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Puchalski K, Jacobs BL, Langland JO. In vitro evaluation of antiviral activity in carnivorous plant species. Virology 2024; 597:110144. [PMID: 38943782 DOI: 10.1016/j.virol.2024.110144] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2024] [Revised: 06/10/2024] [Accepted: 06/14/2024] [Indexed: 07/01/2024]
Abstract
Sarracenia purpurea is a carnivorous plant historically used to treat smallpox infections. Our previous data found S. purpurea had broad spectrum antiviral activity in vitro. S. purpurea is one of several hundred identified carnivorous species of plants. Carnivorous plants have evolved through convergent evolution in at least ten independent events, usually in response to harsh environments where nutrition from prey is required for growth. These prey are known vectors of plant viruses that might introduce novel biotic stressors and defense pathways in carnivorous plants. This study evaluated the antiviral activity of several non-carnivorous and carnivorous plants from four evolutionarily distinct clades. Results demonstrated that carnivorous plants have evolved antiviral activity, a trait that is not present in related species of non-carnivorous plants. The antiviral trait may be due to the plant-prey relationship with insect vectors and an evolutionary need for carnivorous plants to have more robust antiviral defense systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Keely Puchalski
- Sonoran University of Health Sciences, Ric Scalzo Institute for Botanical Research, Tempe, AZ, 85282, USA
| | - Bertram L Jacobs
- Biodesign Institute, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, 85287-5401, USA
| | - Jeffrey O Langland
- Sonoran University of Health Sciences, Ric Scalzo Institute for Botanical Research, Tempe, AZ, 85282, USA; Biodesign Institute, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, 85287-5401, USA.
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2
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VanValkenburg E, Gonçalves Souza T, Sanders NJ, CaraDonna P. Sodium-enriched nectar shapes plant-pollinator interactions in a subalpine meadow. Ecol Evol 2024; 14:e70026. [PMID: 39015879 PMCID: PMC11251754 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.70026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2023] [Revised: 06/22/2024] [Accepted: 07/03/2024] [Indexed: 07/18/2024] Open
Abstract
Many plants have evolved nutrient rewards to attract pollinators to flowers, but most research has focused on the sugar content of floral nectar resources. Concentrations of sodium in floral nectar (a micronutrient in low concentrations in nectar) can vary substantially both among and within co-occurring species. It is hypothesized that sodium concentrations in floral nectar might play an important and underappreciated role in plant-pollinator interactions, especially because many animals, including pollinators, are sodium limited in nature. Yet, the consequences of variation in sodium concentrations in floral nectar remain largely unexplored. Here, we investigate whether enriching floral nectar with sodium influences the composition, diversity, and frequency of plant-pollinator interactions. We experimentally enriched sodium concentrations in four plant species in a subalpine meadow in Colorado, USA. We found that flowers with sodium-enriched nectar received more visits from a greater diversity of pollinators throughout the season. Different pollinator species foraged more frequently on flowers enriched with sodium and showed evidence of other changes to foraging behavior, including greater dietary evenness. These findings are consistent with the "salty nectar hypothesis," providing evidence for the importance of sodium limitation in pollinators and suggesting that even small nectar constituents can shape plant-pollinator interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ethan VanValkenburg
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary BiologyUniversity of MichiganAnn ArborMichiganUSA
- Rocky Mountain Biological LaboratoryGothicColoradoUSA
| | | | - Nathan J. Sanders
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary BiologyUniversity of MichiganAnn ArborMichiganUSA
| | - Paul CaraDonna
- Rocky Mountain Biological LaboratoryGothicColoradoUSA
- Chicago Botanic GardenGlencoeIllinoisUSA
- Program in Plant Biology and ConservationNorthwestern UniversityEvanstonIllinoisUSA
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Fu CN, Wicke S, Zhu AD, Li DZ, Gao LM. Distinctive plastome evolution in carnivorous angiosperms. BMC PLANT BIOLOGY 2023; 23:660. [PMID: 38124058 PMCID: PMC10731798 DOI: 10.1186/s12870-023-04682-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2023] [Accepted: 12/11/2023] [Indexed: 12/23/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Independent origins of carnivory in multiple angiosperm families are fabulous examples of convergent evolution using a diverse array of life forms and habitats. Previous studies have indicated that carnivorous plants have distinct evolutionary trajectories of plastid genome (plastome) compared to their non-carnivorous relatives, yet the extent and general characteristics remain elusive. RESULTS We compared plastomes from 9 out of 13 carnivorous families and their non-carnivorous relatives to assess carnivory-associated evolutionary patterns. We identified inversions in all sampled Droseraceae species and four species of Utricularia, Pinguicula, Darlingtonia and Triphyophyllum. A few carnivores showed distinct shifts in inverted repeat boundaries and the overall repeat contents. Many ndh genes, along with some other genes, were independently lost in several carnivorous lineages. We detected significant substitution rate variations in most sampled carnivorous lineages. A significant overall substitution rate acceleration characterizes the two largest carnivorous lineages of Droseraceae and Lentibulariaceae. We also observe moderate substitution rates acceleration in many genes of Cephalotus follicularis, Roridula gorgonias, and Drosophyllum lusitanicum. However, only a few genes exhibit significant relaxed selection. CONCLUSION Our results indicate that the carnivory of plants have different effects on plastome evolution across carnivorous lineages. The complex mechanism under carnivorous habitats may have resulted in distinctive plastome evolution with conserved plastome in the Brocchinia hechtioides to strongly reconfigured plastomes structures in Droseraceae. Organic carbon obtained from prey and the efficiency of utilizing prey-derived nutrients might constitute possible explanation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chao-Nan Fu
- CAS Key Laboratory for Plant Diversity and Biogeography of East Asia, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, 650201, Yunnan, China
- Germplasm Bank of Wild Species, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, 650201, Yunnan, China
- Lijiang Forest Biodiversity National Observation and Research Station, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lijiang, 674100, Yunnan, China
| | - Susann Wicke
- Institute for Biology, Humboldt-University Berlin, Berlin, Germany
- Späth-Arboretum of the Humboldt-University Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - An-Dan Zhu
- Germplasm Bank of Wild Species, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, 650201, Yunnan, China
| | - De-Zhu Li
- CAS Key Laboratory for Plant Diversity and Biogeography of East Asia, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, 650201, Yunnan, China
- Germplasm Bank of Wild Species, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, 650201, Yunnan, China
| | - Lian-Ming Gao
- CAS Key Laboratory for Plant Diversity and Biogeography of East Asia, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, 650201, Yunnan, China.
- Lijiang Forest Biodiversity National Observation and Research Station, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lijiang, 674100, Yunnan, China.
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Krasuska U, Wal A, Staszek P, Ciacka K, Gniazdowska A. Do Reactive Oxygen and Nitrogen Species Have a Similar Effect on Digestive Processes in Carnivorous Nepenthes Plants and Humans? BIOLOGY 2023; 12:1356. [PMID: 37887066 PMCID: PMC10604543 DOI: 10.3390/biology12101356] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2023] [Revised: 10/16/2023] [Accepted: 10/20/2023] [Indexed: 10/28/2023]
Abstract
Carnivorous plants attract animals, trap and kill them, and absorb nutrients from the digested bodies. This unusual (for autotrophs) type of nutrient acquisition evolved through the conversion of photosynthetically active leaves into specialised organs commonly called traps. The genus Nepenthes (pitcher plants) consists of approximately 169 species belonging to the group of carnivorous plants. Pitcher plants are characterised by specialised passive traps filled with a digestive fluid. The digestion that occurs inside the traps of carnivorous plants depends on the activities of many enzymes. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) and reactive nitrogen species (RNS) also participate in the digestive process, but their action is poorly recognised. ROS and RNS, named together as RONS, exhibit concentration-dependent bimodal functions (toxic or signalling). They act as antimicrobial agents, participate in protein modification, and are components of signal transduction cascades. In the human stomach, ROS are considered as the cause of different diseases. RNS have multifaceted functions in the gastrointestinal tract, with both positive and negative impacts on digestion. This review describes the documented and potential impacts of RONS on the digestion in pitcher plant traps, which may be considered as an external stomach.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Agnieszka Wal
- Department of Plant Physiology, Institute of Biology, Warsaw University of Life Sciences-SGGW, 02-776 Warsaw, Poland; (U.K.); (P.S.); (K.C.); (A.G.)
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Fleitas AL, Castro A, Blumwald E, Vidal S. Functional specialization of chloroplast vesiculation ( CV) duplicated genes from soybean shows partial overlapping roles during stress-induced or natural senescence. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2023; 14:1184020. [PMID: 37346131 PMCID: PMC10280078 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2023.1184020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2023] [Accepted: 05/12/2023] [Indexed: 06/23/2023]
Abstract
Soybean is a globally important legume crop which is highly sensitive to drought. The identification of genes of particular relevance for drought responses provides an important basis to improve tolerance to environmental stress. Chloroplast Vesiculation (CV) genes have been characterized in Arabidopsis and rice as proteins participating in a specific chloroplast-degradation vesicular pathway (CVV) during natural or stress-induced leaf senescence. Soybean genome contains two paralogous genes encoding highly similar CV proteins, CV1 and CV2. In this study, we found that expression of CV1 was differentially upregulated by drought stress in soybean contrasting genotypes exhibiting slow-wilting (tolerant) or fast-wilting (sensitive) phenotypes. CV1 reached higher induction levels in fast-wilting plants, suggesting a negative correlation between CV1 gene expression and drought tolerance. In contrast, autophagy (ATG8) and ATI-PS (ATI1) genes were induced to higher levels in slow-wilting plants, supporting a pro-survival role for these genes in soybean drought tolerance responses. The biological function of soybean CVs in chloroplast degradation was confirmed by analyzing the effect of conditional overexpression of CV2-FLAG fusions on the accumulation of specific chloroplast proteins. Functional specificity of CV1 and CV2 genes was assessed by analyzing their specific promoter activities in transgenic Arabidopsis expressing GUS reporter gene driven by CV1 or CV2 promoters. CV1 promoter responded primarily to abiotic stimuli (hyperosmolarity, salinity and oxidative stress), while the promoter of CV2 was predominantly active during natural senescence. Both promoters were highly responsive to auxin but only CV1 responded to other stress-related hormones, such as ABA, salicylic acid and methyl jasmonate. Moreover, the dark-induced expression of CV2, but not of CV1, was strongly inhibited by cytokinin, indicating similarities in the regulation of CV2 to the reported expression of Arabidopsis and rice CV genes. Finally, we report the expression of both CV1 and CV2 genes in roots of soybean and transgenic Arabidopsis, suggesting a role for the encoded proteins in root plastids. Together, the results indicate differential roles for CV1 and CV2 in development and in responses to environmental stress, and point to CV1 as a potential target for gene editing to improve crop performance under stress without compromising natural development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Luciana Fleitas
- Laboratorio de Biología Molecular Vegetal, Instituto de Química Biológica, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de la República, Montevideo, Uruguay
| | - Alexandra Castro
- Laboratorio de Biología Molecular Vegetal, Instituto de Química Biológica, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de la República, Montevideo, Uruguay
| | - Eduardo Blumwald
- Department of Plant Sciences, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, United States
| | - Sabina Vidal
- Laboratorio de Biología Molecular Vegetal, Instituto de Química Biológica, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de la República, Montevideo, Uruguay
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6
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Montero H, Fukushima K. Non-prey biotic interactions in carnivorous plants. Curr Biol 2023; 33:R497-R500. [PMID: 37279682 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2023.01.053] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Carnivorous plants often spark broad interest due to their specialized adaptations for trapping and consuming animals. These notable organisms not only fix carbon through photosynthesis, but they also obtain essential nutrients such as nitrogen and phosphate from their captured prey. In typical angiosperms, interactions with animals are usually confined to such processes as pollination and herbivory, but another layer of complexity in these interactions is added for carnivorous plants. Here, we introduce carnivorous plants and their associated organisms - ranging from their prey to their symbionts - and highlight biotic interactions beyond carnivory to discuss how the 'default' interactions typical for flowering plants have changed in the case of the carnivorous plants (Figure 1).
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Affiliation(s)
- Héctor Montero
- Institute for Molecular Plant Physiology and Biophysics, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Kenji Fukushima
- Institute for Molecular Plant Physiology and Biophysics, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany.
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Yu M, Arai N, Ochiai T, Ohyama T. Expression and function of an S1-type nuclease in the digestive fluid of a sundew, Drosera adelae. ANNALS OF BOTANY 2023; 131:335-346. [PMID: 36546767 PMCID: PMC9992940 DOI: 10.1093/aob/mcac150] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2022] [Accepted: 12/11/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIMS Carnivorous plants trap and digest insects and similar-sized animals. Many studies have examined enzymes in the digestive fluids of these plants and have gradually unveiled the origins and gene expression of these enzymes. However, only a few attempts have been made at characterization of nucleases. This study aimed to reveal gene expression and the structural, functional and evolutionary characteristics of an S1-type nuclease (DAN1) in the digestive fluid of an Australian sundew, Drosera adelae, whose trap organ shows unique gene expression and related epigenetic regulation. METHODS Organ-specificity in Dan1 expression was examined using glandular tentacles, laminas, roots and inflorescences, and real-time PCR. The methylation status of the Dan1 promoter in each organ was clarified by bisulphite sequencing. The structural characteristics of DAN1 were studied by a comparison of primary structures of S1-type nucleases of three carnivorous and seven non-carnivorous plants. DAN1 was prepared using a cell-free protein synthesis system. Requirements for metal ions, optimum pH and temperature, and substrate preference were examined using conventional methods. KEY RESULTS Dan1 is exclusively expressed in the glandular tentacles and its promoter is almost completely unmethylated in all organs. This is in contrast to the S-like RNase gene da-I of Dr. adelae, which shows similar organ-specific expression, but is controlled by a promoter that is specifically unmethylated in the glandular tentacles. Comparison of amino acid sequences of S1-type nucleases identifies seven and three positions where amino acid residues are conserved only among the carnivorous plants and only among the non-carnivorous plants, respectively. DAN1 prefers a substrate RNA over DNA in the presence of Zn2+, Mn2+ or Ca2+ at an optimum pH of 4.0. CONCLUSIONS Uptake of phosphates from prey is suggested to be the main function of DAN1, which is very different from the known functions of S1-type nucleases. Evolution has modified the structure and expression of Dan1 to specifically function in the digestive fluid.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meng Yu
- Major in Integrative Bioscience and Biomedical Engineering, Graduate School of Science and Engineering, Waseda University, 2-2 Wakamatsu-cho, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 162-8480, Japan
| | - Naoki Arai
- Faculty of Engineering, Kanagawa University, 3-27-1 Rokkakubashi, Kanagawa-ku, Yokohama-shi, Kanagawa 221-8686, Japan
| | - Tadahiro Ochiai
- Major in Integrative Bioscience and Biomedical Engineering, Graduate School of Science and Engineering, Waseda University, 2-2 Wakamatsu-cho, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 162-8480, Japan
| | - Takashi Ohyama
- Major in Integrative Bioscience and Biomedical Engineering, Graduate School of Science and Engineering, Waseda University, 2-2 Wakamatsu-cho, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 162-8480, Japan
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Education and Integrated Arts and Sciences, Waseda University, 2-2 Wakamatsu-cho, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 162-8480, Japan
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Whatmore R, Wood PJ, Dwyer C, Millett J. Prey capture by the non‐native carnivorous pitcher plant
Sarracenia purpurea
across sites in Britain and Ireland. Ecol Evol 2022; 12:e9588. [DOI: 10.1002/ece3.9588] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2022] [Revised: 10/20/2022] [Accepted: 11/17/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Rebecca Whatmore
- Geography and Environment Loughborough University Loughborough UK
| | - Paul J. Wood
- Geography and Environment Loughborough University Loughborough UK
| | - Ciara Dwyer
- Centre for Environmental and Climate Science Lund University Lund Sweden
| | - Jonathan Millett
- Geography and Environment Loughborough University Loughborough UK
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Wal A, Staszek P, Pakula B, Paradowska M, Krasuska U. ROS and RNS Alterations in the Digestive Fluid of Nepenthes × ventrata Trap at Different Developmental Stages. PLANTS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2022; 11:3304. [PMID: 36501343 PMCID: PMC9740137 DOI: 10.3390/plants11233304] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2022] [Revised: 11/10/2022] [Accepted: 11/25/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
The carnivorous pitcher plant, Nepenthes × ventrata (Hort. ex Fleming = N. ventricosa Blanco × N. alata Blanco), produces passive traps containing digestive fluid. Although reactive oxygen species (ROS) in the fluid were detected in some pitcher plants, the participation of reactive nitrogen species (RNS) in the digestion process has not yet been examined. The aim of this work was to investigate the production of superoxide anion (O2•-), nitric oxide (NO) and peroxynitrite (ONOO-) levels in the digestive fluid of traps throughout organ development. We revealed the ROS and RNS occurrence in the digestive fluid, linked to the ROS-scavenging capacity and total phenolics content. In digestive fluid from the fed traps, NO emission was higher than in the fluid from the developed unfed pitcher. The concentration of nitrite (NO2-) decreased in the fluid from the fed traps in comparison to the unfed ones, pointing at NO2- as the key source of NO. The enhanced emission of NO was associated with lowered content of ONOO- in the fluid, probably due to lower production of O2•-. At the same time, despite a decline in total phenolics, the maximum ROS scavenging capacity was detected. In addition, ROS and RNS were noted even in closed traps, suggesting their involvement not only in digestion per se but also their action as signaling agents in trap ontogeny.
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10
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Memory of plants: present understanding. THE NUCLEUS 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s13237-022-00399-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/15/2022] Open
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Belyayev A, Josefiová J, Jandová M, Kalendar R, Mahelka V, Mandák B, Krak K. The structural diversity of CACTA transposons in genomes of Chenopodium (Amaranthaceae, Caryophyllales) species: specific traits and comparison with the similar elements of angiosperms. Mob DNA 2022; 13:8. [PMID: 35379321 PMCID: PMC8978399 DOI: 10.1186/s13100-022-00265-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2021] [Accepted: 03/11/2022] [Indexed: 12/05/2022] Open
Abstract
Background CACTA transposable elements (TEs) comprise one of the most abundant superfamilies of Class 2 (cut-and-paste) transposons. Over recent decades, CACTA elements were widely identified in species from the plant, fungi, and animal kingdoms, but sufficiently studied in the genomes of only a few model species although non-model genomes can bring additional and valuable information. It primarily concerned the genomes of species belonging to clades in the base of large taxonomic groups whose genomes, to a certain extent, can preserve relict and/or possesses specific traits. Thus, we sought to investigate the genomes of Chenopodium (Amaranthaceae, Caryophyllales) species to unravel the structural variability of CACTA elements. Caryophyllales is a separate branch of Angiosperms and until recently the diversity of CACTA elements in this clade was unknown. Results Application of the short-read genome assembly algorithm followed by analysis of detected complete CACTA elements allowed for the determination of their structural diversity in the genomes of 22 Chenopodium album aggregate species. This approach yielded knowledge regarding: (i) the coexistence of two CACTA transposons subtypes in single genome; (ii) gaining of additional protein conserved domains within the coding sequence; (iii) the presence of captured gene fragments, including key genes for flower development; and (iv)) identification of captured satDNA arrays. Wide comparative database analysis revealed that identified events are scattered through Angiosperms in different proportions. Conclusions Our study demonstrated that while preserving the basic element structure a wide range of coding and non-coding additions to CACTA transposons occur in the genomes of C. album aggregate species. Ability to relocate additions inside genome in combination with the proposed novel functional features of structural-different CACTA elements can impact evolutionary trajectory of the host genome. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s13100-022-00265-3.
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Krueger T, Cross AT, Hübner J, Morinière J, Hausmann A, Fleischmann A. A novel approach for reliable qualitative and quantitative prey spectra identification of carnivorous plants combining DNA metabarcoding and macro photography. Sci Rep 2022; 12:4778. [PMID: 35314716 PMCID: PMC8938489 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-08580-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2021] [Accepted: 02/10/2022] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Prey spectra (the number and composition of captured arthropods) represent a crucial aspect of carnivorous plant ecology, yet remain poorly studied. Traditional morphology-based approaches for prey identification are time-intensive, require specialists with considerable knowledge of arthropod taxonomy, and are hampered by high numbers of unidentifiable (i.e., heavily digested) prey items. We examined prey spectra of three species of closely-related annual Drosera (Droseraceae, sundews) from tropical northern Australia using a novel DNA metabarcoding approach with in-situ macro photography as a plausibility control and to facilitate prey quantity estimations. This new method facilitated accurate analyses of carnivorous plant prey spectra (even of heavily digested prey lacking characteristic morphological features) at a taxonomic resolution and level of completeness far exceeding morphology-based methods and approaching the 100% mark at arthropod order level. Although the three studied species exhibited significant differences in detected prey spectra, little prey specialisation was observed and habitat or plant population density variations were likely the main drivers of prey spectra dissimilarity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thilo Krueger
- grid.1032.00000 0004 0375 4078School of Molecular and Life Sciences, Curtin University, Bentley, Australia
| | - Adam T. Cross
- grid.1032.00000 0004 0375 4078School of Molecular and Life Sciences, Curtin University, Bentley, Australia ,EcoHealth Network, Brookline, MA USA
| | - Jeremy Hübner
- grid.452282.b0000 0001 1013 3702Zoologische Staatssammlung München (SNSB-ZSM), Munich, Germany
| | | | - Axel Hausmann
- grid.452282.b0000 0001 1013 3702Zoologische Staatssammlung München (SNSB-ZSM), Munich, Germany
| | - Andreas Fleischmann
- grid.452781.d0000 0001 2203 6205Botanische Staatssammlung München (SNSB-BSM), Munich, Germany ,grid.5252.00000 0004 1936 973XGeoBio-Center LMU, Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Munich, Germany
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Agrawal A, Pareek A, Dkhar J. Genetic Basis of Carnivorous Leaf Development. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2022; 12:825289. [PMID: 35095989 PMCID: PMC8792892 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2021.825289] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2021] [Accepted: 12/23/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Plant carnivory is often manifested as dramatic changes in the structure and morphology of the leaf. These changes appear to begin early in leaf development. For example, the development of the Sarracenia purpurea leaf primordium is associated with the formation of an adaxial ridge, whose growth along with that of the leaf margin resulted in a hollow structure that later developed into a pitcher. In Nepenthes khasiana, pitcher formation occurs during the initial stages of leaf development, although this has not been shown at the primordial stage. The formation of the Utricularia gibba trap resulted from the growth of the dome-shaped primordium in both the longitudinal and transverse directions. Recent research has begun to unfold the genetic basis of the development of the carnivorous leaf. We review these findings and discuss them in relation to the flat-shaped leaves of the model plant Arabidopsis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arpita Agrawal
- Plant EvoDevo Laboratory, Agrotechnology Division, CSIR-Institute of Himalayan Bioresource Technology, Palampur, India
| | - Ashwani Pareek
- Stress Physiology and Molecular Biology Laboratory, School of Life Sciences, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, India
- National Agri-Food Biotechnology Institute, Mohali, India
| | - Jeremy Dkhar
- Plant EvoDevo Laboratory, Agrotechnology Division, CSIR-Institute of Himalayan Bioresource Technology, Palampur, India
- Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research, Ghaziabad, India
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Convergent evolution of antlions and wormlions: similarities and differences in the behavioural ecology of unrelated trap-building predators. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-021-03106-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
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15
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Bittleston LS, Benson EL, Bernardin JR, Pierce NE. Characterization and Comparison of Convergence Among Cephalotus follicularis Pitcher Plant-Associated Communities With Those of Nepenthes and Sarracenia Found Worldwide. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2022; 13:887635. [PMID: 35734258 PMCID: PMC9207445 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2022.887635] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2022] [Accepted: 05/13/2022] [Indexed: 05/09/2023]
Abstract
The Albany pitcher plant, Cephalotus follicularis, has evolved cup-shaped leaves and a carnivorous habit completely independently from other lineages of pitcher plants. It is the only species in the family Cephalotaceae and is restricted to a small region of Western Australia. Here, we used metabarcoding to characterize the bacterial and eukaryotic communities living in C. follicularis pitchers at two different sites. Bacterial and eukaryotic communities were correlated in both richness and composition; however, the factors associated with richness were not the same across bacteria and eukaryotes, with bacterial richness differing with fluid color, and eukaryotic richness differing with the concentration of DNA extracted from the fluid, a measure roughly related to biomass. For turnover in composition, the variation in both bacterial and eukaryotic communities primarily differed with fluid acidity, fluid color, and sampling site. We compared C. follicularis-associated community diversity with that of Australian Nepenthes mirabilis, as well as a global comparison of Southeast Asian Nepenthes and North American Sarracenia. Our results showed similarity in richness with communities from other pitcher plants, and specific bacterial taxa shared among all three independent lineages of pitcher plants. Overall, we saw convergence in richness and particular clades colonizing pitcher plants around the world, suggesting that these highly specialized habitats select for certain numbers and types of inhabitants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leonora S. Bittleston
- Department of Biological Sciences, Boise State University, Boise, ID, United States
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, United States
- *Correspondence: Leonora S. Bittleston,
| | - Elizabeth L. Benson
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, United States
| | - Jessica R. Bernardin
- Department of Biological Sciences, Boise State University, Boise, ID, United States
| | - Naomi E. Pierce
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, United States
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Böhm J, Scherzer S. Signaling and transport processes related to the carnivorous lifestyle of plants living on nutrient-poor soil. PLANT PHYSIOLOGY 2021; 187:2017-2031. [PMID: 35235668 PMCID: PMC8890503 DOI: 10.1093/plphys/kiab297] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2021] [Accepted: 06/04/2021] [Indexed: 05/29/2023]
Abstract
In Eukaryotes, long-distance and rapid signal transmission is required in order to be able to react fast and flexibly to external stimuli. This long-distance signal transmission cannot take place by diffusion of signal molecules from the site of perception to the target tissue, as their speed is insufficient. Therefore, for adequate stimulus transmission, plants as well as animals make use of electrical signal transmission, as this can quickly cover long distances. This update summarises the most important advances in plant electrical signal transduction with a focus on the carnivorous Venus flytrap. It highlights the different types of electrical signals, examines their underlying ion fluxes and summarises the carnivorous processes downstream of the electrical signals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer Böhm
- Institute for Molecular Plant Physiology and Biophysics, University of Würzburg, 97082 Würzburg, Germany
| | - Sönke Scherzer
- Institute for Molecular Plant Physiology and Biophysics, University of Würzburg, 97082 Würzburg, Germany
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Wang L, Pan P, Yan S, Dong S. Contact angle of Nepenthes slippery zone: results from measurement and model analysis. BIOINSPIRED BIOMIMETIC AND NANOBIOMATERIALS 2021. [DOI: 10.1680/jbibn.21.00019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
Abstract
The slippery zone of Nepenthes alata depends on its highly evolved morphology and structure to show remarkable superhydrophobicity, which has gradually become a biomimetic prototype for developing superhydrophobic materials. However, the mechanism governing this phenomenon has not been fully revealed through a model analysis. In this paper, the superhydrophobicity of the slippery zone is studied by contact angle measurement, morphology/structure examination and model analysis. The slippery zone causes an ultrapure water droplet to produce a considerably high contact angle (155.11–158.30°) and has micro–nanoscale hierarchical structures consisting of lunate cells and wax coverings. According to the Cassie–Baxter equation and a self-defined infiltration coefficient, a model was established to analyse the effect of a structure characteristic on the contact angle. The analysis, result showed that the calculated contact angle (154.67–159.49°) was highly consistent with the measured contact angle, indicating that the established model can quantitatively characterise the relationship between the contact angle and the structure characteristic. The authors’ study provides some evidences to further reveal the superhydrophobic mechanism of the slippery zone of N. alata, as well as inspiring the biomimetic development of superhydrophobic surfaces.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lixin Wang
- School of Mechanical Engineering, Hebei University of Science and Technology, Shijiazhuang, China
| | - Pan Pan
- School of Mechanical Engineering, Hebei University of Science and Technology, Shijiazhuang, China
| | - Shixing Yan
- National Key Laboratory for Remanufacturing, Academy of Army Armored Forces, Beijing, China
| | - Shiyun Dong
- National Key Laboratory for Remanufacturing, Academy of Army Armored Forces, Beijing, China
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18
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Carnivorous Nepenthes x ventrata plants use a naphthoquinone as phytoanticipin against herbivory. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0258235. [PMID: 34679089 PMCID: PMC8535358 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0258235] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2021] [Accepted: 09/21/2021] [Indexed: 01/31/2023] Open
Abstract
Carnivorous plants feed on animal prey, mainly insects, to get additional nutrients. This carnivorous syndrome is widely investigated and reported. In contrast, reports on herbivores feeding on carnivorous plants and related defenses of the plants under attack are rare. Here, we studied the interaction of a pitcher plant, Nepenthes x ventrata, with a generalist lepidopteran herbivore, Spodoptera littoralis, using a combination of LC/MS-based chemical analytics, choice and feeding assays. Chemical defenses in N. x ventrata leaves were analyzed upon S. littoralis feeding. A naphthoquinone, plumbagin, was identified in Nepenthes defense against herbivores and as the compound mainly responsible for the finding that S. littoralis larvae gained almost no weight when feeding on Nepenthes leaves. Plumbagin is constitutively present but further 3-fold increased upon long-term (> 1 day) feeding. Moreover, in parallel de novo induced trypsin protease inhibitor (TI) activity was identified. In contrast to TI activity, enhanced plumbagin levels were not phytohormone inducible, not even by defense-related jasmonates although upon herbivory their level increased more than 50-fold in the case of the bioactive jasmonic acid-isoleucine. We conclude that Nepenthes is efficiently protected against insect herbivores by naphthoquinones acting as phytoanticipins, which is supported by additional inducible defenses. The regulation of these defenses remains to be investigated.
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Raduła M, Świerszcz S, Nobis M, Nowak S, Nobis A, Nowak A. Palaeoclimate has a major effect on the diversity of endemic species in the hotspot of mountain biodiversity in Tajikistan. Sci Rep 2021; 11:18684. [PMID: 34548515 PMCID: PMC8455614 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-98027-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2021] [Accepted: 09/01/2021] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
In a period of ongoing climate changes, identifying drivers of overall and endemic species diversity is a key element in constructing new ecological patterns and determining the main goals of conservation. Such studies are especially crucial if they concern biodiversity hotspot areas. In this study, we explore patterns and drivers of plant endemism (the proportion of endemic plant species to overall plant species richness; PE) in Tajikistan. We used three groups of climatic measures featuring the contemporary and glacial climates as well as climatic changes since the Last Glacial Maximum in the Pleistocene (LGM). To explore relationships between PE and climatic groups, and the most important climatic variables, we applied the Generalised Additive Model and regression trees method respectively. Glacial climate predicted PE variation the most (74.3%), followed by climate stability (55.4%) and current climate (62.4%). The most important variables represented change in precipitation of driest quarter, glacial mean annual temperature and current annual precipitation. LGM climate and its change to date have the greatest influence on contemporary PE patterns in Tajikistan, revealing the evolutionary dependencies between limited-range plants and past climate. Accordingly, annual temperature and precipitation regimes have been the most crucial drivers of PE since the LGM until today. The study revealed the dependence of the PE on a stabilized water-energy supply. The changing temperature and precipitations regimes during the ongoing climate warming may, therefore, increases the threat to geographically isolated cryophilous plants of Tajikistan, while their escape potential to suitable cold habitats is highly topographically limited.
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Affiliation(s)
- Małgorzata Raduła
- grid.413454.30000 0001 1958 0162Botanical Garden, Center for Biological Diversity Conservation, Polish Academy of Sciences, Prawdziwka 2, 02-976 Warszawa, Poland ,grid.8505.80000 0001 1010 5103Department of Ecology, Biogeochemistry and Environmental Protection, University of Wrocław, Kanonia 6/8, 50-328 Wrocław, Poland
| | - Sebastian Świerszcz
- grid.413454.30000 0001 1958 0162Botanical Garden, Center for Biological Diversity Conservation, Polish Academy of Sciences, Prawdziwka 2, 02-976 Warszawa, Poland ,grid.107891.60000 0001 1010 7301Institute of Biology, University of Opole, Oleska 22, 45-052 Opole, Poland
| | - Marcin Nobis
- grid.5522.00000 0001 2162 9631Faculty of Biology, Jagiellonian University, Gronostajowa 3, 30-387 Kraków, Poland ,grid.77602.340000 0001 1088 3909Research Laboratory ‘Herbarium’, National Research Tomsk State University, Tomsk, 634050 Russia
| | - Sylwia Nowak
- grid.107891.60000 0001 1010 7301Institute of Biology, University of Opole, Oleska 22, 45-052 Opole, Poland
| | - Agnieszka Nobis
- grid.5522.00000 0001 2162 9631Faculty of Biology, Jagiellonian University, Gronostajowa 3, 30-387 Kraków, Poland
| | - Arkadiusz Nowak
- grid.413454.30000 0001 1958 0162Botanical Garden, Center for Biological Diversity Conservation, Polish Academy of Sciences, Prawdziwka 2, 02-976 Warszawa, Poland ,grid.107891.60000 0001 1010 7301Institute of Biology, University of Opole, Oleska 22, 45-052 Opole, Poland
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Hatcher CR, Sommer U, Heaney LM, Millett J. Metabolomic analysis reveals reliance on secondary plant metabolites to facilitate carnivory in the Cape sundew, Drosera capensis. ANNALS OF BOTANY 2021; 128:301-314. [PMID: 34077503 PMCID: PMC8389465 DOI: 10.1093/aob/mcab065] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2021] [Accepted: 06/01/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIMS Secondary metabolites are integral to multiple key plant processes (growth regulation, pollinator attraction and interactions with conspecifics, competitors and symbionts) yet their role in plant adaptation remains an underexplored area of research. Carnivorous plants use secondary metabolites to acquire nutrients from prey, but the extent of the role of secondary metabolites in plant carnivory is not known. We aimed to determine the extent of the role of secondary metabolites in facilitating carnivory of the Cape sundew, Drosera capensis. METHODS We conducted metabolomic analysis of 72 plants in a time-series experiment before and after simulated prey capture. We used ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-MS/MS) and the retention time index to identify compounds in the leaf trap tissue that changed up to 72 h following simulated prey capture. We identified associated metabolic pathways, and cross-compared these compounds with metabolites previously known to be involved in carnivorous plants across taxa. KEY RESULTS For the first time in a carnivorous plant, we have profiled the whole-leaf metabolome response to prey capture. Reliance on secondary plant metabolites was higher than previously thought - 2383 out of 3257 compounds in fed leaves had statistically significant concentration changes in comparison with unfed controls. Of these, ~34 compounds are also associated with carnivory in other species; 11 are unique to Nepenthales. At least 20 compounds had 10-fold changes in concentration, 12 of which had 30-fold changes and are typically associated with defence or attraction in non-carnivorous plants. CONCLUSIONS Secondary plant metabolites are utilized in plant carnivory to an extent greater than previously thought - we found a whole-metabolome response to prey capture. Plant carnivory, at the metabolic level, likely evolved from at least two distinct functions: attraction and defence. Findings of this study support the hypothesis that secondary metabolites play an important role in plant diversification and adaptation to new environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher R Hatcher
- Loughborough University, Loughborough, UK
- Agri-Tech Centre, Pershore College, Part of WCG, Pershore, UK
| | - Ulf Sommer
- Biocrates Life Sciences AG, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Liam M Heaney
- Agri-Tech Centre, Pershore College, Part of WCG, Pershore, UK
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21
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Adamec L, Matušíková I, Pavlovič A. Recent ecophysiological, biochemical and evolutional insights into plant carnivory. ANNALS OF BOTANY 2021; 128:241-259. [PMID: 34111238 PMCID: PMC8389183 DOI: 10.1093/aob/mcab071] [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: 04/15/2021] [Accepted: 06/07/2021] [Indexed: 05/02/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Carnivorous plants are an ecological group of approx. 810 vascular species which capture and digest animal prey, absorb prey-derived nutrients and utilize them to enhance their growth and development. Extant carnivorous plants have evolved in at least ten independent lineages, and their adaptive traits represent an example of structural and functional convergence. Plant carnivory is a result of complex adaptations to mostly nutrient-poor, wet and sunny habitats when the benefits of carnivory exceed the costs. With a boost in interest and extensive research in recent years, many aspects of these adaptations have been clarified (at least partly), but many remain unknown. SCOPE We provide some of the most recent insights into substantial ecophysiological, biochemical and evolutional particulars of plant carnivory from the functional viewpoint. We focus on those processes and traits in carnivorous plants associated with their ecological characterization, mineral nutrition, cost-benefit relationships, functioning of digestive enzymes and regulation of the hunting cycle in traps. We elucidate mechanisms by which uptake of prey-derived nutrients leads to stimulation of photosynthesis and root nutrient uptake. CONCLUSIONS Utilization of prey-derived mineral (mainly N and P) and organic nutrients is highly beneficial for plants and increases the photosynthetic rate in leaves as a prerequisite for faster plant growth. Whole-genome and tandem gene duplications brought gene material for diversification into carnivorous functions and enabled recruitment of defence-related genes. Possible mechanisms for the evolution of digestive enzymes are summarized, and a comprehensive picture on the biochemistry and regulation of prey decomposition and prey-derived nutrient uptake is provided.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lubomír Adamec
- Institute of Botany of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Dukelská 135, CZ-379 01 Třeboň, Czech Republic
| | - Ildikó Matušíková
- University of Ss. Cyril and Methodius, Department of Ecochemistry and Radioecology, J. Herdu 2, SK-917 01 Trnava, Slovak Republic
| | - 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
- For correspondence. E-mail
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22
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Regulation by the Pitcher Plant Sarracenia purpurea of the Structure of its Inquiline Food Web. AMERICAN MIDLAND NATURALIST 2021. [DOI: 10.1674/0003-0031-186.1.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
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23
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From the ground up: Building predictions for how climate change will affect belowground mutualisms, floral traits, and bee behavior. CLIMATE CHANGE ECOLOGY 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ecochg.2021.100013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
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Bauer U, Müller UK, Poppinga S. Complexity and diversity of motion amplification and control strategies in motile carnivorous plant traps. Proc Biol Sci 2021; 288:20210771. [PMID: 34036802 PMCID: PMC8150269 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2021.0771] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Similar to animals, plants have evolved mechanisms for elastic energy storage and release to power and control rapid motion, yet both groups have been largely studied in isolation. This is exacerbated by the lack of consistent terminology and conceptual frameworks describing elastically powered motion in both groups. Iconic examples of fast movements can be found in carnivorous plants, which have become important models to study biomechanics, developmental processes, evolution and ecology. Trapping structures and processes vary considerably between different carnivorous plant groups. Using snap traps, suction traps and springboard-pitfall traps as examples, we illustrate how traps mix and match various mechanisms to power, trigger and actuate motions that contribute to prey capture, retention and digestion. We highlight a fundamental trade-off between energetic investment and movement control and discuss it in a functional-ecological context.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ulrike Bauer
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| | - Ulrike K Müller
- Department of Biology, California State University Fresno, Fresno, CA, USA
| | - Simon Poppinga
- Plant Biomechanics Group, Botanic Garden, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany.,Cluster of Excellence livMatS @ FIT-Freiburg Center for Interactive Materials and Bioinspired Technologies, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
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Zhang C, Zhang T, Luebert F, Xiang Y, Huang CH, Hu Y, Rees M, Frohlich MW, Qi J, Weigend M, Ma H. Asterid Phylogenomics/Phylotranscriptomics Uncover Morphological Evolutionary Histories and Support Phylogenetic Placement for Numerous Whole-Genome Duplications. Mol Biol Evol 2021; 37:3188-3210. [PMID: 32652014 DOI: 10.1093/molbev/msaa160] [Citation(s) in RCA: 69] [Impact Index Per Article: 23.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2019] [Revised: 06/16/2020] [Accepted: 06/26/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Asterids are one of the most successful angiosperm lineages, exhibiting extensive morphological diversity and including a number of important crops. Despite their biological prominence and value to humans, the deep asterid phylogeny has not been fully resolved, and the evolutionary landscape underlying their radiation remains unknown. To resolve the asterid phylogeny, we sequenced 213 transcriptomes/genomes and combined them with other data sets, representing all accepted orders and nearly all families of asterids. We show fully supported monophyly of asterids, Berberidopsidales as sister to asterids, monophyly of all orders except Icacinales, Aquifoliales, and Bruniales, and monophyly of all families except Icacinaceae and Ehretiaceae. Novel taxon placements benefited from the expanded sampling with living collections from botanical gardens, resolving hitherto uncertain relationships. The remaining ambiguous placements here are likely due to limited sampling and could be addressed in the future with relevant additional taxa. Using our well-resolved phylogeny as reference, divergence time estimates support an Aptian (Early Cretaceous) origin of asterids and the origin of all orders before the Cretaceous-Paleogene boundary. Ancestral state reconstruction at the family level suggests that the asterid ancestor was a woody terrestrial plant with simple leaves, bisexual, and actinomorphic flowers with free petals and free anthers, a superior ovary with a style, and drupaceous fruits. Whole-genome duplication (WGD) analyses provide strong evidence for 33 WGDs in asterids and one in Berberidopsidales, including four suprafamilial and seven familial/subfamilial WGDs. Our results advance the understanding of asterid phylogeny and provide numerous novel evolutionary insights into their diversification and morphological evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caifei Zhang
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Biodiversity Science and Ecological Engineering, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Taikui Zhang
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Biodiversity Science and Ecological Engineering, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Federico Luebert
- Nees Institute for Biodiversity of Plants, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany.,Department of Silviculture and Nature Conservation, University of Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Yezi Xiang
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Biodiversity Science and Ecological Engineering, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Chien-Hsun Huang
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Biodiversity Science and Ecological Engineering, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Yi Hu
- Department of Biology, The Eberly College of Science, and The Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA
| | - Mathew Rees
- Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Richmond, Surrey, United Kingdom
| | | | - Ji Qi
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Biodiversity Science and Ecological Engineering, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Maximilian Weigend
- Nees Institute for Biodiversity of Plants, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Hong Ma
- Department of Biology, The Eberly College of Science, and The Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA
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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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Dkhar J, Bhaskar YK, Lynn A, Pareek A. Pitchers of Nepenthes khasiana express several digestive-enzyme encoding genes, harbor mostly fungi and probably evolved through changes in the expression of leaf polarity genes. BMC PLANT BIOLOGY 2020; 20:524. [PMID: 33203377 PMCID: PMC7672872 DOI: 10.1186/s12870-020-02663-2] [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: 07/21/2020] [Accepted: 09/23/2020] [Indexed: 05/18/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND A structural phenomenon seen in certain lineages of angiosperms that has captivated many scholars including Charles Darwin is the evolution of plant carnivory. Evidently, these structural features collectively termed carnivorous syndrome, evolved to aid nutritional acquisition from attracted, captured and digested prey. We now understand why plant carnivory evolved but how carnivorous plants acquired these attributes remains a mystery. In an attempt to understand the evolution of Nepenthes pitcher and to shed more light on its role in prey digestion, we analyzed the transcriptome data of the highly specialized Nepenthes khasiana leaf comprising the leaf base lamina, tendril and the different parts/zones of the pitcher tube viz. digestive zone, waxy zone and lid. RESULTS In total, we generated around 262 million high-quality Illumina reads. Reads were pooled, normalized and de novo assembled to generate a reference transcriptome of about 412,224 transcripts. We then estimated transcript abundance along the N. khasiana leaf by mapping individual reads from each part/zone to the reference transcriptome. Correlation-based hierarchical clustering analysis of 27,208 commonly expressed genes indicated functional relationship and similar cellular processes underlying the development of the leaf base and the pitcher, thereby implying that the Nepenthes pitcher is indeed a modified leaf. From a list of 2386 differentially expressed genes (DEGs), we identified transcripts encoding key enzymes involved in prey digestion and protection against pathogen attack, some of which are expressed at high levels in the digestive zone. Interestingly, many of these enzyme-encoding genes are also expressed in the unopened N. khasiana pitcher. Transcripts showing homology to both bacteria and fungi were also detected; and in the digestive zone, fungi are more predominant as compared to bacteria. Taking cues from histology and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) photomicrographs, we found altered expressions of key regulatory genes involved in leaf development. Of particular interest, the expression of class III HOMEODOMAIN-LEUCINE ZIPPER (HD-ZIPIII) and ARGONAUTE (AGO) genes were upregulated in the tendril. CONCLUSIONS Our findings suggest that N. khasiana pitchers employ a wide range of enzymes for prey digestion and plant defense, harbor microbes and probably evolved through altered expression of leaf polarity genes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeremy Dkhar
- Stress Physiology and Molecular Biology Laboratory, School of Life Sciences, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, 110067 India
- Agrotechnology Division, CSIR-Institute of Himalayan Bioresource Technology, Palampur, Himachal Pradesh 176061 India
| | - Yogendra Kumar Bhaskar
- School of Computational and Integrative Sciences, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, 110067 India
| | - Andrew Lynn
- School of Computational and Integrative Sciences, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, 110067 India
| | - Ashwani Pareek
- Stress Physiology and Molecular Biology Laboratory, School of Life Sciences, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, 110067 India
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Müller UK, Berg O, Schwaner JM, Brown MD, Li G, Voesenek CJ, van Leeuwen JL. Bladderworts, the smallest known suction feeders, generate inertia-dominated flows to capture prey. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2020; 228:586-595. [PMID: 32506423 DOI: 10.1111/nph.16726] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2020] [Accepted: 05/22/2020] [Indexed: 05/02/2023]
Abstract
Aquatic bladderworts (Utricularia gibba and U. australis) capture zooplankton in mechanically triggered underwater traps. With characteristic dimensions less than 1 mm, the trapping structures are among the smallest known to capture prey by suction, a mechanism that is not effective in the creeping-flow regime where viscous forces prevent the generation of fast and energy-efficient suction flows. To understand what makes suction feeding possible on the small scale of bladderwort traps, we characterised their suction flows experimentally (using particle image velocimetry) and mathematically (using computational fluid dynamics and analytical mathematical models). We show that bladderwort traps avoid the adverse effects of creeping flow by generating strong, fast-onset suction pressures. Our findings suggest that traps use three morphological adaptations: the trap walls' fast release of elastic energy ensures strong and constant suction pressure; the trap door's fast opening ensures effectively instantaneous onset of suction; the short channel leading into the trap ensures undeveloped flow, which maintains a wide effective channel diameter. Bladderwort traps generate much stronger suction flows than larval fish with similar gape sizes because of the traps' considerably stronger suction pressures. However, bladderworts' ability to generate strong suction flows comes at considerable energetic expense.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ulrike K Müller
- Department of Biology, California State University Fresno, 2555 E San Ramon Ave, Fresno, CA, 93740, USA
| | - Otto Berg
- Department of Chemistry, California State University Fresno, 2555 E San Ramon Ave, Fresno, CA, 93740, USA
| | - Janneke M Schwaner
- Biological Sciences, University of Idaho, 875 Perimeter Drive MS 3051, Moscow, ID, 83844-3051, USA
| | - Matthew D Brown
- Department of Biology, California State University Fresno, 2555 E San Ramon Ave, Fresno, CA, 93740, USA
| | - Gen Li
- Department of Mathematical Science and Advanced Technology, Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology (JAMSTEC), Showa-machi, Kanazawa-ku, Yokohama-city, Kanagawa, 3173-25, 236-0001, Japan
| | - Cees J Voesenek
- Experimental Zoology Group, Wageningen University, De Elst 1, Wageningen, 6708WD, the Netherlands
| | - Johan L van Leeuwen
- Experimental Zoology Group, Wageningen University, De Elst 1, Wageningen, 6708WD, the Netherlands
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Hartmann S, Preick M, Abelt S, Scheffel A, Hofreiter M. Annotated genome sequences of the carnivorous plant Roridula gorgonias and a non-carnivorous relative, Clethra arborea. BMC Res Notes 2020; 13:426. [PMID: 32912303 PMCID: PMC7488092 DOI: 10.1186/s13104-020-05254-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2020] [Accepted: 08/24/2020] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Objective Plant carnivory is distributed across the tree of life and has evolved at least six times independently, but sequenced and annotated nuclear genomes of carnivorous plants are currently lacking. We have sequenced and structurally annotated the nuclear genome of the carnivorous Roridula gorgonias and that of a non-carnivorous relative, Madeira’s lily-of-the-valley-tree, Clethra arborea, both within the Ericales. This data adds an important resource to study the evolutionary genetics of plant carnivory across angiosperm lineages and also for functional and systematic aspects of plants within the Ericales. Results Our assemblies have total lengths of 284 Mbp (R. gorgonias) and 511 Mbp (C. arborea) and show high BUSCO scores of 84.2% and 89.5%, respectively. We used their predicted genes together with publicly available data from other Ericales’ genomes and transcriptomes to assemble a phylogenomic data set for the inference of a species tree. However, groups of orthologs showed a marked absence of species represented by a transcriptome. We discuss possible reasons and caution against combining predicted genes from genome- and transriptome-based assemblies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefanie Hartmann
- Institute for Biochemistry and Biology, University of Potsdam, Karl-Liebknecht-Str. 24-25, 14476, Potsdam, Germany.
| | - Michaela Preick
- Institute for Biochemistry and Biology, University of Potsdam, Karl-Liebknecht-Str. 24-25, 14476, Potsdam, Germany
| | - Silke Abelt
- Institute for Biochemistry and Biology, University of Potsdam, Karl-Liebknecht-Str. 24-25, 14476, Potsdam, Germany
| | - André Scheffel
- Max-Planck-Institute of Molecular Plant Physiology, Am Mühlenberg 1, 14476, Potsdam, Germany
| | - Michael Hofreiter
- Institute for Biochemistry and Biology, University of Potsdam, Karl-Liebknecht-Str. 24-25, 14476, Potsdam, Germany
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Veleba A, Zedek F, Horová L, Veselý P, Srba M, Šmarda P, Bureš P. Is the evolution of carnivory connected with genome size reduction? AMERICAN JOURNAL OF BOTANY 2020; 107:1253-1259. [PMID: 32882073 DOI: 10.1002/ajb2.1526] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2019] [Accepted: 05/13/2020] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
PREMISE As repeatedly shown, the remarkable variation in the genome size of angiosperms can be shaped by extrinsic selective pressures, including nutrient availability. Carnivory has evolved independently in 10 angiosperm clades, but all carnivorous plants share a common affinity to nutrient-poor habitats. As such, carnivory and genome reduction could be responses to the same environmental pressure. Indeed, the smallest genomes among flowering plants are found in the carnivorous family Lentibulariaceae, where a unique mutation in cytochrome c oxidase (COX) is suspected to promote genome miniaturization. Despite these hypotheses, a phylogenetically informed test of genome size and nutrient availability across carnivorous clades has so far been missing. METHODS Using linear mixed models, we compared genome sizes of 127 carnivorous plants from 7 diverse angiosperm clades with 1072 of their noncarnivorous relatives. We also tested whether genome size in Lentibulariaceae reflects the presence of the COX mutation. RESULTS The genome sizes of carnivorous plants do not differ significantly from those of their noncarnivorous relatives. Based on available data, no significant association between the COX mutation and genome miniaturization could be confirmed, not even when considering polyploidy. CONCLUSIONS Carnivory alone does not seem to significantly affect genome size decrease. Plausibly, it might actually counterbalance the effect of nutrient limitation on genome size evolution. The role of the COX mutation in genome miniaturization needs to be evaluated by analysis of a broader data set because current knowledge of its presence across Lentibulariaceae covers less than 10% of the species diversity in this family.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adam Veleba
- Department of Botany and Zoology, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Kotlářská 2, Brno, CZ, 61137, Czech Republic
| | - František Zedek
- Department of Botany and Zoology, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Kotlářská 2, Brno, CZ, 61137, Czech Republic
| | - Lucie Horová
- Department of Botany and Zoology, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Kotlářská 2, Brno, CZ, 61137, Czech Republic
| | - Pavel Veselý
- Department of Botany and Zoology, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Kotlářská 2, Brno, CZ, 61137, Czech Republic
| | - Miroslav Srba
- Department of Experimental Plant Biology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Viničná 5, Prague, CZ, 12844, Czech Republic
| | - Petr Šmarda
- Department of Botany and Zoology, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Kotlářská 2, Brno, CZ, 61137, Czech Republic
| | - Petr Bureš
- Department of Botany and Zoology, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Kotlářská 2, Brno, CZ, 61137, Czech Republic
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A single touch can provide sufficient mechanical stimulation to trigger Venus flytrap closure. PLoS Biol 2020; 18:e3000740. [PMID: 32649659 PMCID: PMC7351144 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3000740] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2019] [Accepted: 05/26/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The carnivorous Venus flytrap catches prey by an ingenious snapping mechanism. Based on work over nearly 200 years, it has become generally accepted that two touches of the trap’s sensory hairs within 30 s, each one generating an action potential, are required to trigger closure of the trap. We developed an electromechanical model, which, however, suggests that under certain circumstances one touch is sufficient to generate two action potentials. Using a force-sensing microrobotic system, we precisely quantified the sensory-hair deflection parameters necessary to trigger trap closure and correlated them with the elicited action potentials in vivo. Our results confirm the model’s predictions, suggesting that the Venus flytrap may be adapted to a wider range of prey movements than previously assumed. It is generally accepted that two touches of the Venus flytrap’s sensory hairs within 30 seconds are required to trigger closure of the trap. Here, however, quantification of the plant’s sensory hair deflection parameters reveals that one stimulus is sufficient.
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Krueger T, Cross AT, Fleischmann A. Size matters: trap size primarily determines prey spectra differences among sympatric species of carnivorous sundews. Ecosphere 2020. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.3179] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Thilo Krueger
- School of Molecular and Life Sciences Curtin University Bentley Perth Western Australia 6102 Australia
| | - Adam T. Cross
- ARC Centre for Mine Site Restoration School of Molecular and Life Sciences Curtin University BentleyPerth Western Australia 6102 Australia
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Abstract
The mechanical principles for fast snapping in the iconic Venus flytrap are not yet fully understood. In this study, we obtained time-resolved strain distributions via three-dimensional digital image correlation (DIC) for the outer and inner trap-lobe surfaces throughout the closing motion. In combination with finite element models, the various possible contributions of the trap tissue layers were investigated with respect to the trap's movement behavior and the amount of strain required for snapping. Supported by in vivo experiments, we show that full trap turgescence is a mechanical-physiological prerequisite for successful (fast and geometrically correct) snapping, driven by differential tissue changes (swelling, shrinking, or no contribution). These are probably the result of the previous accumulation of internal hydrostatic pressure (prestress), which is released after trap triggering. Our research leads to an in-depth mechanical understanding of a complex plant movement incorporating various actuation principles.
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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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Krupa JJ, Hopper KR, Gruber SB, Schmidt JM, Harwood JD. Plant-animal interactions between carnivorous plants, sheet-web spiders, and ground-running spiders as guild predators in a wet meadow community. Ecol Evol 2020; 10:4762-4772. [PMID: 32551059 PMCID: PMC7297782 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.6230] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2019] [Revised: 02/19/2020] [Accepted: 02/25/2020] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Plant-animal interactions are diverse and widespread shaping ecology, evolution, and biodiversity of most ecological communities. Carnivorous plants are unusual in that they can be simultaneously engaged with animals in multiple mutualistic and antagonistic interactions including reversed plant-animal interactions where they are the predator. Competition with animals is a potential antagonistic plant-animal interaction unique to carnivorous plants when they and animal predators consume the same prey.The goal of this field study was to test the hypothesis that under natural conditions, sundews and spiders are predators consuming the same prey thus creating an environment where interkingdom competition can occur.Over 12 months, we collected data on 15 dates in the only protected Highland Rim Wet Meadow Ecosystem in Kentucky where sundews, sheet-web spiders, and ground-running spiders co-exist. One each sampling day, we attempted to locate fifteen sites with: (a) both sheet-web spiders and sundews; (b) sundews only; and (c) where neither occurred. Sticky traps were set at each of these sites to determine prey (springtails) activity-density. Ground-running spiders were collected on sampling days. DNA extraction was performed on all spiders to determine which individuals had eaten springtails and comparing this to the density of sundews where the spiders were captured.Sundews and spiders consumed springtails. Springtail activity-densities were lower, the higher the density of sundews. Both sheet-web and ground-running spiders were found less often where sundew densities were high. Sheet-web size was smaller where sundew densities were high.The results of this study suggest that asymmetrical exploitative competition occurs between sundews and spiders. Sundews appear to have a greater negative impact on spiders, where spiders probably have little impact on sundews. In this example of interkingdom competition where the asymmetry should be most extreme, amensalism where one competitor experiences no cost of interaction may be occurring.
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Affiliation(s)
- James J. Krupa
- Department of BiologyUniversity of KentuckyLexingtonKYUSA
| | - Kevin R. Hopper
- Biological SciencesBluegrass Community and Technical CollegeLexingtonKYUSA
| | | | - Jason M. Schmidt
- Department of EntomologyUniversity of KentuckyLexingtonKYUSA
- Present address:
Department of EntomologyUniversity of Georgia2360 Rainwater RoadTiftonGA31793USA
| | - James D. Harwood
- Department of EntomologyUniversity of KentuckyLexingtonKYUSA
- Present address:
College of Plant Health and MedicineQingdao Agricultural University700 Changcheng RoadQingdaoShandong266109China
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Oropeza-Aburto A, Cervantes-Pérez SA, Albert VA, Herrera-Estrella L. Agrobacterium tumefaciens mediated transformation of the aquatic carnivorous plant Utricularia gibba. PLANT METHODS 2020; 16:50. [PMID: 32308728 PMCID: PMC7149871 DOI: 10.1186/s13007-020-00592-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/02/2020] [Accepted: 03/31/2020] [Indexed: 05/02/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The genus Utricularia belongs to Lentibulariaceae, the largest family of carnivorous plants, which includes terrestrial, epiphytic and aquatic species. The development of specialized structures that evolved for carnivory is a feature of this genus that has been of great interest to biologists since Darwin's early studies. Utricularia gibba is itself an aquatic plant with sophisticated bladder traps having one of the most complex suction mechanisms for trapping prey. However, the molecular characterization of the mechanisms that regulate trap development and the biophysical processes involved in prey trapping are still largely unknown due to the lack of a simple and reproducible gene transfer system. RESULTS Here, we report the establishment of a simple, fast and reproducible protocol for genetic transformation of U. gibba based on the T-DNA of Agrobacterium tumefaciens. An in vitro selection system using Phosphinotricin as a selective agent was established for U. gibba. Plant transformation was confirmed by histochemical GUS assays and PCR and qRT-PCR analyses. We report on the expression pattern of the 35S promoter and of the promoter of a trap-specific ribonuclease gene in transgenic U. gibba plants. CONCLUSIONS The genetic transformation protocol reported here is an effective method for studying developmental biology and functional genomics of this genus of carnivorous plants and advances the utility of U. gibba as a model system to study developmental processes involved in trap formation.
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Affiliation(s)
- A. Oropeza-Aburto
- Laboratorio Nacional de Genómica para la Biodiversidad, Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados del Instituto Politécnico Nacional, 36824 Irapuato, Guanajuato Mexico
| | - S. A. Cervantes-Pérez
- Laboratorio Nacional de Genómica para la Biodiversidad, Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados del Instituto Politécnico Nacional, 36824 Irapuato, Guanajuato Mexico
| | - V. A. Albert
- Department of Biological Sciences, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY 14260 USA
- School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, 637551 Singapore
| | - L. Herrera-Estrella
- Laboratorio Nacional de Genómica para la Biodiversidad, Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados del Instituto Politécnico Nacional, 36824 Irapuato, Guanajuato Mexico
- Institute of Genomics for Crop Abiotic Stress Tolerance, Plant and Soil Department, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, USA
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Wang L, Zhang S, Li S, Yan S, Dong S. Inner surface of Nepenthes slippery zone: ratchet effect of lunate cells causes anisotropic superhydrophobicity. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2020; 7:200066. [PMID: 32269822 PMCID: PMC7137952 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.200066] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2020] [Accepted: 02/26/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Inner surface of Nepenthes slippery zone shows anisotropic superhydrophobic wettability. Here, we investigate what factors cause the anisotropy via sliding angle measurement, morphology/structure observation and model analysis. Static contact angle of ultrapure-water droplet exhibits the value of 154.80°-156.83°, and sliding angle towards pitcher bottom and up is 2.82 ± 0.45° and 5.22 ± 0.28°, respectively. The slippery zone under investigation is covered by plenty of lunate cells with both ends bending downward, and a dense layer of wax coverings without directional difference in morphology/structure. Results indicate that the slippery zone has a considerable anisotropy in superhydrophobic wettability that is most likely caused by the lunate cells. A model was proposed to quantitatively analyse how the structure characteristics of lunate cells affect the anisotropic superhydrophobicity, and found that the slope/precipice structure of lunate cells forms a ratchet effect to cause ultrapure-water droplet to roll towards pitcher bottom/up in different order of difficulty. Our investigation firstly reveals the mechanism of anisotropic superhydrophobic wettability of Nepenthes slippery zone, and inspires the bionic design of superhydrophobic surfaces with anisotropic properties.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lixin Wang
- School of Mechanical Engineering, Hebei University of Science and Technology, Shijiazhuang 050018, People's Republic of China
| | - Shuoyan Zhang
- School of Mechanical Engineering, Hebei University of Science and Technology, Shijiazhuang 050018, People's Republic of China
| | - Shanshan Li
- School of Mechanical Engineering, Hebei University of Science and Technology, Shijiazhuang 050018, People's Republic of China
| | - Shixing Yan
- National Key Laboratory for Remanufacturing, Academy of Armord Forces Engineering, Beijing 100072, People's Republic of China
| | - Shiyun Dong
- National Key Laboratory for Remanufacturing, Academy of Armord Forces Engineering, Beijing 100072, People's Republic of China
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Gayathri P, Pannipara M, Al-Sehemi AG, Anthony SP. Triphenylamine-based stimuli-responsive solid state fluorescent materials. NEW J CHEM 2020. [DOI: 10.1039/d0nj00588f] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Molecular engineering of triphenylamine (TPA) units produced multi-stimuli-responsive solid state fluorescent materials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Parthsarathy Gayathri
- Department of Chemistry
- School of Chemical & Biotechnology
- SASTRA Deemed University
- Thanjavur-613401
- India
| | - Mehboobali Pannipara
- Department of Chemistry
- King Khalid University
- Abha 61413
- Saudi Arabia
- Research Center for Advanced Materials Science
| | - Abdullah G. Al-Sehemi
- Department of Chemistry
- King Khalid University
- Abha 61413
- Saudi Arabia
- Research Center for Advanced Materials Science
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Whitewoods CD, Gonçalves B, Cheng J, Cui M, Kennaway R, Lee K, Bushell C, Yu M, Piao C, Coen E. Evolution of carnivorous traps from planar leaves through simple shifts in gene expression. Science 2019; 367:91-96. [DOI: 10.1126/science.aay5433] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2019] [Accepted: 11/12/2019] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Leaves vary from planar sheets and needle-like structures to elaborate cup-shaped traps. Here, we show that in the carnivorous plant Utricularia gibba, the upper leaf (adaxial) domain is restricted to a small region of the primordium that gives rise to the trap’s inner layer. This restriction is necessary for trap formation, because ectopic adaxial activity at early stages gives radialized leaves and no traps. We present a model that accounts for the formation of both planar and nonplanar leaves through adaxial-abaxial domains of gene activity establishing a polarity field that orients growth. In combination with an orthogonal proximodistal polarity field, this system can generate diverse leaf forms and account for the multiple evolutionary origins of cup-shaped leaves through simple shifts in gene expression.
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Nguyen AD, Brown M, Zitnay J, Cahan SH, Gotelli NJ, Arnett A, Ellison AM. Trade-Offs in Cold Resistance at the Northern Range Edge of the Common Woodland Ant Aphaenogaster picea (Formicidae). Am Nat 2019; 194:E151-E163. [PMID: 31738107 DOI: 10.1086/705939] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
Abstract
Geographic variation in low temperatures at poleward range margins of terrestrial species often mirrors population variation in cold resistance, suggesting that range boundaries may be set by evolutionary constraints on cold physiology. The northeastern woodland ant Aphaenogaster picea occurs up to approximately 45°N in central Maine. We combined presence/absence surveys with classification tree analysis to characterize its northern range limit and assayed two measures of cold resistance operating on different timescales to determine whether and how marginal populations adapt to environmental extremes. The range boundary of A. picea was predicted primarily by temperature, but low winter temperatures did not emerge as the primary correlate of species occurrence. Low summer temperatures and high seasonal variability predicted absence above the boundary, whereas high mean annual temperature (MAT) predicted presence in southern Maine. In contrast, assays of cold resistance across multiple sites were consistent with the hypothesis of local cold adaptation at the range edge: among populations, there was a 4-min reduction in chill coma recovery time across a 2° reduction in MAT. Baseline resistance and capacity for additional plastic cold hardening shifted in opposite directions, with hardening capacity approaching zero at the coldest sites. This trade-off between baseline resistance and cold-hardening capacity suggests that populations at range edges may adapt to colder temperatures through genetic assimilation of plastic responses, potentially constraining further adaptation and range expansion.
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Lee KJI, Bushell C, Koide Y, Fozard JA, Piao C, Yu M, Newman J, Whitewoods C, Avondo J, Kennaway R, Marée AFM, Cui M, Coen E. Shaping of a three-dimensional carnivorous trap through modulation of a planar growth mechanism. PLoS Biol 2019; 17:e3000427. [PMID: 31600203 PMCID: PMC6786542 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3000427] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2019] [Accepted: 09/05/2019] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Leaves display a remarkable range of forms, from flat sheets with simple outlines to cup-shaped traps. Although much progress has been made in understanding the mechanisms of planar leaf development, it is unclear whether similar or distinctive mechanisms underlie shape transformations during development of more complex curved forms. Here, we use 3D imaging and cellular and clonal analysis, combined with computational modelling, to analyse the development of cup-shaped traps of the carnivorous plant Utricularia gibba. We show that the transformation from a near-spherical form at early developmental stages to an oblate spheroid with a straightened ventral midline in the mature form can be accounted for by spatial variations in rates and orientations of growth. Different hypotheses regarding spatiotemporal control predict distinct patterns of cell shape and size, which were tested experimentally by quantifying cellular and clonal anisotropy. We propose that orientations of growth are specified by a proximodistal polarity field, similar to that hypothesised to account for Arabidopsis leaf development, except that in Utricularia, the field propagates through a highly curved tissue sheet. Independent evidence for the polarity field is provided by the orientation of glandular hairs on the inner surface of the trap. Taken together, our results show that morphogenesis of complex 3D leaf shapes can be accounted for by similar mechanisms to those for planar leaves, suggesting that simple modulations of a common growth framework underlie the shaping of a diverse range of morphologies. Many plant and animal organs derive from tissue sheets, but how are they shaped to create the diversity of forms observed in nature? This study uses a combination of imaging and mathematical modelling to show how carnivorous plant traps shape themselves in 3D by a growth framework oriented by tissue polarity, similar to that found in planar leaves.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karen J. I. Lee
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, John Innes Centre, Norwich Research Park, Norwich, United Kingdom
| | - Claire Bushell
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, John Innes Centre, Norwich Research Park, Norwich, United Kingdom
| | - Yohei Koide
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, John Innes Centre, Norwich Research Park, Norwich, United Kingdom
| | - John A. Fozard
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, John Innes Centre, Norwich Research Park, Norwich, United Kingdom
- Department of Computational and Systems Biology, John Innes Centre, Norwich Research Park, Norwich, United Kingdom
| | - Chunlan Piao
- College of Agriculture and Food Science, Zhejiang Agriculture and Forestry University, Linan, Zhejiang, China
| | - Man Yu
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, John Innes Centre, Norwich Research Park, Norwich, United Kingdom
| | - Jacob Newman
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, John Innes Centre, Norwich Research Park, Norwich, United Kingdom
| | - Christopher Whitewoods
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, John Innes Centre, Norwich Research Park, Norwich, United Kingdom
| | - Jerome Avondo
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, John Innes Centre, Norwich Research Park, Norwich, United Kingdom
| | - Richard Kennaway
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, John Innes Centre, Norwich Research Park, Norwich, United Kingdom
| | - Athanasius F. M. Marée
- Department of Computational and Systems Biology, John Innes Centre, Norwich Research Park, Norwich, United Kingdom
| | - Minlong Cui
- College of Agriculture and Food Science, Zhejiang Agriculture and Forestry University, Linan, Zhejiang, China
- * E-mail: (EC); (MC)
| | - Enrico Coen
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, John Innes Centre, Norwich Research Park, Norwich, United Kingdom
- * E-mail: (EC); (MC)
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Fox MD, Elliott Smith EA, Smith JE, Newsome SD. Trophic plasticity in a common reef‐building coral: Insights from δ13C analysis of essential amino acids. Funct Ecol 2019. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2435.13441] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Michael D. Fox
- Center for Marine Biodiversity and Conservation Scripps Institution of Oceanography University of California San Diego La Jolla CA USA
| | | | - Jennifer E. Smith
- Center for Marine Biodiversity and Conservation Scripps Institution of Oceanography University of California San Diego La Jolla CA USA
| | - Seth D. Newsome
- Biology Department University of New Mexico Albuquerque NM USA
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Orellana JI, Valdivia CE. Putative local adaptations modulate the interactions of the carnivorous plant Drosera uniflora
Willd (1809) (Droseraceae) with cushion and shrub nurse plants. AUSTRAL ECOL 2019. [DOI: 10.1111/aec.12762] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- José I. Orellana
- Laboratorio de Vida Silvestre; Departamento de Ciencias Biológicas y Biodiversidad; Universidad de Los Lagos; Avenida Fuchslocher 1305 Osorno Chile
- Programa de Doctorado en Ciencias, mención Conservación y Manejo de Recursos Naturales; Universidad de Los Lagos; Puerto Montt Chile
| | - Carlos E. Valdivia
- Laboratorio de Vida Silvestre; Departamento de Ciencias Biológicas y Biodiversidad; Universidad de Los Lagos; Avenida Fuchslocher 1305 Osorno Chile
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Moldowan PD, Smith MA, Baldwin T, Bartley T, Rollinson N, Wynen H. Nature's pitfall trap: salamanders as rich prey for carnivorous plants in a nutrient‐poor northern bog ecosystem. Ecology 2019; 100:e02770. [DOI: 10.1002/ecy.2770] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2018] [Revised: 04/22/2019] [Accepted: 04/30/2019] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Patrick D. Moldowan
- Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology University of Toronto Toronto Ontario M5S 3B2 Canada
| | - M. Alex Smith
- Department of Integrative Biology University of Guelph Guelph Ontario N1G2W1 Canada
| | - Teskey Baldwin
- Department of Integrative Biology University of Guelph Guelph Ontario N1G2W1 Canada
| | - Timothy Bartley
- Department of Integrative Biology University of Guelph Guelph Ontario N1G2W1 Canada
- Department of Biology University of Toronto Mississauga Mississauga Ontario L5L 1C6 Canada
| | - Njal Rollinson
- Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology University of Toronto Toronto Ontario M5S 3B2 Canada
| | - Hannah Wynen
- Department of Integrative Biology University of Guelph Guelph Ontario N1G2W1 Canada
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45
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Klink S, Giesemann P, Gebauer G. Picky carnivorous plants? Investigating preferences for preys' trophic levels - a stable isotope natural abundance approach with two terrestrial and two aquatic Lentibulariaceae tested in Central Europe. ANNALS OF BOTANY 2019; 123:1167-1177. [PMID: 30865264 PMCID: PMC6612943 DOI: 10.1093/aob/mcz022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2018] [Accepted: 02/01/2019] [Indexed: 05/18/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIMS Stable isotope two-source linear mixing models are frequently used to calculate the nutrient-uptake efficiency of carnivorous plants from pooled prey. This study aimed to separate prey into three trophic levels as pooled prey limits statements about the contribution of a specific trophic level to the nutrition of carnivorous plants. Phytoplankton were used as an autotrophic reference for aquatic plants as the lack of suitable reference plants impedes calculation of their efficiency. METHODS Terrestrial (Pinguicula) and aquatic (Utricularia) carnivorous plants alongside autotrophic reference plants and potential prey from six sites in Germany and Austria were analysed for their stable isotope natural abundances (δ15N, δ13C). A two-source linear mixing model was applied to calculate the nutrient-uptake efficiency of carnivorous plants from pooled prey. Prey preferences were determined using a Bayesian inference isotope mixing model. KEY RESULTS Phytophagous prey represented the main contribution to the nutrition of Pinguicula (approx. 55 %), while higher trophic levels contributed a smaller amount (diverse approx. 27 %, zoophagous approx. 17 %). As well as around 48 % nitrogen, a small proportion of carbon (approx. 9 %) from prey was recovered in the tissue of plants. Aquatic Utricularia australis received 29 % and U. minor 21 % nitrogen from zooplankton when applying phytoplankton as the autotrophic reference. CONCLUSIONS The separation of prey animals into trophic levels revealed a major nutritional contribution of lower trophic level prey (phytophagous) for temperate Pinguicula species. Naturally, prey of higher trophic levels (diverse, zoophagous) are rarer, resulting in a smaller chance of being captured. Phytoplankton represents an adequate autotrophic reference for aquatic systems to estimate the contribution of zooplankton-derived nitrogen to the tissue of carnivorous plants. The autonomous firing of Utricularia bladders results in the additional capture of phytoplankton, calling for new aquatic references to determine the nutritional importance of phytoplankton for aquatic carnivorous plants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Saskia Klink
- Laboratory of Isotope Biogeochemistry, Bayreuth Center of Ecology and Environmental Research (BayCEER), University of Bayreuth, Bayreuth, Germany
| | - Philipp Giesemann
- Laboratory of Isotope Biogeochemistry, Bayreuth Center of Ecology and Environmental Research (BayCEER), University of Bayreuth, Bayreuth, Germany
| | - Gerhard Gebauer
- Laboratory of Isotope Biogeochemistry, Bayreuth Center of Ecology and Environmental Research (BayCEER), University of Bayreuth, Bayreuth, Germany
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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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Davis AL, Babb MH, Lowe MC, Yeh AT, Lee BT, Martin CH. Testing Darwin's Hypothesis about the Wonderful Venus Flytrap: Marginal Spikes Form a "Horrid Prison" for Moderate-Sized Insect Prey. Am Nat 2018; 193:309-317. [PMID: 30720364 DOI: 10.1086/701433] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
Botanical carnivory is a novel feeding strategy associated with numerous physiological and morphological adaptations. However, the benefits of these novel carnivorous traits are rarely tested. We used field observations, lab experiments, and a seminatural experiment to test prey capture function of the marginal spikes on snap traps of the Venus flytrap (Dionaea muscipula). Our field and laboratory results suggested inefficient capture success: fewer than one in four prey encounters led to prey capture. Removing the marginal spikes decreased the rate of prey capture success for moderate-sized cricket prey by 90%, but this effect disappeared for larger prey. The nonlinear benefit of spikes suggests that they provide a better cage for capturing more abundant insects of moderate and small sizes, but they may also provide a foothold for rare large prey to escape. Our observations support Darwin's hypothesis that the marginal spikes form a "horrid prison" that increases prey capture success for moderate-sized prey, but the decreasing benefit for larger prey is unexpected and previously undocumented. Thus, we find surprising complexity in the adaptive landscape for one of the most wonderful evolutionary innovations among all plants. These findings enrich understanding of the evolution and diversification of novel trap morphology in carnivorous plants.
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Milne MA, Waller DA. Carnivorous pitcher plants eat a diet of certain spiders, regardless of what's on the menu. Ecosphere 2018. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.2504] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Marc A. Milne
- Department of Biology University of Indianapolis Indianapolis Indiana 46227 USA
| | - Deborah A. Waller
- Department of Biology Old Dominion University Norfolk Virginia 23529 USA
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49
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Lima FR, Ferreira AJ, Menezes CG, Miranda VFO, Dourado MN, Araújo WL. Cultivated bacterial diversity associated with the carnivorous plant Utricularia breviscapa (Lentibulariaceae) from floodplains in Brazil. Braz J Microbiol 2018; 49:714-722. [PMID: 29661568 PMCID: PMC6175710 DOI: 10.1016/j.bjm.2017.12.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2017] [Revised: 11/10/2017] [Accepted: 12/24/2017] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Carnivorous plant species, such as Utricularia spp., capture and digest prey. This digestion can occur through the secretion of plant digestive enzymes and/or by bacterial digestive enzymes. To comprehend the physiological mechanisms of carnivorous plants, it is essential to understand the microbial diversity related to these plants. Therefore, in the present study, we isolated and classified bacteria from different organs of Utricularia breviscapa (stolons and utricles) and from different geographic locations (São Paulo and Mato Grosso). We were able to build the first bacterium collection for U. breviscapa and study the diversity of cultivable bacteria. The results show that U. breviscapa bacterial diversity varied according to the geographic isolation site (São Paulo and Mato Grosso) but not the analyzed organs (utricle and stolon). We reported that six genera were common to both sample sites (São Paulo and Mato Grosso). These genera have previously been reported to be beneficial to plants, as well as related to the bioremediation process, showing that these isolates present great biotechnological and agricultural potential. This is the first report of an Acidobacteria isolated from U. breviscapa. The role of these bacteria inside the plant must be further investigated in order to understand their population dynamics within the host.
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Affiliation(s)
- Felipe Rezende Lima
- Departmento de Microbiologia, Instituto de Ciencias Biomedicas, Universidade de São Paulo, Av. Prof. Lineu Prestes, 1374-Ed. Biomédicas II, Cidade Universitária, 05508-900 São Paulo, SP, Brazil; Núcleo Integrado de Biotecnologia, NIB, Universidade de Mogi das Cruzes, Av. Dr. Cândido Xavier de Almeida Souza, 200, Centro cívico, 08780-911 Mogi das Cruzes, SP, Brazil
| | - Almir José Ferreira
- Departmento de Microbiologia, Instituto de Ciencias Biomedicas, Universidade de São Paulo, Av. Prof. Lineu Prestes, 1374-Ed. Biomédicas II, Cidade Universitária, 05508-900 São Paulo, SP, Brazil; Núcleo Integrado de Biotecnologia, NIB, Universidade de Mogi das Cruzes, Av. Dr. Cândido Xavier de Almeida Souza, 200, Centro cívico, 08780-911 Mogi das Cruzes, SP, Brazil
| | - Cristine Gobbo Menezes
- Faculdade de Ciências Agrárias e Veterinárias, Universidade Estadual Paulista UNESP, Via de acesso Prof. Paulo Donato Castellane s/n, Centro, 14884-900 Jaboticabal, SP, Brazil
| | - Vitor Fernandes Oliveira Miranda
- Faculdade de Ciências Agrárias e Veterinárias, Universidade Estadual Paulista UNESP, Via de acesso Prof. Paulo Donato Castellane s/n, Centro, 14884-900 Jaboticabal, SP, Brazil
| | - Manuella Nóbrega Dourado
- Departmento de Microbiologia, Instituto de Ciencias Biomedicas, Universidade de São Paulo, Av. Prof. Lineu Prestes, 1374-Ed. Biomédicas II, Cidade Universitária, 05508-900 São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
| | - Welington Luiz Araújo
- Departmento de Microbiologia, Instituto de Ciencias Biomedicas, Universidade de São Paulo, Av. Prof. Lineu Prestes, 1374-Ed. Biomédicas II, Cidade Universitária, 05508-900 São Paulo, SP, Brazil; Núcleo Integrado de Biotecnologia, NIB, Universidade de Mogi das Cruzes, Av. Dr. Cândido Xavier de Almeida Souza, 200, Centro cívico, 08780-911 Mogi das Cruzes, SP, Brazil.
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50
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Littlefair JE, Zander A, Sena Costa C, Clare EL. DNA
metabarcoding reveals changes in the contents of carnivorous plants along an elevation gradient. Mol Ecol 2018; 28:281-292. [DOI: 10.1111/mec.14832] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2017] [Revised: 07/03/2018] [Accepted: 07/28/2018] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Joanne E. Littlefair
- Department of Biology McGill University Montréal Québec Canada
- School of Biological and Chemical Sciences Queen Mary University of London London UK
| | - Axel Zander
- Department of Biology Unit of Ecology and Evolution University of Fribourg Fribourg Switzerland
| | - Clara Sena Costa
- School of Biological and Chemical Sciences Queen Mary University of London London UK
| | - Elizabeth L. Clare
- School of Biological and Chemical Sciences Queen Mary University of London London UK
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