Research, Faculty of Science, Palacký University, Šlechtitelů 27, Olomouc, CZ-78371, Czech Republic
| | - Olga Šamajová
- Department of Cell Biology, Centre of the Region Haná for Biotechnological and Agricultural Research, Faculty of Science, Palacký University, Šlechtitelů 27, Olomouc, CZ-783 71, Czech Republic
| | - Jozef Šamaj
- Department of Cell Biology, Centre of the Region Haná for Biotechnological and Agricultural Research, Faculty of Science, Palacký University, Šlechtitelů 27, Olomouc, CZ-783 71, Czech Republic
| | - Ondřej Novák
- Laboratory of Growth Regulators, Centre of the Region Haná for Biotechnological and Agricultural Research, Institute of Experimental Botany ASCR and Palacký University, Šlechtitelů 27, Olomouc, CZ-783 71, Czech Republic
| | - Andrej Pavlovič
- Department of Plant Physiology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Comenius University in Bratislava, Mlynská dolina B2, Ilkovi?ova 6, Bratislava, SK-842 15, Slovakia
- Department of Biophysics, Centre of the Region Haná for Biotechnological and Agricultural Research, Faculty of Science, Palacký University , Šlechtitelů 27, Olomouc, CZ-783 71, Czech Republic
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Ho WW, Riffell JA. The Olfactory Neuroecology of Herbivory, Hostplant Selection and Plant-Pollinator Interactions. Integr Comp Biol 2016; 56:856-864. [PMID: 27471226 DOI: 10.1093/icb/icw096] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Plants experience often opposing energetic demands and selective pressures-for instance, where plants need to attract an insect that is both the pollinator and herbivore, or alternately, where plants attract prey (due to limited resources) and pollinators. Together, these selective pressures can modify the volatile signals available to the plant's mutualistic and antagonistic partners. Nevertheless, it remains an open question how changes in the information content of volatile signals modify behavioral responses in mutualists and antagonists, and what the underlying neural bases of these behaviors are. This review focuses on two systems to explore the impact of herbivory and resource availability on plant-pollinator interactions: hawkmoth-pollinated hostplants (where herbivory is common), and carnivorous bee-pollinated pitcher plants (where the plants differentially attract bee pollinators and other insect prey). We focus on (1) the volatile signals emitted from these plants because these volatiles operate as long-distance signals to attract, or deter, insect partners, (2) how this information is processed in the hawkmoth olfactory system, and (3) how volatile information changes spatiotemporally. In both the plants and their respective insect partner(s), volatile signaling, reception and behavior are dynamic and plastic, providing flexibility an ever-changing environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Winnie W Ho
- Department of Biology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Jeffrey A Riffell
- Department of Biology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
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Pavlovič A, Krausko M, Adamec L. A carnivorous sundew plant prefers protein over chitin as a source of nitrogen from its traps. PLANT PHYSIOLOGY AND BIOCHEMISTRY : PPB 2016; 104:11-16. [PMID: 26998942 DOI: 10.1016/j.plaphy.2016.03.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2016] [Revised: 03/04/2016] [Accepted: 03/04/2016] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
Carnivorous plants have evolved in nutrient-poor wetland habitats. They capture arthropod prey, which is an additional source of plant growth limiting nutrients. One of them is nitrogen, which occurs in the form of chitin and proteins in prey carcasses. In this study, the nutritional value of chitin and protein and their digestion traits in the carnivorous sundew Drosera capensis L. were estimated using stable nitrogen isotope abundance. Plants fed on chitin derived 49% of the leaf nitrogen from chitin, while those fed on the protein bovine serum albumin (BSA) derived 70% of its leaf nitrogen from this. Moreover, leaf nitrogen content doubled in protein-fed in comparison to chitin-fed plants indicating that the proteins were digested more effectively in comparison to chitin and resulted in significantly higher chlorophyll contents. The surplus chlorophyll and absorbed nitrogen from the protein digestion were incorporated into photosynthetic proteins - the light harvesting antennae of photosystem II. The incorporation of insect nitrogen into the plant photosynthetic apparatus may explain the increased rate of photosynthesis and plant growth after feeding. This general response in many genera of carnivorous plants has been reported in many previous studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrej Pavlovič
- Department of Biophysics, Centre of the Region Haná for Biotechnological and Agricultural Research, Faculty of Science, Palacký University, Šlechtitelů 27, CZ-783 71, Olomouc, Czech Republic; Department of Plant Physiology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Comenius University in Bratislava, Ilkovičova 6, Mlynská dolina, SK-842 15, Bratislava, Slovakia.
| | - Miroslav Krausko
- Department of Plant Physiology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Comenius University in Bratislava, Ilkovičova 6, Mlynská dolina, SK-842 15, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Lubomír Adamec
- Institute of Botany of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Section of Plant Ecology, Dukelská 135, CZ-379 82, Třeboň, Czech Republic
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17
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Pavlovič A, Saganová M. A novel insight into the cost-benefit model for the evolution of botanical carnivory. ANNALS OF BOTANY 2015; 115:1075-92. [PMID: 25948113 PMCID: PMC4648460 DOI: 10.1093/aob/mcv050] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/02/2015] [Revised: 03/02/2015] [Accepted: 03/20/2015] [Indexed: 05/18/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The cost-benefit model for the evolution of botanical carnivory provides a conceptual framework for interpreting a wide range of comparative and experimental studies on carnivorous plants. This model assumes that the modified leaves called traps represent a significant cost for the plant, and this cost is outweighed by the benefits from increased nutrient uptake from prey, in terms of enhancing the rate of photosynthesis per unit leaf mass or area (AN) in the microsites inhabited by carnivorous plants. SCOPE This review summarizes results from the classical interpretation of the cost-benefit model for evolution of botanical carnivory and highlights the costs and benefits of active trapping mechanisms, including water pumping, electrical signalling and accumulation of jasmonates. Novel alternative sequestration strategies (utilization of leaf litter and faeces) in carnivorous plants are also discussed in the context of the cost-benefit model. CONCLUSIONS Traps of carnivorous plants have lower AN than leaves, and the leaves have higher AN after feeding. Prey digestion, water pumping and electrical signalling represent a significant carbon cost (as an increased rate of respiration, RD) for carnivorous plants. On the other hand, jasmonate accumulation during the digestive period and reprogramming of gene expression from growth and photosynthesis to prey digestion optimizes enzyme production in comparison with constitutive secretion. This inducibility may have evolved as a cost-saving strategy beneficial for carnivorous plants. The similarities between plant defence mechanisms and botanical carnivory are highlighted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrej Pavlovič
- Department of Biophysics, Centre of the Region Haná for Biotechnological and Agricultural Research, Palacký University, Šlechtitelů 11, CZ-783 71, Olomouc, Czech Republic and Department of Plant Physiology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Comenius University in Bratislava, Mlynská dolina B2, SK-842 15, Bratislava, Slovakia Department of Biophysics, Centre of the Region Haná for Biotechnological and Agricultural Research, Palacký University, Šlechtitelů 11, CZ-783 71, Olomouc, Czech Republic and Department of Plant Physiology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Comenius University in Bratislava, Mlynská dolina B2, SK-842 15, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Michaela Saganová
- Department of Biophysics, Centre of the Region Haná for Biotechnological and Agricultural Research, Palacký University, Šlechtitelů 11, CZ-783 71, Olomouc, Czech Republic and Department of Plant Physiology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Comenius University in Bratislava, Mlynská dolina B2, SK-842 15, Bratislava, Slovakia
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Bertol N, Paniw M, Ojeda F. Effective prey attraction in the rare Drosophyllum lusitanicum, a flypaper-trap carnivorous plant. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF BOTANY 2015; 102:689-94. [PMID: 26022483 DOI: 10.3732/ajb.1400544] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2014] [Accepted: 04/10/2015] [Indexed: 05/22/2023]
Abstract
PREMISE OF THE STUDY Carnivorous plants have unusually modified leaves to trap insects as an adaptation to low-nutrient environments. Disparate mechanisms have been suggested as luring traits to attract prey insects into their deadly leaves, ranging from very elaborate to none at all. Drosophyllum lusitanicum is a rare carnivorous plant with a common flypaper-trap mechanism. Here we tested whether Drosophyllum plants lure prey insects into their leaves or they act just as passive traps. METHODS We compared prey capture between live, potted plants and Drosophyllum-shaped artificial mimics coated with odorless glue. Since this species is insect-pollinated, we also explored the possible existence of a pollinator-prey conflict by quantifying the similarity between the pollination and prey guilds in a natural population. All experiments were done in southern Spain. KEY RESULTS The sticky leaves of Drosophyllum captured significantly more prey than mimics, particularly small dipterans. Prey attraction, likely exerted by scent or visual cues, seems to be unrelated to pollinator attraction by flowers, as inferred from the low similarity between pollinator and prey insect faunas found in this species. CONCLUSIONS Our results illustrate the effectiveness of this carnivorous species at attracting insects to their flypaper-trap leaves.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nils Bertol
- Departamento de Biología-ceiA3, Universidad de Cádiz, Campus Río San Pedro, E-11510 Puerto Real, Cádiz, Spain
| | - Maria Paniw
- Departamento de Biología-ceiA3, Universidad de Cádiz, Campus Río San Pedro, E-11510 Puerto Real, Cádiz, Spain
| | - Fernando Ojeda
- Departamento de Biología-ceiA3, Universidad de Cádiz, Campus Río San Pedro, E-11510 Puerto Real, Cádiz, Spain
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Gao P, Loeffler TS, Honsel A, Kruse J, Krol E, Scherzer S, Kreuzer I, Bemm F, Buegger F, Burzlaff T, Hedrich R, Rennenberg H. Integration of trap- and root-derived nitrogen nutrition of carnivorous Dionaea muscipula. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2015; 205:1320-1329. [PMID: 25345872 DOI: 10.1111/nph.13120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2014] [Accepted: 09/15/2014] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
Carnivorous Dionaea muscipula operates active snap traps for nutrient acquisition from prey; so what is the role of D. muscipula's reduced root system? We studied the capacity for nitrogen (N) acquisition via traps, and its effect on plant allometry; the capacity of roots to absorb NO₃(-), NH₄(+) and glutamine from the soil solution; and the fate and interaction of foliar- and root-acquired N. Feeding D. muscipula snap traps with insects had little effect on the root : shoot ratio, but promoted petiole relative to trap growth. Large amounts of NH₄(+) and glutamine were absorbed upon root feeding. The high capacity for root N uptake was maintained upon feeding traps with glutamine. High root acquisition of NH₄(+) was mediated by 2.5-fold higher expression of the NH₄(+) transporter DmAMT1 in the roots compared with the traps. Electrophysiological studies confirmed a high constitutive capacity for NH₄(+) uptake by roots. Glutamine feeding of traps inhibited the influx of (15)N from root-absorbed (15)N/(13)C-glutamine into these traps, but not that of (13)C. Apparently, fed traps turned into carbon sinks that even acquired organic carbon from roots. N acquisition at the whole-plant level is fundamentally different in D. muscipula compared with noncarnivorous species, where foliar N influx down-regulates N uptake by roots.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peng Gao
- Institut für Forstwissenschaften, Professur für Baumphysiologie, Universität Freiburg, Georges-Koehler-Allee 53/54, 79110, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Theresa Sofi Loeffler
- Institut für Forstwissenschaften, Professur für Baumphysiologie, Universität Freiburg, Georges-Koehler-Allee 53/54, 79110, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Anne Honsel
- Institut für Forstwissenschaften, Professur für Baumphysiologie, Universität Freiburg, Georges-Koehler-Allee 53/54, 79110, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Jörg Kruse
- Institut für Forstwissenschaften, Professur für Baumphysiologie, Universität Freiburg, Georges-Koehler-Allee 53/54, 79110, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Elzbieta Krol
- Institute for Molecular Plant Physiology and Biophysics, University of Würzburg, D-97070, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Sönke Scherzer
- Institute for Molecular Plant Physiology and Biophysics, University of Würzburg, D-97070, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Ines Kreuzer
- Institute for Molecular Plant Physiology and Biophysics, University of Würzburg, D-97070, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Felix Bemm
- Institute for Molecular Plant Physiology and Biophysics, University of Würzburg, D-97070, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Franz Buegger
- German Research Center for Environmental Health, Institut für Bodenökologie, Helmholtz Zentrum München, 85764, Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Tim Burzlaff
- Institut für Forstwissenschaften, Forstzoologisches Institut, Tennenbacher Strasse 4, 79085, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Rainer Hedrich
- Institute for Molecular Plant Physiology and Biophysics, University of Würzburg, D-97070, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Heinz Rennenberg
- Institut für Forstwissenschaften, Professur für Baumphysiologie, Universität Freiburg, Georges-Koehler-Allee 53/54, 79110, Freiburg, Germany
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Abundance of cysteine endopeptidase dionain in digestive fluid of Venus flytrap (Dionaea muscipula Ellis) is regulated by different stimuli from prey through jasmonates. PLoS One 2014; 9:e104424. [PMID: 25153528 PMCID: PMC4143254 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0104424] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2014] [Accepted: 07/08/2014] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The trap of the carnivorous plant Venus flytrap (Dionaea muscipula) catches prey by very rapid closure of its modified leaves. After the rapid closure secures the prey, repeated mechanical stimulation of trigger hairs by struggling prey and the generation of action potentials (APs) result in secretion of digestive fluid. Once the prey's movement stops, the secretion is maintained by chemical stimuli released from digested prey. We investigated the effect of mechanical and chemical stimulation (NH4Cl, KH2PO4, further N(Cl) and P(K) stimulation) on enzyme activities in digestive fluid. Activities of β-D-glucosidases and N-acetyl-β-D-glucosaminidases were not detected. Acid phosphatase activity was higher in N(Cl) stimulated traps while proteolytic activity was higher in both chemically induced traps in comparison to mechanical stimulation. This is in accordance with higher abundance of recently described enzyme cysteine endopeptidase dionain in digestive fluid of chemically induced traps. Mechanical stimulation induced high levels of cis-12-oxophytodienoic acid (cis-OPDA) but jasmonic acid (JA) and its isoleucine conjugate (JA-Ile) accumulated to higher level after chemical stimulation. The concentration of indole-3-acetic acid (IAA), salicylic acid (SA) and abscisic acid (ABA) did not change significantly. The external application of JA bypassed the mechanical and chemical stimulation and induced a high abundance of dionain and proteolytic activity in digestive fluid. These results document the role of jasmonates in regulation of proteolytic activity in response to different stimuli from captured prey. The double trigger mechanism in protein digestion is proposed.
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Foot G, Rice SP, Millett J. Red trap colour of the carnivorous plant Drosera rotundifolia does not serve a prey attraction or camouflage function. Biol Lett 2014; 10:20131024. [PMID: 24740904 DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2013.1024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The traps of many carnivorous plants are red in colour. This has been widely hypothesized to serve a prey attraction function; colour has also been hypothesized to function as camouflage, preventing prey avoidance. We tested these two hypotheses in situ for the carnivorous plant Drosera rotundifolia. We conducted three separate studies: (i) prey attraction to artificial traps to isolate the influence of colour; (ii) prey attraction to artificial traps on artificial backgrounds to control the degree of contrast and (iii) observation of prey capture by D. rotundifolia to determine the effects of colour on prey capture. Prey were not attracted to green traps and were deterred from red traps. There was no evidence that camouflaged traps caught more prey. For D. rotundifolia, there was a relationship between trap colour and prey capture. However, trap colour may be confounded with other leaf traits. Thus, we conclude that for D. rotundifolia, red trap colour does not serve a prey attraction or camouflage function.
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Affiliation(s)
- G Foot
- School of Life Sciences, The University of Warwick, , Coventry CV4 7AL, UK
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