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Scaccabarozzi D, Guzzetti L, Pioltelli E, Brundrett M, Aromatisi A, Polverino G, Vallejo-Marin M, Cozzolino S, Ren ZX. Evidence of introduced honeybees (Apis mellifera) as pollen wasters in orchid pollination. Sci Rep 2024; 14:14076. [PMID: 38890342 PMCID: PMC11189403 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-64218-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2024] [Accepted: 06/06/2024] [Indexed: 06/20/2024] Open
Abstract
Biological invasions threaten global biodiversity, altering landscapes, ecosystems, and mutualistic relationships like pollination. Orchids are one of the most threatened plant families, yet the impact of invasive bees on their reproduction remains poorly understood. We conduct a global literature survey on the incidence of invasive honeybees (Apis mellifera) on orchid pollination, followed by a study case on Australian orchids. Our literature survey shows that Apis mellifera is the primary alien bee visiting orchids worldwide. However, in most cases, introduced honeybees do not deposit orchid pollen. We also test the extent to which introduced honeybees affect orchid pollination using Diuris brumalis and D. magnifica. Diuris brumalis shows higher fruit set and pollination in habitats with both native and invasive bees compared to habitats with only introduced bees. Male and female reproductive success in D. magnifica increases with native bee abundance, while conversely pollinator efficiency decreases with honeybee abundance and rises with habitat size. Our results suggest that introduced honeybees are likely involved in pollen removal but do not effectively deposit orchid pollen, acting as pollen wasters. However, Apis mellifera may still contribute to pollination of Diuris where native bees no longer exist. Given the global occurrence of introduced honeybees, we warn that certain orchids may suffer from pollen depletion by these invaders, especially in altered habitats with compromised pollination communities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniela Scaccabarozzi
- Department of Ecology and Genetics, Evolutionary Biology Centre, Uppsala University, Norbyvägen 18 D, 752 36, Uppsala, Sweden.
- School of Molecular and Life Sciences, Curtin University, Perth, Australia.
| | - Lorenzo Guzzetti
- ZooPlantLab, Department of Biotechnology and Biosciences, University of Milano-Bicocca, Milan, Italy
| | - Emiliano Pioltelli
- ZooPlantLab, Department of Biotechnology and Biosciences, University of Milano-Bicocca, Milan, Italy
| | - Mark Brundrett
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Western Australia, Crawley, Australia
| | | | - Giovanni Polverino
- Department of Ecological and Biological Sciences, University of Tuscia, Viterbo, Italy
| | - Mario Vallejo-Marin
- Department of Ecology and Genetics, Evolutionary Biology Centre, Uppsala University, Norbyvägen 18 D, 752 36, Uppsala, Sweden
| | | | - Zong-Xin Ren
- Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Kunming, China
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2
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Suetsugu K, Hirota SK, Hayakawa H, Fujimori S, Ishibashi M, Hsu TC, Suyama Y. Spiranthes hachijoensis (Orchidaceae), a new species within the S. sinensis species complex in Japan, based on morphological, phylogenetic, and ecological evidence. JOURNAL OF PLANT RESEARCH 2023; 136:333-348. [PMID: 36930386 PMCID: PMC10126103 DOI: 10.1007/s10265-023-01448-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2022] [Accepted: 02/23/2023] [Indexed: 05/25/2023]
Abstract
The systematics of the Old World Spiranthes sinensis (Pers.) Ames species complex (Orchidaceae) has been complicated by its wide distribution and morphological variations. Within the species complex, S. australis Lindl. has been generally accepted as the only Spiranthes Rich. species distributed on the Japanese mainland. The present study provides morphological, phylogenetic, and ecological evidence for the recognition of S. hachijoensis Suetsugu as a new species of the S. sinensis species complex on the Japanese mainland. Spiranthes hachijoensis is morphologically similar to S. hongkongensis S.Y. Hu & Barretto and S. nivea T.P. Lin & W.M. Lin, sharing a degenerated rostellum, pollinia without a viscidium, and distinctly trilobed stigma. However, the taxon can be morphologically distinguished from S. hongkongensis by its glabrous rachis, ovaries, and sepals, and from S. nivea by its papillate labellum disc, larger papillate basal labellum callosities, and glabrous rachis, ovaries, and sepals. The autogamy and flowering phenology (i.e., earlier flowering) of S. hachijoensis are most likely responsible for premating isolation from the sympatric S. australis. A MIG-seq-based high-throughput molecular analysis indicated that the genetic difference between S. hachijoensis and its putative sister species S. sinensis is comparable to, or even greater than, the genetic difference between pairs of other species within the S. sinensis species complex. Our multifaceted approach strongly supports the recognition of S. hachijoensis as a morphologically, phenologically, phylogenetically, and ecologically distinct species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kenji Suetsugu
- Department of Biology, Graduate School of Science, Kobe University, Kobe, Hyogo, 657-8501, Japan.
- Institute for Advanced Research, Kobe University, 1-1 Rokkodai, Nada-Ku, Kobe, Hyogo, 657-8501, Japan.
| | - Shun K Hirota
- Field Science Center, Graduate School of Agricultural Science, Tohoku University, 232-3 Yomogida, Naruko-Onsen, Osaki, Miyagi, 989-6711, Japan
- Botanical Gardens, Osaka Metropolitan University, 2000 Kisaichi, Katano City, Osaka, 576-0004, Japan
| | - Hiroshi Hayakawa
- Museum of Natural and Environmental History, Shizuoka, 5762 Oya, Suruga, Shizuoka, Shizuoka, Japan
| | - Shohei Fujimori
- Graduate School of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Tsukuba, 1-1-1 Tennodai, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, 305-8572, Japan
| | | | - Tian-Chuan Hsu
- Botanical Garden Division, Taiwan Forestry Research Institute, No. 53, Nanhai Rd, Taipei, 100, Taiwan
| | - Yoshihisa Suyama
- Field Science Center, Graduate School of Agricultural Science, Tohoku University, 232-3 Yomogida, Naruko-Onsen, Osaki, Miyagi, 989-6711, Japan
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3
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Van Wyk JI, Lynch AM, Adler LS. Manipulation of multiple floral traits demonstrates role in pollinator disease transmission. Ecology 2023; 104:e3866. [PMID: 36056578 PMCID: PMC9978041 DOI: 10.1002/ecy.3866] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2021] [Revised: 07/08/2022] [Accepted: 07/13/2022] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
Plants modulate multitrophic ecological interactions, and variation in plant traits can affect these interactions. Pollinators are exposed to pathogens at flowers and acquire or transmit pathogens at different rates on different plant species, but the traits mediating those interactions are almost entirely unknown. We experimentally manipulated five plant traits that span scales including flower, inflorescence, and plant, to determine their effects on pathogen transmission between foraging bees. Specifically, we manipulated two morphological traits (corolla lip length and flower orientation within an inflorescence) and three resource distribution traits (inflorescence nectar, plant patch nectar, and plant aggregation) in tents to test how plant traits affect bee pathogen transmission. We also quantified foraging behavior and fecal deposition patterns as potential mechanisms driving differences in transmission, and assessed trait manipulation consequences for bee reproduction. We found that pathogen transmission was reduced when we trimmed the corolla lip, evenly dispersed nectar distribution within an inflorescence, or aggregated plants in space. Some traits also affected bee reproduction; tents with trimmed corollas had more larval production than control tents, and tents with evenly distributed nectar across plant patches had more larval production than tents with clumped resources. Thus, some trait manipulations both reduced transmission and increased bee microcolony reproduction, although our design does not allow us to discern whether these are related or separate effects. Taken together, our results demonstrate causal effects of several floral traits on pathogen transmission and pollinator reproduction, indicating the importance of intraspecific plant trait variation for pollinator health and population dynamics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer I. Van Wyk
- Department of Biology, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Massachusetts 01003, USA
| | - Amy-Mei Lynch
- Department of Biology, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Massachusetts 01003, USA
| | - Lynn S. Adler
- Department of Biology, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Massachusetts 01003, USA
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4
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Feng JQ, Zhang FP, Huang JL, Hu H, Zhang SB. Allometry Between Vegetative and Reproductive Traits in Orchids. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2021; 12:728843. [PMID: 34721458 PMCID: PMC8548613 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2021.728843] [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: 06/22/2021] [Accepted: 08/25/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
In flowering plants, inflorescence characteristics influence both seed set and pollen contribution, while inflorescence and peduncle size can be correlated with biomass allocation to reproductive organs. Peduncles also play a role in water and nutrient supply of flowers, and mechanical support. However, it is currently unclear whether inflorescence size is correlated with peduncle size. Here, we tested whether orchids with large diameter peduncles bear more and larger flowers than those with smaller peduncles by analyzing 10 traits of inflorescence, flower, and leaf in 26 species. Peduncle diameters were positively correlated with inflorescence length and total floral area, indicating that species with larger peduncles tended to have larger inflorescences and larger flowers. We also found strongly positive correlation between inflorescence length and leaf area, and between total floral area and total leaf area, which suggested that reproductive organs may be allometrically coordinated with vegetative organs. However, neither flower number nor floral dry mass per unit area were correlated with leaf number or leaf dry mass per unit area, implying that the function between leaf and flower was uncoupled. Our findings provided a new insight for understanding the evolution of orchids, and for horticulturalists interested in improving floral and inflorescence traits in orchids.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jing-Qiu Feng
- Key Laboratory of Economic Plants and Biotechnology, Yunnan Key Laboratory for Wild Plant Resources, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Feng-Ping Zhang
- Yunnan Key Laboratory of Dai and Yi Medicines, College of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Yunnan University of Chinese Medicine, Kunming, China
| | | | - Hong Hu
- Key Laboratory of Economic Plants and Biotechnology, Yunnan Key Laboratory for Wild Plant Resources, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, China
| | - Shi-Bao Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Economic Plants and Biotechnology, Yunnan Key Laboratory for Wild Plant Resources, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, China
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Suetsugu K. Gynomonoecy in a mycoheterotrophic orchid Eulophia zollingeri with autonomous selfing hermaphroditic flowers and putatively outcrossing female flowers. PeerJ 2020; 8:e10272. [PMID: 33194432 PMCID: PMC7597633 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.10272] [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: 07/29/2020] [Accepted: 10/08/2020] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Most orchid species exhibit an extreme case of hermaphroditism, owing to the fusion of male and female organs into a gynostemium. Exceptions to this rule have only been reported from the subtribes Catasetinae and Satyriinae. Here, I report an additional orchidaceous example whose flowers are not always hermaphroditic. In several Japanese populations of Eulophia zollingeri (Rchb.f.) J.J.Sm, a widespread Asian and Oceanian orchid, some flowers possess both the anther (i.e., anther cap and pollinaria) and stigma, whereas others possess only the stigma. Therefore, pollination experiments, an investigation of floral morphology and observations of floral visitors were conducted to understand the reproductive biology of E. zollingeri in Miyazaki Prefecture, Japan. It was confirmed that E. zollingeri studied here possesses a gynomonoecious reproductive system, a sexual system in which a single plant has both female flowers and hermaphroditic flowers. In addition, hermaphroditic flowers often possess an effective self-pollination system while female flowers could avoid autogamy but suffered from severe pollinator limitation, due to a lack of agamospermy and low insect-mediated pollination. The present study represents the first documented example of gynomonoecy within Orchidaceae. Gynomonoecy in E. zollingeri may be maintained by the tradeoff in reproductive traits between female flowers (with low fruit set but potential outcrossing benefits) and hermaphroditic flowers (with high fruit set but inbreeding depression in selfed offspring). This mixed mating is probably important in mycoheterotrophic E. zollingeri because it occurs in shaded forest understorey with a paucity of pollinators.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kenji Suetsugu
- Department of Biology, Graduate School of Science, Kobe University, Kobe, Japan
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6
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Li Q, Yuan J, Liang H, Zheng F, Lu X, Yu C, Lu Q. Spiranthes sinensis-Inspired Circular Polarized Luminescence in a Solid Block Copolymer Film with a Controllable Helix. ACS NANO 2020; 14:8939-8948. [PMID: 32551549 DOI: 10.1021/acsnano.0c03734] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Chiral materials with circular polarized luminescence (CPL) have attracted much interest because of their extensive optical information and remarkable sensitivity. Inspired by the helical template in Spiranthes sinensis, we propose here a general and flexible method for fabricating solid CPL materials using a block copolymer-formed helix as a template. A chiral arrangement of various nonchiral fluorescent molecules was obtained in the block copolymer-based hybrid film. An excimer chiralty rule was found for the CPL emission of nonchiral fluorescent molecules: a right-handed helix induced left-handed CPL emission and a left-handed helix induced right-handed CPL emission. A dissipative particle dynamics simulation showed that such an antihelical effect is related to the length between the adjacent interacting points of nonchiral fluorescent molecules along the helical structure. Furthermore, the fluorescent films had a high dissymmetric factor for CPL emission, and thus, the films provide a general and flexible platform for designing and preparing advanced functional chiroptical materials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qingxiang Li
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Frontiers Science Center for Transformative Molecules, Shanghai Key Lab of Electrical & Thermal Aging, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200240, People's Republic of China
| | - Jianan Yuan
- School of Chemical Science and Engineering, Tongji University, Shanghai, 201920, People's Republic of China
| | - Hongyu Liang
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Frontiers Science Center for Transformative Molecules, Shanghai Key Lab of Electrical & Thermal Aging, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200240, People's Republic of China
| | - Feng Zheng
- School of Chemical Science and Engineering, Tongji University, Shanghai, 201920, People's Republic of China
| | - Xuemin Lu
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Frontiers Science Center for Transformative Molecules, Shanghai Key Lab of Electrical & Thermal Aging, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200240, People's Republic of China
| | - Chunyang Yu
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Frontiers Science Center for Transformative Molecules, Shanghai Key Lab of Electrical & Thermal Aging, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200240, People's Republic of China
| | - Qinghua Lu
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Frontiers Science Center for Transformative Molecules, Shanghai Key Lab of Electrical & Thermal Aging, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200240, People's Republic of China
- School of Chemical Science and Engineering, Tongji University, Shanghai, 201920, People's Republic of China
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7
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Manrique S, Friel J, Gramazio P, Hasing T, Ezquer I, Bombarely A. Genetic insights into the modification of the pre-fertilization mechanisms during plant domestication. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL BOTANY 2019; 70:3007-3019. [PMID: 31152173 DOI: 10.1093/jxb/erz231] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/25/2018] [Accepted: 05/02/2019] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Abstract
Plant domestication is the process of adapting plants to human use by selecting specific traits. The selection process often involves the modification of some components of the plant reproductive mechanisms. Allelic variants of genes associated with flowering time, vernalization, and the circadian clock are responsible for the adaptation of crops, such as rice, maize, barley, wheat, and tomato, to non-native latitudes. Modifications in the plant architecture and branching have been selected for higher yields and easier harvests. These phenotypes are often produced by alterations in the regulation of the transition of shoot apical meristems to inflorescences, and then to floral meristems. Floral homeotic mutants are responsible for popular double-flower phenotypes in Japanese cherries, roses, camellias, and lilies. The rise of peloric flowers in ornamentals such as snapdragon and florists' gloxinia is associated with non-functional alleles that control the relative expansion of lateral and ventral petals. Mechanisms to force outcrossing such as self-incompatibility have been removed in some tree crops cultivars such as almonds and peaches. In this review, we revisit some of these important concepts from the plant domestication perspective, focusing on four topics related to the pre-fertilization mechanisms: flowering time, inflorescence architecture, flower development, and pre-fertilization self-incompatibility mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Silvia Manrique
- Department of Biosciences, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - James Friel
- Genetics and Biotechnology Laboratory, Plant and AgriBioscience Research Center (PABC), Ryan Institute, National University of Ireland Galway, Galway, Ireland
- School of Plant and Environmental Sciences (SPES), Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, USA
| | - Pietro Gramazio
- Instituto de Conservación y Mejora de la Agrodiversidad Valenciana (COMAV), Universitat Politècnica de València, Valencia, Spain
- Faculty of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Japan
| | - Tomas Hasing
- School of Plant and Environmental Sciences (SPES), Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, USA
| | - Ignacio Ezquer
- Department of Biosciences, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - Aureliano Bombarely
- Department of Biosciences, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
- School of Plant and Environmental Sciences (SPES), Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, USA
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8
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Rocha L, Ribeiro PL, Endress PK, Rapini A. A brainstorm on the systematics of Turnera (Turneraceae, Malpighiales) caused by insights from molecular phylogenetics and morphological evolution. Mol Phylogenet Evol 2019; 137:44-63. [PMID: 30999036 DOI: 10.1016/j.ympev.2019.04.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2018] [Revised: 04/09/2019] [Accepted: 04/14/2019] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
With 145 species, Turnera is the largest genus of Turneraceae (Malpighiales). Despite several morphotaxonomic and cytogenetic studies, our knowledge about the phylogenetic relationships in Turnera remains mainly based on morphological data. Here, we reconstruct the most comprehensive phylogeny of Turnera with molecular data to understand the morphological evolution within this group and to assess its circumscription and infrageneric classification. We analyzed two nuclear and six plastid markers and 112 taxa, including species and infraspecific taxa, 97 from Turnera, covering the 11 series of the genus. Bayesian inference, maximum parsimony and maximum likelihood analyses show that Turnera, as traditionally circumscribed, is not monophyletic. The genus is divided into two well-supported independent clades; one of them is sister to the genus Piriqueta and is here segregated as the new genus Oxossia. According to our reconstructions, Turnera probably evolved from an ancestor without extrafloral nectaries and with solitary, homostylous flowers with yellow petals. The emergences of extrafloral nectaries and distyly, both common in extant taxa, played an important role in the diversification of the genus. An updated infrageneric classification reflecting the relationships within Turnera is now possible based on morphological synapomorphies and is here designed for further studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lamarck Rocha
- Universidade Estadual de Feira de Santana, Departamento de Ciências Biológicas, Programa de Pós-graduação em Botânica, Av. Transnordestina s.n., Feira de Santana, 44036-900 Bahia, Brazil.
| | - Patrícia Luz Ribeiro
- Universidade Estadual de Feira de Santana, Departamento de Ciências Biológicas, Programa de Pós-graduação em Botânica, Av. Transnordestina s.n., Feira de Santana, 44036-900 Bahia, Brazil; Universidade Federal do Recôncavo da Bahia, Centro de Ciências Agrárias, Ambientais e Biológicas, Cruz das Almas, 44380-000 Bahia, Brazil.
| | - Peter K Endress
- University of Zurich, Department of Systematic and Evolutionary Botany, Zollikerstrasse 107, 8008 Zürich, Switzerland.
| | - Alessandro Rapini
- Universidade Estadual de Feira de Santana, Departamento de Ciências Biológicas, Programa de Pós-graduação em Botânica, Av. Transnordestina s.n., Feira de Santana, 44036-900 Bahia, Brazil.
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9
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Wei W, Wu H, Li X, Wei X, Lu W, Zheng X. Diversity, Daily Activity Patterns, and Pollination Effectiveness of the Insects Visiting Camellia osmantha, C. vietnamensis, and C. oleifera in South China. INSECTS 2019; 10:insects10040098. [PMID: 30987034 PMCID: PMC6523973 DOI: 10.3390/insects10040098] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2019] [Revised: 03/28/2019] [Accepted: 03/29/2019] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Camellia spp., which are self-incompatible plants, are some of the most important woody species producing edible oil in Southeast Asian countries. However, the demand for camellia oil currently exceeds the supply due to low product yields that have resulted from a decrease in pollination services. Although Camellia osmantha, C. vietnamensis, and C. oleifera are cultivated in South China, little is known about the correspondence between pollinator abundance and pollinator services for this plant genus. In this study, the diversity, daily activity patterns, and pollination effectiveness of insects visiting C. osmantha, C. vietnamensis and C. oleifera were investigated. A total of 24 species, belonging to four orders and 11 families, of visiting insects were identified. Apis cerana cerana Fabricius, Vespa bicolor Fabricius, V. velutina Lepeletier, V. ducalis Smith, and Phytomia zonata Fabricius were the dominant pollinators. The daily activity peaks of the five visiting insects were between 10:00 and 14:00, which may have been related to the pattern of floral resource production (particularly nectar). Cross-pollination by insects significantly increased the fruit production rates of C. osmantha, C. vietnamensis, and C. oleifera. Therefore, the wild bees and flies that pollinate wild and cultivated Camellia plants should be protected in South China.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei Wei
- Guangxi Forestry Research Institute, Guangxi Key Laboratory of Special Non-wood Forest Cultivation & Utilization, Improved Variety and Cultivation Engineering Research Center of Oiltea Camellia in Guangxi, Nanning 530002, Guangxi, China.
| | - Haipan Wu
- Guangxi Key Laboratory of Agric-Environment and Agric-Products Safety, National Demonstration Center for Experimental Plant Science Education, College of Agriculture, Guangxi University, Nanning 530004, Guangxi, China.
| | - Xueyuan Li
- Guangxi Key Laboratory of Agric-Environment and Agric-Products Safety, National Demonstration Center for Experimental Plant Science Education, College of Agriculture, Guangxi University, Nanning 530004, Guangxi, China.
| | - Xing Wei
- Guangxi Key Laboratory of Agric-Environment and Agric-Products Safety, National Demonstration Center for Experimental Plant Science Education, College of Agriculture, Guangxi University, Nanning 530004, Guangxi, China.
| | - Wen Lu
- Guangxi Key Laboratory of Agric-Environment and Agric-Products Safety, National Demonstration Center for Experimental Plant Science Education, College of Agriculture, Guangxi University, Nanning 530004, Guangxi, China.
| | - Xialin Zheng
- Guangxi Key Laboratory of Agric-Environment and Agric-Products Safety, National Demonstration Center for Experimental Plant Science Education, College of Agriculture, Guangxi University, Nanning 530004, Guangxi, China.
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10
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Henneresse T, Kaiser A, Wesselingh RA, Tyteca D. Variability in space and time: contrasting fruit distribution patterns in the deceptive orchid Orchis militaris. PLANT BIOLOGY (STUTTGART, GERMANY) 2019; 21:259-266. [PMID: 30388306 DOI: 10.1111/plb.12932] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2018] [Accepted: 10/31/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
In angiosperms, a decrease in fruit production towards the apex of individual inflorescences is usually observed. Orchids are thought to be primarily pollination-limited species, and non-uniform pollination could cause this decrease pattern in several species. Fruit production was investigated in relation to flower position and floral display size in Orchis militaris (Orchidaceae), a deceptive species. Over 2 years, eight populations of O. militaris were studied and fruit position along the inflorescence was recorded. Generalised linear models were performed to examine the effect of population, year, flower position and floral display size on fruit production. The dominant pattern was characterised by a higher fruit set in the middle part of the inflorescence (parabolic pattern). A non-directional pattern of fruit production was also detected in some populations. Within a given population, patterns were generally consistent among years. In one of the two study years and in one of the eight populations specifically, the proximal-to-distal decrease in fruit production was dramatic in plants with a large floral display but weak or absent in small displays. Our study demonstrates the intraspecific diversity of fruit distribution patterns in O. militaris. Non-uniform pollination along the inflorescence is likely to be responsible for the parabolic pattern, while irregular visitation could explain the non-directional pattern of fruit production. Pattern variation among years and between populations could arise from spatiotemporal variation in pollinator assemblages. Resource competition effects could explain the interaction effect between display size and flower position.
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Affiliation(s)
- T Henneresse
- Biodiversity Research Centre, Earth and Life Institute, Université catholique de Louvain, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
| | - A Kaiser
- Biodiversity Research Centre, Earth and Life Institute, Université catholique de Louvain, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
| | - R A Wesselingh
- Biodiversity Research Centre, Earth and Life Institute, Université catholique de Louvain, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
| | - D Tyteca
- Biodiversity Research Centre, Earth and Life Institute, Université catholique de Louvain, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
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11
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Wang Y, Freckleton RP, Wang B, Kuang X, Yuan Z, Lin F, Ye J, Wang X, Hao Z. The role of breeding system in community dynamics: Growth and mortality in forests of different successional stages. Ecol Evol 2018; 8:7285-7296. [PMID: 30151149 PMCID: PMC6106203 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.4190] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2018] [Revised: 03/30/2018] [Accepted: 04/22/2018] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Plant sexual systems appear to play an important role in community assembly: Dioecious species are found to tend to have a higher propensity to colonize communities in early successional stages. Here, we test two demographic hypotheses to explain this pattern in temperate forests. First, we test demographic differences between hermaphrodite and dioecious species in stressful younger successional stages: Previous theory predicts that hermaphrodite seed production is more harmed in stressful environments than that of dioecious populations leading to an advantage for females of dioecious species. Second, in primary forest, we hypothesized that dioecious species would show demographic advantage over monomorphic ones. We used data from two temperate forest plots in Northeast China surveyed over 10 years to compare the rates of growth and mortality of tree species with contrasting breeding systems in both secondary and primary forests. We assessed the effect of breeding system on the growth-mortality trade-off, while controlling for other traits usually considered as correlates of growth and mortality rates. We show that in the secondary forest, dioecious species showed weak advantage in demographic rates compared with monomorphic species; dioecious species showed considerably both lower relative growth and mortality rates compared to the hermaphrodites in the primary forest over 10 years, consistent with a priori predictions. Hermaphrodites showed strong growth-mortality trade-offs across forest stages, even when possibly confounding factors had been accounted for. These results suggest that sexual system influences community succession and assembly by acting on the rates of growth and mortality, and the trade-off between them. As vegetation develops, the demographic differences between breeding systems are much larger. Our results demonstrate the association between breeding system, succession, and community assembly and that this relationship is succession-stage dependent. Our findings support the suggestion that the demographic advantage of dioecious species facilitates the coexistence of sexual systems in primary forest.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yunyun Wang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Forest Ecology and ManagementInstitute of Applied EcologyChinese Academy of SciencesShenyangChina
- Department of Animal and Plant SciencesUniversity of SheffieldSheffieldUK
- Institute of Ecology and Key Laboratory for Earth Surface Processes of the Ministry of EducationCollege of Urban and Environmental SciencesPeking UniversityBeijingChina
| | | | - Bojian Wang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Forest Ecology and ManagementInstitute of Applied EcologyChinese Academy of SciencesShenyangChina
- University of Chinese Academy of SciencesBeijingChina
| | - Xu Kuang
- China School of Life Sciences and EngineeringHenan University of Urban ConstructionPingdingshanChina
| | - Zuoqiang Yuan
- CAS Key Laboratory of Forest Ecology and ManagementInstitute of Applied EcologyChinese Academy of SciencesShenyangChina
| | - Fei Lin
- CAS Key Laboratory of Forest Ecology and ManagementInstitute of Applied EcologyChinese Academy of SciencesShenyangChina
| | - Ji Ye
- CAS Key Laboratory of Forest Ecology and ManagementInstitute of Applied EcologyChinese Academy of SciencesShenyangChina
| | - Xugao Wang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Forest Ecology and ManagementInstitute of Applied EcologyChinese Academy of SciencesShenyangChina
| | - Zhanqing Hao
- CAS Key Laboratory of Forest Ecology and ManagementInstitute of Applied EcologyChinese Academy of SciencesShenyangChina
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12
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The Floral Biology, Breeding System and Pollination Efficiency of Schima superba Gardn. et Champ. (Theaceae). FORESTS 2017. [DOI: 10.3390/f8100404] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
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13
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Chen J, Niu Y, Li Z, Yang Y, Sun H. Sex allocation in gynodioecious Cyananthus delavayi differs between gender morphs and soil quality. PLANT REPRODUCTION 2017; 30:107-117. [PMID: 28597166 DOI: 10.1007/s00497-017-0303-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2016] [Accepted: 05/27/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Sex allocation in Cyananthus delavayi. Gynodioecy, where females and hermaphrodites coexist in the same natural population, is particularly suitable for predicting the ecological pressures that drive the stability of gender polymorphism. Since females have a disadvantage in that they only contribute to the next generation via ovules, they should gain an advantage via other means, of which resource allocation is an important component. Thus, to study their sex allocation is very helpful to understand how the dimorphic sexual system is maintained in natural systems. We studied the sex allocation patterns and reproductive output of the gynodioecious Cyananthus delavayi in three populations with different soil qualities (organic matter, N, P and K). The hermaphroditic flowers and pistils were much larger than those of female individuals. Although both gender morphs invested similar biomass in the pistils, females allocated more of their resource pool to the seed production, while hermaphrodites allocated more to pollinator advertisement. The pollen production of hermaphrodites did not differ between populations, suggesting that pollen production by hermaphrodites was not limited by soil nutrients. Fruit set of females, but not hermaphrodites, decreased with declining soil quality, whereas seeds per fruit of both females and hermaphrodites were highest in poor soils. Overall, this study shows that females achieve greater reproductive success by allocating more of their resource pool to enhancing seed production, which should favor their presence in gynodioecious populations. The hermaphrodites achieve reproductive success from both pollen and seed production, and unnecessarily reduce their allocation to pollen production. Soil quality should explain, at least partially, the sexual allocation patterns. Furthermore, some of our findings contradict previous hypotheses, thus adding a new example to the body of research on plant sex allocation and the development of future theories.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jianguo Chen
- Key Laboratory for Plant Diversity and Biogeography of East Asia, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan, China
| | - Yang Niu
- Key Laboratory for Plant Diversity and Biogeography of East Asia, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan, China
| | - Zhimin Li
- School of Life Sciences, Yunnan Normal University, Kunming, Yunnan, China
| | - Yang Yang
- Key Laboratory for Plant Diversity and Biogeography of East Asia, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan, China.
| | - Hang Sun
- Key Laboratory for Plant Diversity and Biogeography of East Asia, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan, China.
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14
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Cai H, Zhao L, Wang L, Zhang M, Su Z, Cheng Y, Zhao H, Qin Y. ERECTA signaling controls Arabidopsis inflorescence architecture through chromatin-mediated activation of PRE1 expression. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2017; 214:1579-1596. [PMID: 28295392 DOI: 10.1111/nph.14521] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2017] [Accepted: 02/09/2017] [Indexed: 05/02/2023]
Abstract
Flowering plants display a remarkable diversity in inflorescence architecture, and pedicel length is one of the key contributors to this diversity. In Arabidopsis thaliana, the receptor-like kinase ERECTA (ER) mediated signaling pathway plays important roles in regulating inflorescence architecture by promoting cell proliferation. However, the regulating mechanism remains elusive in the pedicel. Genetic interactions between ERECTA signaling and the chromatin remodeling complex SWR1 in the control of inflorescence architecture were studied. Comparative transcriptome analysis was applied to identify downstream components. Chromatin immunoprecipitation and nucleosome occupancy was further investigated. The results indicated that the chromatin remodeler SWR1 coordinates with ERECTA signaling in regulating inflorescence architecture by activating the expression of PRE1 family genes and promoting pedicel elongation. It was found that SWR1 is required for the incorporation of the H2A.Z histone variant into nucleosomes of the whole PRE1 gene family and the ERECTA controlled expression of PRE1 gene family through regulating nucleosome dynamics. We propose that utilization of a chromatin remodeling complex to regulate gene expression is a common theme in developmental control across kingdoms. These findings shed light on the mechanisms through which chromatin remodelers orchestrate complex transcriptional regulation of gene expression in coordination with a developmental cue.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hanyang Cai
- State Key Laboratory of Ecological Pest Control for Fujian and Taiwan Crops & Key Laboratory of Genetics, Breeding and Multiple Utilization of Crops, Ministry of Education & Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Haixia Applied Plant Systems Biology, Center for Genomics and Biotechnology, College of Life Science, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, 350002, Fujian Province, China
| | - Lihua Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Ecological Pest Control for Fujian and Taiwan Crops & Key Laboratory of Genetics, Breeding and Multiple Utilization of Crops, Ministry of Education & Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Haixia Applied Plant Systems Biology, Center for Genomics and Biotechnology, College of Life Science, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, 350002, Fujian Province, China
| | - Lulu Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Ecological Pest Control for Fujian and Taiwan Crops & Key Laboratory of Genetics, Breeding and Multiple Utilization of Crops, Ministry of Education & Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Haixia Applied Plant Systems Biology, Center for Genomics and Biotechnology, College of Life Science, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, 350002, Fujian Province, China
| | - Man Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Ecological Pest Control for Fujian and Taiwan Crops & Key Laboratory of Genetics, Breeding and Multiple Utilization of Crops, Ministry of Education & Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Haixia Applied Plant Systems Biology, Center for Genomics and Biotechnology, College of Life Science, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, 350002, Fujian Province, China
| | - Zhenxia Su
- State Key Laboratory of Ecological Pest Control for Fujian and Taiwan Crops & Key Laboratory of Genetics, Breeding and Multiple Utilization of Crops, Ministry of Education & Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Haixia Applied Plant Systems Biology, Center for Genomics and Biotechnology, College of Life Science, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, 350002, Fujian Province, China
| | - Yan Cheng
- State Key Laboratory of Ecological Pest Control for Fujian and Taiwan Crops & Key Laboratory of Genetics, Breeding and Multiple Utilization of Crops, Ministry of Education & Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Haixia Applied Plant Systems Biology, Center for Genomics and Biotechnology, College of Life Science, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, 350002, Fujian Province, China
| | - Heming Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Ecological Pest Control for Fujian and Taiwan Crops & Key Laboratory of Genetics, Breeding and Multiple Utilization of Crops, Ministry of Education & Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Haixia Applied Plant Systems Biology, Center for Genomics and Biotechnology, College of Life Science, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, 350002, Fujian Province, China
| | - Yuan Qin
- State Key Laboratory of Ecological Pest Control for Fujian and Taiwan Crops & Key Laboratory of Genetics, Breeding and Multiple Utilization of Crops, Ministry of Education & Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Haixia Applied Plant Systems Biology, Center for Genomics and Biotechnology, College of Life Science, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, 350002, Fujian Province, China
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15
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Katsuhara KR, Kitamura S, Ushimaru A. Functional significance of petals as landing sites in fungus‐gnat pollinated flowers of
Mitella pauciflora
(Saxifragaceae). Funct Ecol 2017. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2435.12842] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Koki R. Katsuhara
- Graduate School of Human Development and Environment Kobe University 3‐11, Tsurukabuto Kobe657‐8501 Japan
| | - Shumpei Kitamura
- Department of Environmental Science Faculty of Bioresources and Environmental Sciences Ishikawa Prefectural University 1‐308, Suematsu Nonoichi Ishikawa921‐8836 Japan
| | - Atushi Ushimaru
- Graduate School of Human Development and Environment Kobe University 3‐11, Tsurukabuto Kobe657‐8501 Japan
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16
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Jordan CY, Natta M, Harder LD. Flower orientation influences the consistency of bumblebee movement within inflorescences. ANNALS OF BOTANY 2016; 118:523-7. [PMID: 27425843 PMCID: PMC4998988 DOI: 10.1093/aob/mcw132] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2016] [Revised: 04/05/2016] [Accepted: 05/06/2016] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIMS Plant species differ greatly in the three-dimensional arrangements of their flowers (inflorescence architecture). However, the nature of selection responsible for this diversity is poorly understood. Studies that examine among-species variation suggest that inflorescence architecture affects pollinator behaviour, and so should influence plant mating. However, few studies consider the consequences of within-population architectural variation for pollinator behaviour. METHODS We manipulated inflorescence architecture of Delphinium glaucum to contrast bumblebee responses to normal and one-sided (secund) inflorescences. KEY RESULTS The 'dimensionality' of manipulated inflorescences did not affect the number of flowers that bees visited; however, bees moved upward proportionally more on secund inflorescences. CONCLUSIONS This study shows that realistic within-population variation in inflorescence architecture can manipulate pollinator behaviour. These results bear important consequences for plant mating success and the coordinated evolution of inflorescence architecture and floral specialization within inflorescences. These results also question why secund inflorescences are rare, for which we propose four testable explanations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Crispin Y Jordan
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology, The University of Edinburgh, Kings Buildings, Ashworth Laboratories, West Mains Road, Edinburgh EH9 3JT, UK
| | | | - Lawrence D Harder
- Department of Biological Sciences, 2500 University Drive N.W., University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada T2N 1N4
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17
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Fisogni A, Rossi M, Sgolastra F, Bortolotti L, Bogo G, de Manincor N, Quaranta M, Galloni M. Seasonal and annual variations in the pollination efficiency of a pollinator community of Dictamnus albus L. PLANT BIOLOGY (STUTTGART, GERMANY) 2016; 18:445-454. [PMID: 26573095 DOI: 10.1111/plb.12417] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2015] [Accepted: 11/11/2015] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
The interplay between insect and plant traits outlines the patterns of pollen transfer and the subsequent plant reproductive fitness. We studied the factors that affect the pollination efficiency of a pollinator community of Dictamnus albus L. by evaluating insect behaviour and morphological characteristics in relation to flowering phenology. In order to extrapolate the pollinator importance of single taxa and of the whole pollinator guild, we calculated an index distinguishing between potential (PPI) and realized (RPI) pollinator importance. Although the pollinator species spectrum appeared rather constant, we found high intra- and inter-annual variability of pollinator frequency and importance within the insect community. Flower visitation rate strictly depended on insect abundance and on the overlap between their flying period and flower blooming. All the pollinators visited flowers from the bottom to the top of the racemes, excluding intra-plant geitonogamous pollination, and most of them showed high pollen fidelity. Only medium large-sized bees could contact the upward bending stiles while feeding on nectar, highlighting a specialisation of the plant towards bigger pollinators. Moreover, we found evidence of functional specialisation, since all pollinators were restricted to a single taxonomic group (order: Hymenoptera; superfamily: Apoidea). Both the PPI and RPI indices indicate Habropoda tarsata as the most important pollinator of D. albus. Following hand cross-pollination experiments we revealed the presence of pollination limitation in 1 of the 3 years of field study. We discuss this result in relation to flowering abundance and to possible mismatches of phenological periods between plants and insects.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Fisogni
- Dipartimento di Scienze Biologiche, Geologiche e Ambientali, Università di Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - M Rossi
- Istituto di Bioscienze e Biorisorse, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Portici (NA), Italy
| | - F Sgolastra
- Dipartimento di Scienze Agrarie, Università di Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - L Bortolotti
- Consiglio per la Ricerca in Agricoltura e l'Analisi dell'Economia Agraria - Unità di Ricerca di Apicoltura e Bachicoltura (CRA-API), Bologna, Italy
| | - G Bogo
- Dipartimento di Scienze Biologiche, Geologiche e Ambientali, Università di Bologna, Bologna, Italy
- Consiglio per la Ricerca in Agricoltura e l'Analisi dell'Economia Agraria - Unità di Ricerca di Apicoltura e Bachicoltura (CRA-API), Bologna, Italy
| | - N de Manincor
- Dipartimento di Scienze Biologiche, Geologiche e Ambientali, Università di Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - M Quaranta
- Consiglio per la Ricerca in Agricoltura e l'Analisi dell'Economia Agraria - Centro di Ricerca per l'Agrobiologia e la Pedologia (CRA-ABP), Florence, Italy
| | - M Galloni
- Dipartimento di Scienze Biologiche, Geologiche e Ambientali, Università di Bologna, Bologna, Italy
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18
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Nikkeshi A, Kurimoto D, Ushimaru A. Low flower-size variation in bilaterally symmetrical flowers: Support for the pollination precision hypothesis. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF BOTANY 2015; 102:2032-40. [PMID: 26656130 DOI: 10.3732/ajb.1500371] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2015] [Accepted: 11/09/2015] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
PREMISE OF THE STUDY The evolutionary shift from radial to bilateral symmetry in flowers is generally associated with the evolution of low flower-size variation. This phenomenon supports the hypothesis that the lower size variation in bilateral flowers can be attributed to low pollinator diversity. In this study, we propose two other hypotheses to explain low flower-size variation in bilateral symmetrical flowers. To test the three hypotheses, we examined the relative importance of pollinator diversity, composition, and bilateral symmetry itself as selective forces on low flower-size variation. METHODS We examined pollinator diversity and composition and flower-size variation for 36 species in a seminatural ecosystem with high bee richness and frequent lepidopteran visitation. KEY RESULTS Bilateral flowers were more frequently visited than radial flowers by larger bees, but functional-group diversity of the pollinators did not differ between symmetry types. Although bilateral flowers had significantly lower flower-size variation than radial flowers, flower-size variation did not vary with pollinator diversity and composition but was instead related to bilateral symmetry. CONCLUSIONS Our results suggest that the lower size variation in bilateral flowers might have evolved under selection favoring the control of pollinator behavior on flowers to enhance the accurate placement of pollen on the body of the pollinator, independent of pollinator type. Because of the limited research on this issue, future work should be conducted in various types of plant-pollinator communities worldwide to further clarify the issue.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aoi Nikkeshi
- Graduate school of Human Development and Environment, Kobe University, 3-11 Tsurukabuto, Nada, Kobe 657-8501, Japan
| | - Daiki Kurimoto
- Faculty of Human Development, Kobe University, 3-11 Tsurukabuto, Nada, Kobe 657-8501, Japan
| | - Atushi Ushimaru
- Graduate school of Human Development and Environment, Kobe University, 3-11 Tsurukabuto, Nada, Kobe 657-8501, Japan Faculty of Human Development, Kobe University, 3-11 Tsurukabuto, Nada, Kobe 657-8501, Japan
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19
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Wang D, Chen X, Zhang Z, Liu D, Song G, Kong X, Geng S, Yang J, Wang B, Wu L, Li A, Mao L. A MADS-box gene NtSVP regulates pedicel elongation by directly suppressing a KNAT1-like KNOX gene NtBPL in tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum L.). JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL BOTANY 2015; 66:6233-44. [PMID: 26175352 PMCID: PMC4588881 DOI: 10.1093/jxb/erv332] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/22/2023]
Abstract
Optimal inflorescence architecture is important for plant reproductive success by affecting the ultimate number of flowers that set fruits and for plant competitiveness when interacting with biotic or abiotic conditions. The pedicel is one of the key contributors to inflorescence architecture diversity. To date, knowledge about the molecular mechanisms of pedicel development is derived from Arabidopsis. Not much is known regarding other plants. Here, an SVP family MADS-box gene, NtSVP, in tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum) that is required for pedicel elongation was identified. It is shown that knockdown of NtSVP by RNA interference (RNAi) caused elongated pedicels, while overexpression resulted in compact inflorescences with much shortened pedicels. Moreover, an Arabidopsis BREVIPEDECELLUS/KNAT1 homologue NtBP-Like (NtBPL) was significantly up-regulated in NtSVP-RNAi plants. Disruption of NtBPL decreased pedicel lengths and shortened cortex cells. Consistent with the presence of a CArG-box at the NtBPL promoter, the direct binding of NtSVP to the NtBPL promoter was demonstrated by yeast one-hybrid assay, electrophoretic mobility shift assay, and dual-luciferase assay, in which NtSVP may act as a repressor of NtBPL. Microarray analysis showed that down-regulation of NtBPL resulted in differential expression of genes associated with a number of hormone biogenesis and signalling genes such as those for auxin and gibberellin. These findings together suggest the function of a MADS-box transcription factor in plant pedicel development, probably via negative regulation of a BP-like class I KNOX gene. The present work thus postulates the conservation and divergence of the molecular regulatory pathways underlying the development of plant inflorescence architecture.
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Affiliation(s)
- Di Wang
- National Key Facility for Crop Gene Resources and Genetic Improvement (NFCRI), MOA Key Laboratory of Crop Germplasm and Biotechnology, Institute of Crop Science, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS), Beijing 100081, China
| | - Xiaobo Chen
- National Key Facility for Crop Gene Resources and Genetic Improvement (NFCRI), MOA Key Laboratory of Crop Germplasm and Biotechnology, Institute of Crop Science, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS), Beijing 100081, China
| | - Zenglin Zhang
- Key Laboratory for Tobacco Gene Resources, Tobacco Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Qingdao 266101, China
| | - Danmei Liu
- School of Life Science, Shanxi University, Taiyuan 030006, China
| | - Gaoyuan Song
- National Key Facility for Crop Gene Resources and Genetic Improvement (NFCRI), MOA Key Laboratory of Crop Germplasm and Biotechnology, Institute of Crop Science, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS), Beijing 100081, China
| | - Xingchen Kong
- National Key Facility for Crop Gene Resources and Genetic Improvement (NFCRI), MOA Key Laboratory of Crop Germplasm and Biotechnology, Institute of Crop Science, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS), Beijing 100081, China
| | - Shuaifeng Geng
- National Key Facility for Crop Gene Resources and Genetic Improvement (NFCRI), MOA Key Laboratory of Crop Germplasm and Biotechnology, Institute of Crop Science, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS), Beijing 100081, China
| | - Jiayue Yang
- National Key Facility for Crop Gene Resources and Genetic Improvement (NFCRI), MOA Key Laboratory of Crop Germplasm and Biotechnology, Institute of Crop Science, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS), Beijing 100081, China
| | - Bingnan Wang
- National Key Facility for Crop Gene Resources and Genetic Improvement (NFCRI), MOA Key Laboratory of Crop Germplasm and Biotechnology, Institute of Crop Science, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS), Beijing 100081, China
| | - Liang Wu
- National Key Facility for Crop Gene Resources and Genetic Improvement (NFCRI), MOA Key Laboratory of Crop Germplasm and Biotechnology, Institute of Crop Science, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS), Beijing 100081, China
| | - Aili Li
- National Key Facility for Crop Gene Resources and Genetic Improvement (NFCRI), MOA Key Laboratory of Crop Germplasm and Biotechnology, Institute of Crop Science, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS), Beijing 100081, China
| | - Long Mao
- National Key Facility for Crop Gene Resources and Genetic Improvement (NFCRI), MOA Key Laboratory of Crop Germplasm and Biotechnology, Institute of Crop Science, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS), Beijing 100081, China
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20
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Winter CM, Yamaguchi N, Wu MF, Wagner D. Transcriptional programs regulated by both LEAFY and APETALA1 at the time of flower formation. PHYSIOLOGIA PLANTARUM 2015; 155:55-73. [PMID: 26096587 PMCID: PMC5757833 DOI: 10.1111/ppl.12357] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2014] [Accepted: 06/09/2015] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
Two key regulators of the switch to flower formation and of flower patterning in Arabidopsis are the plant-specific helix-turn-helix transcription factor LEAFY (LFY) and the MADS box transcription factor APETALA1 (AP1). The interactions between these two transcriptional regulators are complex. AP1 is both a direct target of LFY and can act in parallel with LFY. Available genetic and molecular evidence suggests that LFY and AP1 together orchestrate the switch to flower formation and early events during flower morphogenesis by altering transcriptional programs. However, very little is known about target genes regulated by both transcription factors. Here, we performed a meta-analysis of public datasets to identify genes that are likely to be regulated by both LFY and AP1. Our analyses uncovered known and novel direct LFY and AP1 targets with a role in the control of onset of flower formation. It also identified additional families of proteins and regulatory pathways that may be under transcriptional control by both transcription factors. In particular, several of these genes are linked to response to hormones, to transport and to development. Finally, we show that the gibberellin catabolism enzyme ELA1, which was recently shown to be important for the timing of the switch to flower formation, is positively feedback-regulated by AP1. Our study contributes to the elucidation of the regulatory network that leads to formation of a vital plant organ system, the flower.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cara M. Winter
- Department of Biology, Duke University, Durham, NC, 27708, USA
| | - Nobutoshi Yamaguchi
- Department of Biology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
| | - Miin-Feng Wu
- Department of Biology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
| | - Doris Wagner
- Department of Biology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
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Experimental fertilization increases amino acid content in floral nectar, fruit set and degree of selfing in the orchid Gymnadenia conopsea. Oecologia 2015; 179:785-95. [DOI: 10.1007/s00442-015-3381-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2015] [Accepted: 06/17/2015] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
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22
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Suetsugu K, Naito RS, Fukushima S, Kawakita A, Kato M. Pollination system and the effect of inflorescence size on fruit set in the deceptive orchid Cephalanthera falcata. JOURNAL OF PLANT RESEARCH 2015; 128:585-594. [PMID: 25801274 DOI: 10.1007/s10265-015-0716-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2014] [Accepted: 02/09/2015] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
Larger inflorescences in reward-producing plants can benefit plants by increasing both pollinator attraction and the duration of visits by individual pollinators. However, ultimately, inflorescence size is determined by the balance between the benefits of large inflorescences and the increased cost of geitonogamy. At present, little is known about the relationship between inflorescence size and fecundity in deceptive plants. Given that pollinators are likely to leave inflorescences lacking rewards quickly, it seems unlikely that longer pollinator visits and the risk of geitonogamy would be strong selective pressures in these species, which indicates that pollinator attraction might be the most important factor influencing their inflorescence size. Here we examined the pollination ecology of the deceptive orchid Cephalanthera falcata in order to clarify the effects of inflorescence size on the fruit set of this non-rewarding species. Field observations of the floral visitors showed that C. falcata is pollinated by the andrenid bee Andrena aburana, whilst pollination experiments demonstrated that this orchid species is neither autogamous nor apogamous, but is strongly pollinator dependent. Three consecutive years of field observations revealed that fruit set was positively correlated with the number of flowers per inflorescence. These results provide strong evidence that the nectarless orchid C. falcata benefits from producing larger inflorescences that attract a greater number of innate pollinators. Large inflorescences may have a greater positive effect on fruit set in deceptive plants because a growing number of studies suggest that fruit set in reward-producing plants is usually unaffected by display size.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kenji Suetsugu
- Graduate School of Human and Environmental Studies, Kyoto University, Yoshida-Nihonmatsu-cho, Sakyo, Kyoto, 606-8501, Japan,
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Microarray expression analysis of the main inflorescence in Brassica napus. PLoS One 2014; 9:e102024. [PMID: 25007212 PMCID: PMC4090195 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0102024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2014] [Accepted: 06/13/2014] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
The effect of the number of pods on the main inflorescence (NPMI) on seed yield in Brassica napus plants grown at high density is a topic of great economic and scientific interest. Here, we sought to identify patterns of gene expression that determine the NPMI during inflorescence differentiation. We monitored gene expression profiles in the main inflorescence of two B. napus F6 RIL pools, each composed of nine lines with a low or high NPMI, and their parental lines, Zhongshuang 11 (ZS11) and 73290, using a Brassica 90K elements oligonucleotide array. We identified 4,805 genes that were differentially expressed (≥1.5 fold-change) between the low- and high-NPMI samples. Of these, 82.8% had been annotated and 17.2% shared no significant homology with any known genes. About 31 enriched GO clusters were identified amongst the differentially expressed genes (DEGs), including those involved in hormone responses, development regulation, carbohydrate metabolism, signal transduction, and transcription regulation. Furthermore, 92.8% of the DEGs mapped to chromosomes that originated from B. rapa and B. oleracea, and 1.6% of the DEGs co-localized with two QTL intervals (PMI10 and PMI11) known to be associated with the NPMI. Overexpression of BnTPI, which co-localized with PMI10, in Arabidopsis suggested that this gene increases the NPMI. This study provides insight into the molecular factors underlying inflorescence architecture, NPMI determination and, consequently, seed yield in B. napus.
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Devaux C, Lepers C, Porcher E. Constraints imposed by pollinator behaviour on the ecology and evolution of plant mating systems. J Evol Biol 2014; 27:1413-30. [PMID: 24750302 DOI: 10.1111/jeb.12380] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2013] [Revised: 01/31/2014] [Accepted: 03/20/2014] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
Most flowering plants rely on pollinators for their reproduction. Plant-pollinator interactions, although mutualistic, involve an inherent conflict of interest between both partners and may constrain plant mating systems at multiple levels: the immediate ecological plant selfing rates, their distribution in and contribution to pollination networks, and their evolution. Here, we review experimental evidence that pollinator behaviour influences plant selfing rates in pairs of interacting species, and that plants can modify pollinator behaviour through plastic and evolutionary changes in floral traits. We also examine how theoretical studies include pollinators, implicitly or explicitly, to investigate the role of their foraging behaviour in plant mating system evolution. In doing so, we call for more evolutionary models combining ecological and genetic factors, and additional experimental data, particularly to describe pollinator foraging behaviour. Finally, we show that recent developments in ecological network theory help clarify the impact of community-level interactions on plant selfing rates and their evolution and suggest new research avenues to expand the study of mating systems of animal-pollinated plant species to the level of the plant-pollinator networks.
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Affiliation(s)
- C Devaux
- Institut des Sciences de l'Evolution de Montpellier, UMR 5554, Université Montpellier 2, Montpellier, France
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25
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Wang H, Tie S, Yu D, Guo YH, Yang CF. Change of floral orientation within an inflorescence affects pollinator behavior and pollination efficiency in a bee-pollinated plant, Corydalis sheareri. PLoS One 2014; 9:e95381. [PMID: 24743567 PMCID: PMC3990675 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0095381] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2014] [Accepted: 03/26/2014] [Indexed: 12/01/2022] Open
Abstract
Vertical raceme or spike inflorescences that are bee-pollinated tend to present their flowers horizontally. Horizontal presentation of flowers is hypothesized to enhance pollinator recognition and pollination precision, and it may also ensure greater consistency of pollinator movement on inflorescences. We tested the hypotheses using bee-pollinated Corydalis sheareri which has erect inflorescences consisting of flowers with horizontal orientation. We altered the orientation of individual flowers and prepared three types of inflorescences: (i) unmanipulated inflorescences with horizontal-facing flowers, (ii) inflorescences with flowers turned upward, and (iii) inflorescences with flowers turned downward. We compared number of inflorescences approached and visited, number of successive probes within an inflorescence, the direction percentage of vertical movement on inflorescences, efficiency of pollen removal and seed production per inflorescence. Deviation from horizontal orientation decreased both approaches and visits by leafcutter bees and bumble bees to inflorescences. Changes in floral orientation increased the proportion of downward movements by leafcutter bees and decreased the consistency of pollinator movement on inflorescences. In addition, pollen removal per visit and seed production per inflorescence also declined with changes of floral orientation. In conclusion, floral orientation seems more or less optimal as regards bee behavior and pollen transfer for Corydalis sheareri. A horizontal orientation may be under selection of pollinators and co-adapt with other aspects of the inflorescence and floral traits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hui Wang
- College of Life Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Shuang Tie
- College of Life Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Dan Yu
- College of Life Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - You-Hao Guo
- College of Life Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
- * E-mail: (YHG); (CFY)
| | - Chun-Feng Yang
- Key Laboratory of Aquatic Botany and Watershed Ecology, Wuhan Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, China
- * E-mail: (YHG); (CFY)
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26
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Selosse MA. The latest news from biological interactions in orchids: in love, head to toe. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2014; 202:337-340. [PMID: 24645780 DOI: 10.1111/nph.12769] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
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27
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Teo ZWN, Song S, Wang YQ, Liu J, Yu H. New insights into the regulation of inflorescence architecture. TRENDS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2014; 19:158-65. [PMID: 24315403 DOI: 10.1016/j.tplants.2013.11.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 77] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2013] [Revised: 10/27/2013] [Accepted: 11/03/2013] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
The architecture of inflorescences displays the spatiotemporal arrangement of flowers and determines plant reproductive success through affecting fruit set and plant interaction with biotic or abiotic factors. Flowering plants have evolved a remarkable diversity of inflorescence branching patterns, which is largely governed by developmental decisions in inflorescence meristems and their derived meristems between maintenance of indeterminacy and commitment to the floral fate. Recent findings suggest that regulation of inflorescence architecture is mediated by flowering time genes, Arabidopsis LSH1 and Oryza G1 (ALOG) family genes, and the interaction between the auxin pathway and floral meristem regulators. In this review, we discuss how the relevant new players and mechanisms account for the development of appropriate inflorescence structures in flowering plants in response to environmental and developmental signals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhi Wei Norman Teo
- Department of Biological Sciences and Temasek Life Sciences Laboratory, National University of Singapore, 117543 Singapore
| | - Shiyong Song
- Department of Biological Sciences and Temasek Life Sciences Laboratory, National University of Singapore, 117543 Singapore
| | - Yong-Qiang Wang
- Department of Biological Sciences and Temasek Life Sciences Laboratory, National University of Singapore, 117543 Singapore
| | - Jie Liu
- Department of Biological Sciences and Temasek Life Sciences Laboratory, National University of Singapore, 117543 Singapore
| | - Hao Yu
- Department of Biological Sciences and Temasek Life Sciences Laboratory, National University of Singapore, 117543 Singapore.
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28
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Harder LD, Prusinkiewicz P. The interplay between inflorescence development and function as the crucible of architectural diversity. ANNALS OF BOTANY 2013; 112:1477-93. [PMID: 23243190 PMCID: PMC3828939 DOI: 10.1093/aob/mcs252] [Citation(s) in RCA: 59] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Most angiosperms present flowers in inflorescences, which play roles in reproduction, primarily related to pollination, beyond those served by individual flowers alone. An inflorescence's overall reproductive contribution depends primarily on the three-dimensional arrangement of the floral canopy and its dynamics during its flowering period. These features depend in turn on characteristics of the underlying branching structure (scaffold) that supports and supplies water and nutrients to the floral canopy. This scaffold is produced by developmental algorithms that are genetically specified and hormonally mediated. Thus, the extensive inflorescence diversity evident among angiosperms evolves through changes in the developmental programmes that specify scaffold characteristics, which in turn modify canopy features that promote reproductive performance in a particular pollination and mating environment. Nevertheless, developmental and ecological aspects of inflorescences have typically been studied independently, limiting comprehensive understanding of the relations between inflorescence form, reproductive function, and evolution. SCOPE This review fosters an integrated perspective on inflorescences by summarizing aspects of their development and pollination function that enable and guide inflorescence evolution and diversification. CONCLUSIONS The architecture of flowering inflorescences comprises three related components: topology (branching patterns, flower number), geometry (phyllotaxis, internode and pedicel lengths, three-dimensional flower arrangement) and phenology (flower opening rate and longevity, dichogamy). Genetic and developmental evidence reveals that these components are largely subject to quantitative control. Consequently, inflorescence evolution proceeds along a multidimensional continuum. Nevertheless, some combinations of topology, geometry and phenology are represented more commonly than others, because they serve reproductive function particularly effectively. For wind-pollinated species, these combinations often represent compromise solutions to the conflicting physical influences on pollen removal, transport and deposition. For animal-pollinated species, dominant selective influences include the conflicting benefits of large displays for attracting pollinators and of small displays for limiting among-flower self-pollination. The variety of architectural components that comprise inflorescences enable diverse resolutions of these conflicts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lawrence D. Harder
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada T2N 1N4
- For correspondence. Email
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29
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Prenner G. Papilionoid inflorescences revisited (Leguminosae-Papilionoideae). ANNALS OF BOTANY 2013; 112:1567-76. [PMID: 23235698 PMCID: PMC3828940 DOI: 10.1093/aob/mcs258] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2012] [Accepted: 10/24/2012] [Indexed: 05/23/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIMS The inflorescence structure determines the spatiotemporal arrangement of the flowers during anthesis and is therefore vital for reproductive success. The Leguminosae are among the largest angiosperm plant families and they include some important crop plants. In papilionoid legumes, the raceme is the most common type of inflorescence. However, a range of other inflorescence types have evolved via various developmental processes. A (re-)investigation of inflorescences in Swainsona formosa, Cicer arietinum, Abrus precatorius, Hardenbergia violacea and Kennedia nigricans leads to new insights into reduction mechanisms and to a new hypothesis on the evolution of the papilionoid pseudoraceme. METHODS Inflorescence morphology and ontogeny were studied using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). KEY RESULTS The inflorescence in S. formosa is an umbel with a rare type of pendulum symmetry which may be triggered by the subtending leaf. Inflorescences in C. arietinum are reduced to a single flower. An early formed adaxial bulge is the sterile apex of the inflorescence (i.e. the inflorescence is open and not terminated by a flower). In partial inflorescences of A. precatorius, the axis is reduced and its meristem is relocated towards the main inflorescence. Flower initiation follows a peculiar pendulum pattern. Partial inflorescences in H. violacea and in K. nigricans show reduction tendencies. In both taxa, initiated but early reduced bracteoles are present. CONCLUSIONS Pendulum symmetry in S. formosa is probably associated with distichous phyllotaxis. In C. arietinum, strong reduction tendencies are revealed. Based on studies of A. precatorius, the papilionoid pseudoraceme is reinterpreted as a compound raceme with condensed lateral axes. From an Abrus-like inflorescence, other types can be derived via reduction of flower number and synchronization of flower development. A plea is made for uniform usage of inflorescence terminology.
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Liu C, Teo ZWN, Bi Y, Song S, Xi W, Yang X, Yin Z, Yu H. A conserved genetic pathway determines inflorescence architecture in Arabidopsis and rice. Dev Cell 2013; 24:612-22. [PMID: 23537632 DOI: 10.1016/j.devcel.2013.02.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 138] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2012] [Revised: 12/14/2012] [Accepted: 02/21/2013] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
The spatiotemporal architecture of inflorescences that bear flowers determines plant reproductive success by affecting fruit set and plant interaction with pollinators. The inflorescence architecture that displays great diversity across flowering plants depends on developmental decisions at inflorescence meristems. Here we report a key conserved genetic pathway determining inflorescence architecture in Arabidopsis thaliana and Oryza sativa (rice). In Arabidopsis, four MADS-box genes, SUPPRESSOR OF OVEREXPRESSION OF CONSTANS 1, SHORT VEGETATIVE PHASE, AGAMOUS-LIKE 24, and SEPALLATA 4 act redundantly and directly to suppress TERMINAL FLOWER1 (TFL1) in emerging floral meristems. This is indispensable for the well-known function of APETALA1 in specifying floral meristems and is coupled with a conformational change in chromosome looping at the TFL1 locus. Similarly, we demonstrate that the orthologs of these MADS-box genes in rice determine panicle branching by regulating TFL1-like genes. Our findings reveal a conserved regulatory pathway that determines inflorescence architecture in flowering plants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chang Liu
- Department of Biological Sciences and Temasek Life Sciences Laboratory, National University of Singapore, 117543 Singapore
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