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Schoelynck J, De Block P, Van Dyck E, Cooke J. Is there silicon in flowers and what does it tell us? Ecol Evol 2023; 13:e10630. [PMID: 37854315 PMCID: PMC10580012 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.10630] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2023] [Revised: 09/25/2023] [Accepted: 10/06/2023] [Indexed: 10/20/2023] Open
Abstract
The emergence of flowers marked an important development in plant evolution. Flowers in many species evolved to attract animal pollinators to increase fertilisation chances. In leaves, silicon (Si) discourages herbivores, for example by wearing down mouthparts. Flowers are essentially modified leaves and hence may also have the capacity to accumulate Si. If Si in flowers discourages animal visitors as it does in leaves, Si accumulation may be disadvantageous for pollination. Whether flowers accumulate Si, and what the implications may be, was not known for many species. We analysed leaves and flowers of different taxa, separated into their different anatomical parts. Flowers mostly have low Si concentrations in all parts (mean ± SE of BSi in mg g-1 was 0.22 ± 0.04 in petals, 0.59 ± 0.24 in sepals, 0.14 ± 0.03 in stamens, 0.15 ± 0.04 in styles and stigmas and 0.37 ± 0.19 in ovaries for a subset of 56 species). In most cases, less Si was accumulated in flowers than in leaves (mean ± SE of BSi in mg g-1 was 1.51 ± 0.55 in whole flowers vs. 2.97 ± 0.57 in leaves in 104 species) though intriguing exceptions are found, with some species accumulating more Si in flowers than leaves. The large variation in concentration among flowers across the taxa examined, with a particularly high concentration in grass inflorescences, tantalisingly suggests differences in the use of Si for flowers across plant groups. We conclude that the study of the functions of Si for flowers warrants more attention, with pollination strategy a potential contributing factor.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonas Schoelynck
- Department of Biology, ECOSPHERE Research GroupUniversity of AntwerpWilrijkBelgium
| | | | - Eva Van Dyck
- Department of Biology, ECOSPHERE Research GroupUniversity of AntwerpWilrijkBelgium
| | - Julia Cooke
- Earth, Environment and Ecosystem SciencesThe Open UniversityMilton KeynesUK
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2
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Félix CR, Nascimento BEDS, Valente P, Landell MF. Different plant compartments, different yeasts: the example of the bromeliad phyllosphere. Yeast 2022; 39:363-400. [PMID: 35715939 DOI: 10.1002/yea.3804] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2022] [Revised: 05/14/2022] [Accepted: 06/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
The plant phyllosphere is one of the largest sources of microorganisms, including yeasts. In bromeliads, the knowledge of yeasts is dispersed and still incipient. To understand the extent of our knowledge on the subject, this review proposes to compile and synthesize existing knowledge, elucidating possible patterns, biotechnological and taxonomic potentials, bringing to light new knowledge, and identifying information gaps. For such, we systematically review scientific production on yeasts in bromeliads using various databases. The results indicated that the plant compartments flowers, fruits, leaves, and water tank (phytotelma) have been studied when focusing on the yeast community in the bromeliad phyllosphere. More than 180 species of yeasts and yeast-like fungi were recorded from the phyllosphere, 70% were exclusively found in one of these four compartments and only 2% were shared among all. In addition, most of the community had a low frequency of occurrence, and approximately half of the species had a single record. Variables such as bromeliad subfamilies and functional types, as well as plant compartments, were statistically significant, though inconclusive and with low explanatory power. At least 50 yeast species with some biotechnological potentials have been isolated from bromeliads. More than 90% of these species were able to produce extracellular enzymes. In addition, other biotechnological applications have also been recorded. Moreover, new species have been described, though yeasts were only exploited in approximately 1% of the existing bromeliads species, which highlights that there is still much to be explored. Nevertheless, it appears that we are still far from recovering the completeness of the diversity of yeasts in this host. Furthermore, bromeliads proved to be a good ecological model for prospecting new yeasts and for studies on the interaction between plants and yeasts. In addition, the yeast community diverged among plant compartments, establishing bromeliads as a microbiologically complex and heterogeneous mosaic. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ciro Ramon Félix
- Universidade Federal de Alagoas, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas e da Saúde, Maceió, AL, Brazil.,Programa de Pós-graduação em Diversidade Biológica e Conservação nos Trópicos, Universidade Federal de Alagoas, Maceió, AL, Brazil
| | | | - Patrícia Valente
- Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Departamento de Microbiologia, Imunologia e Parasitologia, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
| | - Melissa Fontes Landell
- Universidade Federal de Alagoas, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas e da Saúde, Maceió, AL, Brazil
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3
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Martins Junior ER, da Costa ACG, Milet-Pinheiro P, Navarro D, Thomas WW, Giulietti AM, Machado IC. Mixed pollination system and floral signals of Paepalanthus (Eriocaulaceae): insects and geitonogamy ensure high reproductive success. ANNALS OF BOTANY 2022; 129:473-484. [PMID: 35039823 PMCID: PMC8944716 DOI: 10.1093/aob/mcac008] [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: 10/15/2021] [Accepted: 01/14/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIMS Eriocaulaceae exhibit a great variety of floral traits associated with insect (e.g. nectariferous structures) and wind pollination (unisexual flowers, exposed sexual organs and small pollen grains), as well as the 'selfing syndrome' (small flowers, short distance between stigma and anthers, and temporal overlap of male and female phases). Paepalanthus bifidus, P. subtilis and P. tortilis are related species that differ in form, size and colour of floral structures. We aimed to investigate the pollination and reproductive biology of these three species. METHODS We analysed the floral biology, floral visitors, pollinator behaviour, and the contribution of insects, wind and spontaneous geitonogamy to fruit set. We also evaluated the floral colour and scent of the species. Colour reflectance of capitula of each species was measured and plotted in models of insect vision. Floral scent samples were extracted and the compounds were compared to vegetative scent samples. KEY RESULTS In all species, the staminate and pistillate flowers are arranged in alternating cycles with a temporal overlap between these phases. Ants were the most frequent floral visitors and were effective pollinators in P. bifidus and P. tortilis, while flies were occasional pollinators in P. tortilis. Floral visitors were not observed in P. subtilis. In all species, fruits were produced by spontaneous geitonogamy, with no evidence of wind pollination. According to the models of insect vision, the colours of the capitula of P. bifidus and P. subtilis are the most inconspicuous for ants and flies. We found no difference between the emission of volatiles of inflorescences and vegetative structures. CONCLUSIONS This study suggests that ant pollination might be more widespread in Eriocaulaceae than currently assumed. Furthermore, for small monocarpic plants, mixed mating strategies are most favourable, by ensuring reproduction either by outcrossing when pollinators are abundant or by spontaneous geitonogamy when pollinations are scarce/absent.
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Affiliation(s)
- Edivaldo Rodrigues Martins Junior
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biologia Vegetal, Departamento de Botânica, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Recife, Pernambuco, Brazil
| | - Ana Carolina Galindo da Costa
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biologia Vegetal, Departamento de Botânica, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Recife, Pernambuco, Brazil
- Instituto Tecnológico Vale, Belém, Pará, Brazil
| | | | - Daniela Navarro
- Departamento de Química Fundamental, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Recife, Pernambuco, Brazil
| | | | - Ana Maria Giulietti
- Universidade Estadual de Feira de Santana, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Botânica, Feria de Santana, Bahia, Brazil
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4
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Severova E, Kopylov-Guskov Y, Selezneva Y, Karaseva V, Yadav SR, Sokoloff D. Pollen Production of Selected Grass Species in Russia and India at the Levels of Anther, Flower and Inflorescence. PLANTS 2022; 11:plants11030285. [PMID: 35161263 PMCID: PMC8840183 DOI: 10.3390/plants11030285] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2021] [Revised: 01/11/2022] [Accepted: 01/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Grasses produce large amounts of pollen and are among the main causes of pollen allergy worldwide. Quantification of the roles of individual grass species in airborne pollen is an important task, because morphologically indistinguishable pollen grains of different species may differ in allergenicity. This requires knowledge of the pollen production of individual grass species; however, accumulated data are insufficient in this respect. Attempting to fill this gap, we studied pollen production per inflorescence in 29 grass species which are widespread in Middle Russia and India. Pollen production per inflorescence is determined by the number of grains per anther, the number of flowers in a spikelet and the number of spikelets per inflorescence, with the latter parameter being the most variable. We support the hypothesis that pollen production per inflorescence differs significantly between annual and perennial grasses. The greater pollen production of perennials can be interpreted as a tendency to guarantee cross-fertilization of species with self-incompatibility. The inferred pollen/ovule (P/O) ratios suggest the occurrence of facultative xenogamy in all annuals and obligate xenogamy in most perennials in the present dataset, though some self-incompatible annuals exist outside our sampling. Earlier data indicated that the P/O ratio of the annual cereal crop rye (Secale cereale) is higher than in any annual or perennial species sampled here. A ratio of pollen production to seed set (P/S ratio) is suggested to be another efficient parameter in reproductive biology of grasses. We highlight a need for detailed studies of reproductive biology in grasses that include both pollen and seed production. We found a correlation between pollen production per anther and anther length. A rough approximation of c. 1000 pollen grains per 1 mm of the length of an anther provides an instrument for estimates of pollen production in plant communities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elena Severova
- Department of Higher Plants, Biological Faculty, M.V. Lomonosov Moscow State University, 119234 Moscow, Russia; (Y.K.-G.); (D.S.)
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +7-915-3884349
| | - Yury Kopylov-Guskov
- Department of Higher Plants, Biological Faculty, M.V. Lomonosov Moscow State University, 119234 Moscow, Russia; (Y.K.-G.); (D.S.)
- Faculty of Biology, Shenzhen MSU-BIT University, Shenzhen 518172, China
| | - Yulia Selezneva
- Institute of Natural Science, S.A. Esenin Ryazan State University, 390000 Ryazan, Russia; (Y.S.); (V.K.)
| | - Vera Karaseva
- Institute of Natural Science, S.A. Esenin Ryazan State University, 390000 Ryazan, Russia; (Y.S.); (V.K.)
| | - Shrirang R. Yadav
- Angiosperm Taxonomy Laboratory, Department of Botany, Shivaji University, Kolhapur 416004, India;
| | - Dmitry Sokoloff
- Department of Higher Plants, Biological Faculty, M.V. Lomonosov Moscow State University, 119234 Moscow, Russia; (Y.K.-G.); (D.S.)
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5
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Andrino CO, Santana PC, Lovo J, Barbosa-Silva RG, Albuquerque-Lima S, Zappi DC. Anthers in blue: a hidden rhapsody in Amazonian Eriocaulaceae. Ecology 2022; 103:e3636. [PMID: 35050515 DOI: 10.1002/ecy.3636] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2021] [Revised: 11/11/2021] [Accepted: 11/16/2021] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Caroline O Andrino
- Instituto Tecnológico Vale, R. Boaventura da Silva 955 Nazaré, 66055-090, Belém, PA, Brazil.,Museu Paraense Emílio Goeldi, Campus de Pesquisa Coord. Botânica, Av. Perimetral 1901, Terra Firme, 66077-830, Belém, PA, Brazil
| | - Pamela C Santana
- Departamento de Ecologia, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Juliana Lovo
- Departamento de Sistemática e Ecologia, Universidade Federal da Paraíba, Caixa Postal 5065, Cidade Universitária, João Pessoa, PB, Brazil
| | - Rafael G Barbosa-Silva
- Instituto Tecnológico Vale, R. Boaventura da Silva 955 Nazaré, 66055-090, Belém, PA, Brazil.,Museu Paraense Emílio Goeldi, Campus de Pesquisa Coord. Botânica, Av. Perimetral 1901, Terra Firme, 66077-830, Belém, PA, Brazil
| | - Sinzinando Albuquerque-Lima
- Laboratório de Biologia Floral e Reprodutiva, Centro de Biociências, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Avenida Professor Moraes Rego 1235, Cidade Universitária, Recife, PE, Brazil
| | - Daniela C Zappi
- Instituto Tecnológico Vale, R. Boaventura da Silva 955 Nazaré, 66055-090, Belém, PA, Brazil.,Programa de Pós-Graduação em Botânica, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade de Brasília, DF, Brazil
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6
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Behind the nectar: the yeast community in bromeliads inflorescences after the exudate removal. Mycol Prog 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/s11557-021-01728-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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7
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Horiuchi Y, Kamijo T, Tanaka N. Floral and pollination characteristics of Eriocaulon heleocharioides, an extinct species in the wild, for evidence-based conservation management. PLANT BIOLOGY (STUTTGART, GERMANY) 2021; 23:546-555. [PMID: 33471398 DOI: 10.1111/plb.13236] [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: 06/29/2020] [Accepted: 01/04/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Generally, floral characteristics and pollination are important factors enhancing the quality and quantity of reproductive output for regeneration in plant conservation. However, lack of evidence-based management could decrease fitness under ex-situ conservation. We investigated the capitulum and pollination characteristics of Eriocaulon heleocharioides Satake (Eriocaulaceae), which is extinct in the wild, to develop an evidence-based conservation management plan incorporating previously ignored reproductive characteristics. To evaluate the functional characteristics of capitula, pollen-ovule ratio, and reproductive status (maximum pollination success/florivory damage) were investigated along six flowering sequences of capitulum. To evaluate the effect of plant density on pollen transfer, high- and low-density plots were established. Total deposited pollen on stigma, insect visitation, and visit duration per capitulum were observed. A significantly lower pollen-ovule ratio was observed in the first of six capitula, reflecting higher female functionality. The highest pollination success was found in the second-fourth capitula, whereas florivory increased along the terminal capitula position. High plant density affected the pollen deposited on stigmas via insect visitation and low pollinator visit duration. Different capitula in E. heleocharioides could have different effects: different sexual functionality, enhancement of reproductive output both in quality and quantity through active pollen transfer, and escaping from florivores. High plant density could facilitate outcross-pollen transfer in E. heleocharioides. Multiple perspectives are important for determining potential reproductive success in ex-situ conservation. Thus, density management reflecting capitulum characteristics could improve the efficiency of conservation efforts for E. heleocharioides.
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Affiliation(s)
- Y Horiuchi
- Graduate School of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan
| | - T Kamijo
- Faculty of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan
| | - N Tanaka
- Department of Botany, National Museum of Nature and Science, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan
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8
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Monteiro BL, Camargo MGG, Loiola PDP, Carstensen DW, Gustafsson S, Morellato LPC. Pollination in the campo rupestre: a test of hypothesis for an ancient tropical mountain vegetation. Biol J Linn Soc Lond 2021. [DOI: 10.1093/biolinnean/blaa205] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
The campo rupestre is a Neotropical OCBIL (old, climatically buffered infertile landscape), a grassy-shrub vegetation with high species richness and endemism, characterized by rocky outcrops surrounded by grasslands distributed in South American ancient mountaintops. We tested one OCBIL prediction: the prevalence of long-distance pollinators ensuring cross-pollination across the archipelago-like landscapes of the campo rupestre. We described the pollination systems and tested whether their frequency differed across vegetation types and elevation, focusing on long-distance systems. We performed non-systematic and systematic surveys of plants and plant-pollinator interactions across the elevation gradient and vegetation types. We also reviewed the literature on campo rupestre pollination and applied an accuracy criterion to infer 11 pollination systems. The bee system was split into large bee (long-distance) and small bee (shorter distances) to test the prevalence of long-distance pollination systems. We surveyed 413 pollinator species, mostly bees (220) and flies (69). Among the 636 plant species studied, the bee pollination system was dominant (56%), followed by wind and hummingbird. Wind, small-bee and fly pollination systems increased with elevation, and small-bee and wind pollination systems prevailed in grasslands. Large-bee and hummingbird long-distance pollination systems remained unchanged with elevation and were more frequent in the highly isolated rocky outcrops corroborating the OCBIL theory.
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Affiliation(s)
- Beatriz Lopes Monteiro
- Phenology Laboratory, Department of Biodiversity, Biosciences Institute, UNESP–São Paulo State University, Rio Claro, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Maria Gabriela Gutierrez Camargo
- Phenology Laboratory, Department of Biodiversity, Biosciences Institute, UNESP–São Paulo State University, Rio Claro, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Priscilla De Paula Loiola
- Phenology Laboratory, Department of Biodiversity, Biosciences Institute, UNESP–São Paulo State University, Rio Claro, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Daniel Wisbech Carstensen
- Center for Macroecology, Evolution and Climate, GLOBE Institute, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Simone Gustafsson
- Center for Macroecology, Evolution and Climate, GLOBE Institute, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
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9
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Hernández-Hernández T, Wiens JJ. Why Are There So Many Flowering Plants? A Multiscale Analysis of Plant Diversification. Am Nat 2020; 195:948-963. [DOI: 10.1086/708273] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
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10
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Ferreira PA, Boscolo D, Lopes LE, Carvalheiro LG, Biesmeijer JC, da Rocha PLB, Viana BF. Forest and connectivity loss simplify tropical pollination networks. Oecologia 2020; 192:577-590. [PMID: 31897723 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-019-04579-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2018] [Accepted: 12/13/2019] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
Mutualistic interactions between plants and pollinators play an essential role in the organization and persistence of biodiversity. The structure of interaction networks mediates the resilience of local communities and ecosystem functioning to environmental changes. Hence, network structure conservation may be more critical for maintaining biodiversity and ecological services than the preservation of isolated species in changing landscapes. Here, we intensively surveyed seven 36 km2 landscapes to empirically investigate the effects of forest loss and landscape configuration on the structure of plant-pollinator networks in understory vegetation of Brazilian Atlantic Forest. Our results indicate that forest loss and isolation affect the structure of the plant-pollinator networks, which were smaller in deforested landscapes, and less specialized as patch isolation increased. Lower nestedness and degree of specialization (H'2) indicated that the remaining plant and bee species tend to be generalists, and many of the expected specialized interactions in the network were already lost. Because generalist species generate a cohesive interaction core in these networks, these simplified networks might be resistant to loss of peripheral species, but may be susceptible to the extinction of the most generalist species. We suggest that such a network pattern is an outcome of landscapes with a few remaining isolated patches of natural habitat. Our results add a new perspective to studies of plant-pollinator networks in fragmented landscapes, showing that those interaction networks might also be used to indicate how changes in natural habitat affect biodiversity and biotic interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrícia Alves Ferreira
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Philosophy, Sciences and Letters of Ribeirão Preto, University of São Paulo, FFCLRP-USP, Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil.
| | - Danilo Boscolo
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Philosophy, Sciences and Letters of Ribeirão Preto, University of São Paulo, FFCLRP-USP, Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil
| | - Luciano Elsinor Lopes
- Department of Environmental Sciences, DCAm, Federal University of São Carlos, UFSCar, São Carlos, SP, Brazil
| | - Luísa G Carvalheiro
- Department of Ecology, Federal University of Goiás, UFG, Goiânia, Goiás, Brazil.,Naturalis Biodiversity Center, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Jacobus C Biesmeijer
- Naturalis Biodiversity Center, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands.,Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
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11
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Le Maitre NC, Pirie MD, Bellstedt DU. Floral Color, Anthocyanin Synthesis Gene Expression and Control in Cape Erica Species. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2019; 10:1565. [PMID: 31850039 PMCID: PMC6892755 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2019.01565] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2019] [Accepted: 11/07/2019] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
Introduction: The Cape Floristic Region (CFR) is a biodiversity hotspot, recognized globally for its unusually high levels of endemism. The origins of this biodiversity are a long-standing topic of research. The largest "Cape clade," Erica, radiated dramatically in the CFR, its ca. 690 species arising within 10-15 Ma. Notable between- and within-species flower color variation in Erica may have contributed to the origins of species diversity through its impact on pollinator efficiency and specificity. Methods: We investigate the expression and function of the genes of the anthocyanin biosynthesis pathway that controls floral color in 12 Erica species groups using RT-qPCR and UPLC-MS/MS. Results: Shifts from ancestral pink- or red- to white- and/or yellow flowers were associated with independent losses of single pathway gene expression, abrogation of the entire pathway due to loss of the expression of a transcription factor or loss of function mutations in pathway genes. Discussion: Striking floral color shifts are prevalent amongst the numerous species of Cape Erica. These results show independent origins of a palette of mutations leading to such shifts, revealing the diverse genetic basis for potentially rapid evolution of a speciation-relevant trait.
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Affiliation(s)
- N C Le Maitre
- Bellstedt Laboratory, Department of Biochemistry, Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch, South Africa
| | - Michael David Pirie
- Johannes Gutenberg-Universität, Mainz, Mainz, Germany
- University Museum, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway
| | - Dirk U. Bellstedt
- Bellstedt Laboratory, Department of Biochemistry, Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch, South Africa
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12
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Aguilar-Rodríguez PA, Tschapka M, García-Franco JG, Krömer T, MacSwiney G MC. Bromeliads going batty: pollinator partitioning among sympatric chiropterophilous Bromeliaceae. AOB PLANTS 2019; 11:plz014. [PMID: 31186827 PMCID: PMC6537948 DOI: 10.1093/aobpla/plz014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2018] [Accepted: 03/08/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Pollinators can be a limited resource and natural selection should favour differences in phenotypic characteristics to reduce competition among plants. Bats are important pollinators of many Neotropical plants, including the Bromeliaceae; however, the pre-pollination mechanisms for isolation among sympatric bat-pollinated bromeliads are unknown. Here, we studied the mechanisms for reproductive segregation between Pitcairnia recurvata, Pseudalcantarea viridiflora, Werauhia noctiflorens and W. nutans. The study was conducted at Los Tuxtlas Biosphere Reserve, in Veracruz, Mexico We carried out ex situ and in situ manual pollination treatments to determine the breeding system by assessing fruiting and seedling success and sampled bat visitors using mist-nets and infrared cameras. We determined the nocturnal nectar production pattern, estimating the energetic content of this reward. All four bromeliads are self-compatible, but only P. recurvata appears to require pollinators, because the physical separation between anthers and stigma prevents self-pollination, it is xenogamous and presents a strictly nocturnal anthesis. The bats Anoura geoffroyi, Glossophaga soricina and Hylonycteris underwoodi are probable pollinators of three of the studied bromeliads. We did not record any animal visiting the fourth species. The flowering season of each species is staggered throughout the year, with minimal overlap, and the floral morphology segregates the locations on the body of the bat where the pollen is deposited. The most abundant nectar per flower is provided by P. viridiflora, but P. recurvata offers the best reward per hectare, considering the density of flowering plants. Staggered flowering, different pollen deposition sites on the body of the pollinator and differences in the reward offered may have evolved to reduce the competitive costs of sharing pollinators while providing a constant supply of food to maintain a stable nectarivorous bat community.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pedro Adrián Aguilar-Rodríguez
- Centro de Investigaciones Tropicales, Universidad Veracruzana, José María Morelos, Col. Centro, C.P. Xalapa, Veracruz, México
- Department of Zoology, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Marco Tschapka
- Institute of Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation Genomics, University of Ulm, Albert Einstein Allee 11, D Ulm, Germany
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Balboa Ancón, Apartado, Panamá, Republica de Panamáa
| | - José G García-Franco
- Red de Ecología Funcional, Instituto de Ecología, A.C., Carretera Antigua a Coatepec No. 351, El Haya, C.P. Xalapa, Veracruz, México
| | - Thorsten Krömer
- Centro de Investigaciones Tropicales, Universidad Veracruzana, José María Morelos, Col. Centro, C.P. Xalapa, Veracruz, México
| | - M Cristina MacSwiney G
- Centro de Investigaciones Tropicales, Universidad Veracruzana, José María Morelos, Col. Centro, C.P. Xalapa, Veracruz, México
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