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Lunau K, Dyer AG. The modelling of flower colour: spectral purity or colour contrast as biologically relevant descriptors of flower colour signals for bees depending upon the perceptual task. PLANT BIOLOGY (STUTTGART, GERMANY) 2024. [PMID: 38958933 DOI: 10.1111/plb.13682] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2023] [Accepted: 05/07/2024] [Indexed: 07/04/2024]
Abstract
Flower colour is an important mediator of plant-pollinator interactions. While the reflectance of light from the flower surface and background are governed by physical properties, the perceptual interpretation of such information is generated by complex multilayered visual processing. Should quantitative modelling of flower signals strive for repeatable consistency enabled by parameter simplification, or should modelling reflect the dynamic way in which bees are known to process signals? We discuss why colour is an interpretation of spectral information by the brain of an animal. Different species, or individuals within a species, may respond differently to colour signals depending on sensory apparatus and/or individual experience. Humans and bees have different spectral ranges, but colour theory is strongly rooted in human colour perception and many principles of colour vision appear to be common. We discuss bee colour perception based on physiological, neuroanatomical and behavioural evidence to provide a pathway for modelling flower colours. We examine whether flower petals and floral guides as viewed against spectrally different backgrounds should be considered as a simple colour contrast problem or require a more dynamic consideration of how bees make perceptual decisions. We discuss that plants such as deceptive orchids may present signals to exploit bee perception, whilst many plants do provide honest signalling where perceived saturation indicates the probability of collecting nutritional rewards towards the centre of a flower that then facilitates effective pollination.
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Affiliation(s)
- K Lunau
- Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Institute of Sensory Ecology, Heinrich-Heine University, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - A G Dyer
- Department of Physiology, Monash University, Clayton, Australia
- Institut für Entwicklungsbiologie, und Neurobiologie, Johannes Gutenberg Universität, Mainz, Germany
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2
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Shrestha M, Hlawatsch E, Pepe H, Sander LM, Schreier D, Schuchardt M, von Heßberg A, Jentsch A. Flower reflectance and floral traits data from Ökologisch-Botanischer Garten (OBG), Germany. Data Brief 2024; 54:110512. [PMID: 38799715 PMCID: PMC11127523 DOI: 10.1016/j.dib.2024.110512] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2024] [Revised: 05/03/2024] [Accepted: 05/06/2024] [Indexed: 05/29/2024] Open
Abstract
Not all colours are perceived and interpreted equally. The electromagnetic spectrum is perceived differently by the distinct visual systems of animal species, resulting in differences in each species' colour perception. Given the diverse colours found in flowering plants, it is interesting to consider the colour perception of insects and the co-evolution of flowering plants to attract pollinators. Here, we considered the differences between human visual systems and that of bees and flies-the two largest insect pollinator groups. We collected flower reflectance spectral data of 73 species across seven human-perceived colours using a spectrophotometer. Minimum of 3 different flowers were used to measure the reflectance properties of flower colours. The raw data can be used to visualize the different animals' visual systems i.e. it can be processed and translated into known photoreceptors of human, bee, and fly visual systems. Overall, our data will help to compare how different animals see flower colours in the natural world and will also highlight the importance of understanding the interspecific communication in plant-pollinator communities. Thus, our data will assist scientists in the future to recognize the floral colour evolution in angiosperms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mani Shrestha
- Department of Disturbance Ecology, Bayreuth Center of Ecology and Environmental Research (BayCEER), University of Bayreuth, 95447 Bayreuth, Germany
- Department of Life Science, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Evelyn Hlawatsch
- Faculty of Biology, Chemistry and Earth Sciences, University of Bayreuth, Universitätsstr. 30, 95447 Bayreuth, Germany
| | - Hannah Pepe
- Faculty of Biology, Chemistry and Earth Sciences, University of Bayreuth, Universitätsstr. 30, 95447 Bayreuth, Germany
| | - Louis-Marvin Sander
- Faculty of Biology, Chemistry and Earth Sciences, University of Bayreuth, Universitätsstr. 30, 95447 Bayreuth, Germany
| | - Dietmar Schreier
- Faculty of Biology, Chemistry and Earth Sciences, University of Bayreuth, Universitätsstr. 30, 95447 Bayreuth, Germany
| | - Max Schuchardt
- Department of Disturbance Ecology, Bayreuth Center of Ecology and Environmental Research (BayCEER), University of Bayreuth, 95447 Bayreuth, Germany
| | - Andreas von Heßberg
- Department of Disturbance Ecology, Bayreuth Center of Ecology and Environmental Research (BayCEER), University of Bayreuth, 95447 Bayreuth, Germany
| | - Anke Jentsch
- Department of Disturbance Ecology, Bayreuth Center of Ecology and Environmental Research (BayCEER), University of Bayreuth, 95447 Bayreuth, Germany
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3
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Tindal RA, Jeffery DW, Muhlack RA. Nonlinearity and anthocyanin colour expression: A mathematical analysis of anthocyanin association kinetics and equilibria. Food Res Int 2024; 183:114195. [PMID: 38760130 DOI: 10.1016/j.foodres.2024.114195] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2023] [Revised: 01/16/2024] [Accepted: 03/02/2024] [Indexed: 05/19/2024]
Abstract
Anthocyanins are polyphenolic compounds that provide pigmentation in plants as reflected by pH-dependent structural transformations between the red flavylium cation, purple quinonoidal base, blue quinonoidal anion, colourless hemiketal, and pale yellow chalcone species. Thermodynamically stable conditions of hydrated plant cell vacuoles in vivo correspond to the colourless hemiketal, yet anthocyanin colour expression appears in an important variety of hues within plant organs such as flowers and fruit. Moreover, anthocyanin colour from grape berries is significant in red winemaking processes as it plays a crucial role in determining red wine quality. Here, nonlinear ordinary differential equations were developed to represent the evolution in concentration of various anthocyanin species in both monomeric (chemically reactive) and self-associated (temporally stable) forms for the first time, and simulations were verified experimentally. Results indicated that under hydrating conditions, anthocyanin pigmentation is preserved by self-association interactions, based on pigmented monomeric anthocyanins experiencing colour loss whereas colour-stable self-associated anthocyanins increase in concentration nonlinearly over time. In particular, self-association of the flavylium cation and the quinonoidal base was shown to influence colour expression and stability within Geranium sylvaticum flower petals and Vitis vinifera grape skins. This study ultimately characterises fundamental mechanisms of anthocyanin stabilisation and generates a quantitative framework for anthocyanin-containing systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rachael A Tindal
- Australian Research Council Training Centre for Innovative Wine Production and Waite Research Institute, The University of Adelaide, PMB 1, Glen Osmond, South Australia 5064, Australia
| | - David W Jeffery
- Australian Research Council Training Centre for Innovative Wine Production and Waite Research Institute, The University of Adelaide, PMB 1, Glen Osmond, South Australia 5064, Australia
| | - Richard A Muhlack
- Australian Research Council Training Centre for Innovative Wine Production and Waite Research Institute, The University of Adelaide, PMB 1, Glen Osmond, South Australia 5064, Australia.
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4
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Wong DCJ, Wang Z, Perkins J, Jin X, Marsh GE, John EG, Peakall R. The road less taken: Dihydroflavonol 4-reductase inactivation and delphinidin anthocyanin loss underpins a natural intraspecific flower colour variation. Mol Ecol 2024:e17334. [PMID: 38651763 DOI: 10.1111/mec.17334] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2023] [Revised: 02/22/2024] [Accepted: 03/20/2024] [Indexed: 04/25/2024]
Abstract
Visual cues are of critical importance for the attraction of animal pollinators, however, little is known about the molecular mechanisms underpinning intraspecific floral colour variation. Here, we combined comparative spectral analysis, targeted metabolite profiling, multi-tissue transcriptomics, differential gene expression, sequence analysis and functional analysis to investigate a bee-pollinated orchid species, Glossodia major with common purple- and infrequent white-flowered morphs. We found uncommon and previously unreported delphinidin-based anthocyanins responsible for the conspicuous and pollinator-perceivable colour of the purple morph and three genetic changes underpinning the loss of colour in the white morph - (1) a loss-of-function (LOF; frameshift) mutation affecting dihydroflavonol 4-reductase (DFR1) coding sequence due to a unique 4-bp insertion, (2) specific downregulation of functional DFR1 expression and (3) the unexpected discovery of chimeric Gypsy transposable element (TE)-gene (DFR) transcripts with potential consequences to the genomic stability and post-transcriptional or epigenetic regulation of DFR. This is one of few known cases where regulatory changes and LOF mutation in an anthocyanin structural gene, rather than transcription factors, are important. Furthermore, if TEs prove to be a frequent source of mutation, the interplay between environmental stress-induced TE evolution and pollinator-mediated selection for adaptive colour variation may be an overlooked mechanism maintaining floral colour polymorphism in nature.
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Affiliation(s)
- Darren C J Wong
- Ecology and Evolution, Research School of Biology, The Australian National University, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia
| | - Zemin Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Aridland Crop Science, Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou, China
- College of Life Science and Technology, Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou, China
| | - James Perkins
- Ecology and Evolution, Research School of Biology, The Australian National University, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia
| | - Xin Jin
- State Key Laboratory of Aridland Crop Science, Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou, China
- College of Life Science and Technology, Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou, China
| | - Grace Emma Marsh
- Ecology and Evolution, Research School of Biology, The Australian National University, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia
| | - Emma Grace John
- Ecology and Evolution, Research School of Biology, The Australian National University, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia
| | - Rod Peakall
- Ecology and Evolution, Research School of Biology, The Australian National University, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia
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5
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Shrestha M, Tai KC, Dyer AG, Garcia JE, Yang EC, Jentsch A, Wang CN. Flower colour and size-signals vary with altitude and resulting climate on the tropical-subtropical islands of Taiwan. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2024; 15:1304849. [PMID: 38362451 PMCID: PMC10867191 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2024.1304849] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2023] [Accepted: 01/09/2024] [Indexed: 02/17/2024]
Abstract
The diversity of flower colours in nature provides quantifiable evidence for how visitations by colour sensing insect pollinators can drive the evolution of angiosperm visual signalling. Recent research shows that both biotic and abiotic factors may influence flower signalling, and that harsher climate conditions may also promote salient signalling to entice scarcer pollinators to visit. In parallel, a more sophisticated appreciation of the visual task foragers face reveals that bees have a complex visual system that uses achromatic vision when moving fast, whilst colour vision requires slower, more careful inspection of targets. Spectra of 714 native flowering species across Taiwan from sea level to mountainous regions 3,300 m above sea level (a.s.l.) were measured. We modelled how the visual system of key bee pollinators process signals, including flower size. By using phylogenetically informed analyses, we observed that at lower altitudes including foothills and submontane landscapes, there is a significant relationship between colour contrast and achromatic signals. Overall, the frequency of flowers with high colour contrast increases with altitude, whilst flower size decreases. The evidence that flower colour signaling becomes increasingly salient in higher altitude conditions supports that abiotic factors influence pollinator foraging in a way that directly influences how flowering plants need to advertise.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mani Shrestha
- Department of Disturbance Ecology and Vegetation Dynamics, Bayreuth Center of Ecology and Environmental Research (BayCEER), University of Bayreuth, Bayreuth, Germany
- Department of Life Science, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - King-Chun Tai
- Department of Life Science, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
- Institute of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Adrian G. Dyer
- Department of Physiology, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, Australia
| | - Jair E. Garcia
- Melbourne Data Analytics Platform, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - En-Cheng Yang
- Department of Entomology, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Anke Jentsch
- Department of Disturbance Ecology and Vegetation Dynamics, Bayreuth Center of Ecology and Environmental Research (BayCEER), University of Bayreuth, Bayreuth, Germany
| | - Chun-Neng Wang
- Department of Life Science, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
- Institute of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
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6
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Dorin A, Shrestha M, Garcia JE, Burd M, Dyer AG. Ancient insect vision tuned for flight among rocks and plants underpins natural flower colour diversity. Proc Biol Sci 2023; 290:20232018. [PMID: 38113941 PMCID: PMC10730291 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2023.2018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2023] [Accepted: 11/27/2023] [Indexed: 12/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Understanding the origins of flower colour signalling to pollinators is fundamental to evolutionary biology and ecology. Flower colour evolves under pressure from visual systems of pollinators, like birds and insects, to establish global signatures among flowers with similar pollinators. However, an understanding of the ancient origins of this relationship remains elusive. Here, we employ computer simulations to generate artificial flower backgrounds assembled from real material sample spectra of rocks, leaves and dead plant materials, against which to test flowers' visibility to birds and bees. Our results indicate how flower colours differ from their backgrounds in strength, and the distributions of salient reflectance features when perceived by these key pollinators, to reveal the possible origins of their colours. Since Hymenopteran visual perception evolved before flowers, the terrestrial chromatic context for its evolution to facilitate flight and orientation consisted of rocks, leaves, sticks and bark. Flowers exploited these pre-evolved visual capacities of their visitors, in response evolving chromatic features to signal to bees, and differently to birds, against a backdrop of other natural materials. Consequently, it appears that today's flower colours may be an evolutionary response to the vision of diurnal pollinators navigating their world millennia prior to the first flowers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alan Dorin
- Department of Data Science and AI, Faculty of Information Technology, Monash University, Clayton 3800, Australia
| | - Mani Shrestha
- Department of Disturbance Ecology, Bayreuth Center of Ecology and Environmental Research, University of Bayreuth, 95447 Bayreuth, Germany
| | - Jair E. Garcia
- Melbourne Data Analytics Platform, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne Connect, Parkville 3052, Australia
| | - Martin Burd
- Department of Biology, Indiana University Herbarium, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN 47405, USA
| | - Adrian G. Dyer
- Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, Monash University, Clayton 3800, Australia
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7
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Lin C, Duan Y, Li R, Wang P, Sun Y, Ding X, Zhang J, Yan H, Zhang W, Peng B, Zhao L, Zhang C. Flavonoid Biosynthesis Pathway May Indirectly Affect Outcrossing Rate of Cytoplasmic Male-Sterile Lines of Soybean. PLANTS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2023; 12:3461. [PMID: 37836201 PMCID: PMC10575370 DOI: 10.3390/plants12193461] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2023] [Revised: 09/26/2023] [Accepted: 09/29/2023] [Indexed: 10/15/2023]
Abstract
(1) Background: Cytoplasmic male sterility (CMS) is important for exploiting heterosis. Soybean (Glycine max L.) has a low outcrossing rate that is detrimental for breeding sterile lines and producing hybrid seeds. Therefore, the molecular mechanism controlling the outcrossing rate should be elucidated to increase the outcrossing rate of soybean CMS lines; (2) Methods: The male-sterile soybean lines JLCMS313A (with a high outcrossing rate; HL) and JLCMS226A (with a low outcrossing rate; LL) were used for a combined analysis of the transcriptome (RNA-seq) and the targeted phenol metabolome; (3) Results: The comparison between HL and LL detected 5946 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and 81 phenolic metabolites. The analysis of the DEGs and differentially abundant phenolic metabolites identified only one common KEGG pathway related to flavonoid biosynthesis. The qRT-PCR expression for eight DEGs was almost consistent with the transcriptome data. The comparison of the cloned coding sequence (CDS) regions of the SUS, FLS, UGT, and F3H genes between HL and LL revealed seven single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) only in the F3H CDS. Moreover, five significant differentially abundant phenolic metabolites between HL and LL were associated with flavonoid metabolic pathways. Finally, on the basis of the SNPs in the F3H CDS, one derived cleaved amplified polymorphic sequence (dCAPS) marker was developed to distinguish between HL and LL soybean lines; (4) Conclusions: The flavonoid biosynthesis pathway may indirectly affect the outcrossing rate of CMS sterile lines in soybean.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chunjing Lin
- Soybean Research Institute, Jilin Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Changchun 130033, China; (C.L.); (Y.D.); (R.L.); (P.W.); (Y.S.); (X.D.); (J.Z.); (H.Y.); (W.Z.)
- Key Laboratory of Hybrid Soybean Breeding of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Changchun 130033, China
| | - Yuetong Duan
- Soybean Research Institute, Jilin Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Changchun 130033, China; (C.L.); (Y.D.); (R.L.); (P.W.); (Y.S.); (X.D.); (J.Z.); (H.Y.); (W.Z.)
- Key Laboratory of Hybrid Soybean Breeding of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Changchun 130033, China
| | - Rong Li
- Soybean Research Institute, Jilin Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Changchun 130033, China; (C.L.); (Y.D.); (R.L.); (P.W.); (Y.S.); (X.D.); (J.Z.); (H.Y.); (W.Z.)
| | - Pengnian Wang
- Soybean Research Institute, Jilin Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Changchun 130033, China; (C.L.); (Y.D.); (R.L.); (P.W.); (Y.S.); (X.D.); (J.Z.); (H.Y.); (W.Z.)
- Key Laboratory of Hybrid Soybean Breeding of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Changchun 130033, China
| | - Yanyan Sun
- Soybean Research Institute, Jilin Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Changchun 130033, China; (C.L.); (Y.D.); (R.L.); (P.W.); (Y.S.); (X.D.); (J.Z.); (H.Y.); (W.Z.)
- Key Laboratory of Hybrid Soybean Breeding of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Changchun 130033, China
| | - Xiaoyang Ding
- Soybean Research Institute, Jilin Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Changchun 130033, China; (C.L.); (Y.D.); (R.L.); (P.W.); (Y.S.); (X.D.); (J.Z.); (H.Y.); (W.Z.)
- Key Laboratory of Hybrid Soybean Breeding of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Changchun 130033, China
| | - Jingyong Zhang
- Soybean Research Institute, Jilin Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Changchun 130033, China; (C.L.); (Y.D.); (R.L.); (P.W.); (Y.S.); (X.D.); (J.Z.); (H.Y.); (W.Z.)
- Key Laboratory of Hybrid Soybean Breeding of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Changchun 130033, China
| | - Hao Yan
- Soybean Research Institute, Jilin Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Changchun 130033, China; (C.L.); (Y.D.); (R.L.); (P.W.); (Y.S.); (X.D.); (J.Z.); (H.Y.); (W.Z.)
- Key Laboratory of Hybrid Soybean Breeding of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Changchun 130033, China
| | - Wei Zhang
- Soybean Research Institute, Jilin Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Changchun 130033, China; (C.L.); (Y.D.); (R.L.); (P.W.); (Y.S.); (X.D.); (J.Z.); (H.Y.); (W.Z.)
- Key Laboratory of Hybrid Soybean Breeding of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Changchun 130033, China
| | - Bao Peng
- Soybean Research Institute, Jilin Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Changchun 130033, China; (C.L.); (Y.D.); (R.L.); (P.W.); (Y.S.); (X.D.); (J.Z.); (H.Y.); (W.Z.)
- Key Laboratory of Hybrid Soybean Breeding of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Changchun 130033, China
| | - Limei Zhao
- Soybean Research Institute, Jilin Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Changchun 130033, China; (C.L.); (Y.D.); (R.L.); (P.W.); (Y.S.); (X.D.); (J.Z.); (H.Y.); (W.Z.)
- Key Laboratory of Hybrid Soybean Breeding of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Changchun 130033, China
| | - Chunbao Zhang
- Soybean Research Institute, Jilin Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Changchun 130033, China; (C.L.); (Y.D.); (R.L.); (P.W.); (Y.S.); (X.D.); (J.Z.); (H.Y.); (W.Z.)
- Key Laboratory of Hybrid Soybean Breeding of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Changchun 130033, China
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8
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Dexheimer AF, Outomuro D, Dunlap AS, Morehouse NI. Spectral sensitivities of the orchid bee Euglossa dilemma. JOURNAL OF INSECT PHYSIOLOGY 2023; 144:104464. [PMID: 36481409 DOI: 10.1016/j.jinsphys.2022.104464] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2022] [Revised: 11/29/2022] [Accepted: 11/30/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Diurnal pollinators often rely on color cues to make decisions when visiting flowers. Orchid bees are major tropical pollinators, with most studies of their pollination behavior to date focusing on scent collection and chemical ecology. The objective of this study was to measure their spectral sensitivities to preliminarily characterize color vision in the orchid bee Euglossa dilemma and compare it to the known spectral sensitivity of other closely related bees. We compared E. dilemma's spectral sensitivities and opsin protein sequences to four closely related corbiculate bees. E. dilemma appears to have trichromatic vision, with spectral sensitivity peaks in the ultraviolet, blue, and green wavelengths (347 ± 0.957 (SE) nm, 429 ± 6.570 nm, and 537 ± 1.183 nm, respectively), similar to other measured bees. We found no differences between male and female E. dilemma visual systems despite neuroanatomical and behavioral differences reported in the literature. The lambda maxes of the ultraviolet-sensitive photoreceptors appeared to be the most conserved among the bees we compared. Meanwhile, both the lambda maxes of the blue photoreceptors and the blue opsin proteins sequences were the least conserved. Our results open up new possibilities for the study of color vision and color-mediated pollination behaviors in orchid bees.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andreia F Dexheimer
- Department of Biology, University of Missouri -St. Louis, 1 University Blvd, St. Louis, MO 63121, USA; Whitney R. Harris World Ecology Center, 1 University Blvd, St. Louis, MO 63121, USA; Center for STEM Research, Education & Outreach, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, 1 Hairpin Dr, Edwardsville, IL 62026, USA.
| | - David Outomuro
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Pittsburgh, 4200 Fifth Ave, Pittsburgh, PA 15260, USA; Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cincinnati, 2600 Clifton Ave, Cincinnati, OH 45221, USA
| | - Aimee S Dunlap
- Department of Biology, University of Missouri -St. Louis, 1 University Blvd, St. Louis, MO 63121, USA; Whitney R. Harris World Ecology Center, 1 University Blvd, St. Louis, MO 63121, USA
| | - Nathan I Morehouse
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cincinnati, 2600 Clifton Ave, Cincinnati, OH 45221, USA
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9
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Kantsa A, Garcia JE, Raguso RA, Dyer AG, Steen R, Tscheulin T, Petanidou T. Intrafloral patterns of color and scent in Capparis spinosa L. and the ghosts of its selection past. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF BOTANY 2023; 110:e16098. [PMID: 36371789 PMCID: PMC10108209 DOI: 10.1002/ajb2.16098] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2022] [Revised: 10/19/2022] [Accepted: 10/20/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
PREMISE Capparis spinosa is a widespread charismatic plant, in which the nocturnal floral habit contrasts with the high visitation by diurnal bees and the pronounced scarcity of hawkmoths. To resolve this discrepancy and elucidate floral evolution of C. spinosa, we analyzed the intrafloral patterns of visual and olfactory cues in relation to the known sensory biases of the different visitor guilds (bees, butterflies, and hawkmoths). METHODS We measured the intrafloral variation of scent, reflectance spectra, and colorimetric properties according to three guilds of known visitors of C. spinosa. Additionally, we sampled visitation rates using a motion-activated camera. RESULTS Carpenter bees visited the flowers eight times more frequently than nocturnal hawkmoths, at dusk and in the following morning. Yet, the floral headspace of C. spinosa contained a typical sphingophilous scent with high emission rates of certain monoterpenes and amino-acid derived compounds. Visual cues included a special case of multisensory nectar guide and color patterns conspicuous to the visual systems of both hawkmoths and bees. CONCLUSIONS The intrafloral patterns of sensory stimuli suggest that hawkmoths have exerted strong historical selection on C. spinosa. Our study revealed two interesting paradoxes: (a) the flowers phenotypically biased towards the more inconsistent pollinator; and (b) floral display demands an abundance of resources that seems maladaptive in the habitats of C. spinosa. The transition to a binary pollination system accommodating large bees has not required phenotypic changes, owing to specific eco-physiological adaptations, unrelated to pollination, which make this plant an unusual case in pollination ecology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aphrodite Kantsa
- Department of GeographyUniversity of the AegeanMytileneGreece
- Present address:
Department of Environmental Systems ScienceETH ZürichZürichSwitzerland
| | - Jair E. Garcia
- Bio‐Inspired Digital Sensing Laboratory, School of Media and CommunicationRMIT UniversityMelbourneAustralia
| | - Robert A. Raguso
- Department of Neurobiology and BehaviorCornell University, IthacaNew YorkUSA
| | - Adrian G. Dyer
- Bio‐Inspired Digital Sensing Laboratory, School of Media and CommunicationRMIT UniversityMelbourneAustralia
- Department of PhysiologyMonash UniversityClaytonAustralia
- Present address:
Department of Developmental Biology and NeurobiologyJohannes Gutenberg UniversityMainzGermany
| | - Ronny Steen
- Department of Ecology and Natural Resource ManagementNorwegian University of Life SciencesÅsNorway
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10
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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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11
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Koethe S, Reinartz L, Heard TA, Garcia JE, Dyer AG, Lunau K. Comparative psychophysics of Western honey bee (Apis mellifera) and stingless bee (Tetragonula carbonaria) colour purity and intensity perception. J Comp Physiol A Neuroethol Sens Neural Behav Physiol 2022; 208:641-652. [PMID: 36269403 PMCID: PMC9734212 DOI: 10.1007/s00359-022-01581-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2022] [Revised: 09/13/2022] [Accepted: 09/28/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Bees play a vital role as pollinators worldwide and have influenced how flower colour signals have evolved. The Western honey bee, Apis mellifera (Apini), and the Buff-tailed bumble bee, Bombus terrestris (Bombini) are well-studied model species with regard to their sensory physiology and pollination capacity, although currently far less is known about stingless bees (Meliponini) that are common in pantropical regions. We conducted comparative experiments with two highly eusocial bee species, the Western honey bee, A. mellifera, and the Australian stingless bee, Tetragonula carbonaria, to understand their colour preferences considering fine-scaled stimuli specifically designed for testing bee colour vision. We employed stimuli made of pigment powders to allow manipulation of single colour parameters including spectral purity (saturation) or colour intensity (brightness) of a blue colour (hue) for which both species have previously shown innate preferences. Both A. mellifera and T. carbonaria demonstrated a significant preference for spectrally purer colour stimuli, although this preference is more pronounced in honey bees than in stingless bees. When all other colour cues were tightly controlled, honey bees receiving absolute conditioning demonstrated a capacity to learn a high-intensity stimulus significant from chance expectation demonstrating some capacity of plasticity for this dimension of colour perception. However, honey bees failed to learn low-intensity stimuli, and T. carbonaria was insensitive to stimulus intensity as a cue. These comparative findings suggest that there may be some common roots underpinning colour perception in bee pollinators and how they interact with flowers, although species-specific differences do exist.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sebastian Koethe
- Institute of Sensory Ecology, Heinrich-Heine-University Düsseldorf, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Lara Reinartz
- Institute of Sensory Ecology, Heinrich-Heine-University Düsseldorf, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany
| | | | - Jair E. Garcia
- School of Media and Communication, RMIT University, Building 5.2.36, City Campus, GPO Box 2476, Melbourne, VIC 3001 Australia
| | - Adrian G. Dyer
- School of Media and Communication, RMIT University, Building 5.2.36, City Campus, GPO Box 2476, Melbourne, VIC 3001 Australia ,Department of Physiology, Monash University, Melbourne, 3800 Australia ,Institute of Developmental Biology and Neurobiology, Johannes Gutenberg Universität, Mainz, Germany
| | - Klaus Lunau
- Institute of Sensory Ecology, Heinrich-Heine-University Düsseldorf, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany
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12
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Garcia JE, Dyer AG. False colour photography reveals the complexity of flower signalling. A Commentary on: 'A bee's eye view of remarkable floral colour patterns in the Southwest Australian biodiversity hotspot revealed by false colour photography'. ANNALS OF BOTANY 2021; 128:i-ii. [PMID: 34212974 PMCID: PMC8577202 DOI: 10.1093/aob/mcab076] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
This article comments on: Klaus Lunau, Daniela Scaccabarozzi, Larissa Willing and Kingsley Dixon, A bee’s eye view of remarkable floral colour patterns in the Southwest Australian biodiversity hotspot revealed by false colour photography’, Annals of Botany, Volume 128, Issue 7, 2 December 2021, Pages 821–824 https://doi.org/10.1093/aob/mcab088
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Affiliation(s)
- Jair E Garcia
- School of Media and Communication, RMIT University, Melbourne 3001, Australia
| | - Adrian G Dyer
- School of Media and Communication, RMIT University, Melbourne 3001, Australia
- Department of Physiology, Monash University, Melbourne 3800, Australia
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13
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Narbona E, del Valle JC, Arista M, Buide ML, Ortiz PL. Major Flower Pigments Originate Different Colour Signals to Pollinators. Front Ecol Evol 2021. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2021.743850] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Flower colour is mainly due to the presence and type of pigments. Pollinator preferences impose selection on flower colour that ultimately acts on flower pigments. Knowing how pollinators perceive flowers with different pigments becomes crucial for a comprehensive understanding of plant-pollinator communication and flower colour evolution. Based on colour space models, we studied whether main groups of pollinators, specifically hymenopterans, dipterans, lepidopterans and birds, differentially perceive flower colours generated by major pigment groups. We obtain reflectance data and conspicuousness to pollinators of flowers containing one of the pigment groups more frequent in flowers: chlorophylls, carotenoids and flavonoids. Flavonoids were subsequently classified in UV-absorbing flavonoids, aurones-chalcones and the anthocyanins cyanidin, pelargonidin, delphinidin, and malvidin derivatives. We found that flower colour loci of chlorophylls, carotenoids, UV-absorbing flavonoids, aurones-chalcones, and anthocyanins occupied different regions of the colour space models of these pollinators. The four groups of anthocyanins produced a unique cluster of colour loci. Interestingly, differences in colour conspicuousness among the pigment groups were almost similar in the bee, fly, butterfly, and bird visual space models. Aurones-chalcones showed the highest chromatic contrast values, carotenoids displayed intermediate values, and chlorophylls, UV-absorbing flavonoids and anthocyanins presented the lowest values. In the visual model of bees, flowers with UV-absorbing flavonoids (i.e., white flowers) generated the highest achromatic contrasts. Ours findings suggest that in spite of the almost omnipresence of floral anthocyanins in angiosperms, carotenoids and aurones-chalcones generates higher colour conspicuousness for main functional groups of pollinators.
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Comparative psychophysics of colour preferences in two species of non-eusocial Australian native halictid bees. J Comp Physiol A Neuroethol Sens Neural Behav Physiol 2021; 207:657-666. [PMID: 34241711 DOI: 10.1007/s00359-021-01504-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2021] [Revised: 05/17/2021] [Accepted: 05/19/2021] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
Colour signalling by flowers appears to be the main plant-pollinator communication system observed across many diverse species and locations worldwide. Bees are considered one of the most important insect pollinators; however, native non-eusocial bees are often understudied compared to managed eusocial species, such as honeybees and bumblebees. Here, we tested two species of native Australian non-eusocial halictid bees on their colour preferences for seven different broadband colours with bee-colour-space dominant wavelengths ranging from 385 to 560 nm and a neutral grey control. Lasioglossum (Chilalictus) lanarium demonstrated preferences for a UV-absorbing white (455 nm) and a yellow (560 nm) stimulus. Lasioglossum (Parasphecodes) sp. showed no colour preferences. Subsequent analyses showed that green contrast and spectral purity had a significant positive relationship with the number of visits by L. lanarium to stimuli. Colour preferences were consistent with other bee species and may be phylogenetically conserved and linked to how trichromatic bees processes visual information, although the relative dearth of empirical evidence on different bee species currently makes it difficult to dissect mechanisms. Past studies and our current results suggest that both innate and environmental factors might both be at play in mediating bee colour preferences.
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Schuchardt MA, Berauer BJ, Heßberg A, Wilfahrt P, Jentsch A. Drought effects on montane grasslands nullify benefits of advanced flowering phenology due to warming. Ecosphere 2021. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.3661] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Max A. Schuchardt
- Department of Disturbance Ecology Bayreuth Center of Ecology and Environmental Research University of Bayreuth Bayreuth Germany
| | - Bernd J. Berauer
- Department of Disturbance Ecology Bayreuth Center of Ecology and Environmental Research University of Bayreuth Bayreuth Germany
- Department of Plant Ecology Institute of Landscape and Plant Ecology University of Hohenheim Hohenheim Germany
| | - Andreas Heßberg
- Department of Disturbance Ecology Bayreuth Center of Ecology and Environmental Research University of Bayreuth Bayreuth Germany
| | - Peter Wilfahrt
- Department of Disturbance Ecology Bayreuth Center of Ecology and Environmental Research University of Bayreuth Bayreuth Germany
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior University of Minnesota St. Paul Minnesota USA
| | - Anke Jentsch
- Department of Disturbance Ecology Bayreuth Center of Ecology and Environmental Research University of Bayreuth Bayreuth Germany
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