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Płachno BJ, Kapusta M, Stolarczyk P, Świątek P. Do Cuticular Gaps Make It Possible to Study the Composition of the Cell Walls in the Glands of Drosophyllum lusitanicum? Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:1320. [PMID: 38279320 PMCID: PMC10816202 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25021320] [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: 12/28/2023] [Revised: 01/18/2024] [Accepted: 01/19/2024] [Indexed: 01/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Carnivorous plants can survive in poor habitats because they have the ability to attract, capture, and digest prey and absorb animal nutrients using modified organs that are equipped with glands. These glands have terminal cells with permeable cuticles. Cuticular discontinuities allow both secretion and endocytosis. In Drosophyllum lusitanicum, these emergences have glandular cells with cuticular discontinuities in the form of cuticular gaps. In this study, we determined whether these specific cuticular discontinuities were permeable enough to antibodies to show the occurrence of the cell wall polymers in the glands. Scanning transmission electron microscopy was used to show the structure of the cuticle. Fluorescence microscopy revealed the localization of the carbohydrate epitopes that are associated with the major cell wall polysaccharides and glycoproteins. We showed that Drosophyllum leaf epidermal cells have a continuous and well-developed cuticle, which helps the plant inhibit water loss and live in a dry environment. The cuticular gaps only partially allow us to study the composition of cell walls in the glands of Drosophyllum. We recoded arabinogalactan proteins, some homogalacturonans, and hemicelluloses. However, antibody penetration was only limited to the cell wall surface. The localization of the wall components in the cell wall ingrowths was missing. The use of enzymatic digestion improves the labeling of hemicelluloses in Drosophyllum glands.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bartosz J. Płachno
- Department of Plant Cytology and Embryology, Institute of Botany, Faculty of Biology, Jagiellonian University in Kraków, 9 Gronostajowa St., 30-387 Kraków, Poland
| | - Małgorzata Kapusta
- Bioimaging Laboratory, Faculty of Biology, University of Gdańsk, 59 Wita Stwosza St., 80-308 Gdańsk, Poland;
| | - Piotr Stolarczyk
- Department of Botany, Physiology and Plant Protection, Faculty of Biotechnology and Horticulture, University of Agriculture in Kraków, 29 Listopada 54 Ave., 31-425 Kraków, Poland;
| | - Piotr Świątek
- Institute of Biology, Biotechnology and Environmental Protection, Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Silesia in Katowice, 9 Bankowa St., 40-007 Katowice, Poland;
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Płachno BJ, Kapusta M, Stolarczyk P, Świątek P, Lichtscheidl I. Differences in the Occurrence of Cell Wall Components between Distinct Cell Types in Glands of Drosophyllum lusitanicum. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:15045. [PMID: 37894725 PMCID: PMC10606540 DOI: 10.3390/ijms242015045] [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: 08/12/2023] [Revised: 10/02/2023] [Accepted: 10/09/2023] [Indexed: 10/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Carnivorous plants are mixotrophs that have developed the ability to lure, trap, and digest small organisms and utilize components of the digested bodies. Leaves of Drosophyllum lusitanicum have two kinds of glands (emergences): stalked mucilage glands and sessile digestive glands. The stalked mucilage glands perform the primary role in prey lure and trapping. Apart from their role in carnivory, they absorb water condensed from oceanic fog; thus, plants can survive in arid conditions. To better understand the function of carnivorous plant emergences, the molecular composition of their cell walls was investigated using immunocytochemical methods. In this research, Drosophyllum lusitanicum was used as a study system to determine whether cell wall immunocytochemistry differs between the mucilage and digestive glands of other carnivorous plant species. Light and electron microscopy were used to observe gland structure. Fluorescence microscopy revealed the localization of carbohydrate epitopes associated with the major cell wall polysaccharides and glycoproteins. The mucilage gland (emergence) consists of a glandular head, a connecting neck zone, and stalk. The gland head is formed by an outer and inner layer of glandular (secretory) cells and supported by a layer of endodermoid (barrier) cells. The endodermoid cells have contact with a core of spongy tracheids with spiral-shaped thickenings. Lateral tracheids are surrounded by epidermal and parenchymal neck cells. Different patterns of cell wall components were found in the various cell types of the glands. Cell walls of glandular cells generally are poor in both low and highly esterified homogalacturonans (HGs) but enriched with hemicelluloses. Cell walls of inner glandular cells are especially rich in arabinogalactan proteins (AGPs). The cell wall ingrowths in glandular cells are significantly enriched with hemicelluloses and AGPs. In the case of cell wall components, the glandular cells of Drosophyllum lusitanicum mucilage glands are similar to the glandular cells of the digestive glands of Aldrovanda vesiculosa and Dionaea muscipula.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bartosz J. Płachno
- Department of Plant Cytology and Embryology, Institute of Botany, Faculty of Biology, Jagiellonian University in Kraków, 9 Gronostajowa St., 30-387 Kraków, Poland
| | - Małgorzata Kapusta
- Laboratory of Electron Microscopy, Faculty of Biology, University of Gdańsk, 59 Wita Stwosza St., 80-308 Gdańsk, Poland;
| | - Piotr Stolarczyk
- Department of Botany, Physiology and Plant Protection, Faculty of Biotechnology and Horticulture, University of Agriculture in Kraków, 29 Listopada 54 Ave., 31-425 Kraków, Poland;
| | - Piotr Świątek
- Institute of Biology, Biotechnology and Environmental Protection, Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Silesia in Katowice, 9 Bankowa St., 40-007 Katowice, Poland;
| | - Irene Lichtscheidl
- Cell Imaging and Ultrastructure Research, University of Vienna, Althanstrasse 14, A-1090 Vienna, Austria;
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Krueger T, Cross AT, Hübner J, Morinière J, Hausmann A, Fleischmann A. A novel approach for reliable qualitative and quantitative prey spectra identification of carnivorous plants combining DNA metabarcoding and macro photography. Sci Rep 2022; 12:4778. [PMID: 35314716 PMCID: PMC8938489 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-08580-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2021] [Accepted: 02/10/2022] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Prey spectra (the number and composition of captured arthropods) represent a crucial aspect of carnivorous plant ecology, yet remain poorly studied. Traditional morphology-based approaches for prey identification are time-intensive, require specialists with considerable knowledge of arthropod taxonomy, and are hampered by high numbers of unidentifiable (i.e., heavily digested) prey items. We examined prey spectra of three species of closely-related annual Drosera (Droseraceae, sundews) from tropical northern Australia using a novel DNA metabarcoding approach with in-situ macro photography as a plausibility control and to facilitate prey quantity estimations. This new method facilitated accurate analyses of carnivorous plant prey spectra (even of heavily digested prey lacking characteristic morphological features) at a taxonomic resolution and level of completeness far exceeding morphology-based methods and approaching the 100% mark at arthropod order level. Although the three studied species exhibited significant differences in detected prey spectra, little prey specialisation was observed and habitat or plant population density variations were likely the main drivers of prey spectra dissimilarity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thilo Krueger
- grid.1032.00000 0004 0375 4078School of Molecular and Life Sciences, Curtin University, Bentley, Australia
| | - Adam T. Cross
- grid.1032.00000 0004 0375 4078School of Molecular and Life Sciences, Curtin University, Bentley, Australia ,EcoHealth Network, Brookline, MA USA
| | - Jeremy Hübner
- grid.452282.b0000 0001 1013 3702Zoologische Staatssammlung München (SNSB-ZSM), Munich, Germany
| | | | - Axel Hausmann
- grid.452282.b0000 0001 1013 3702Zoologische Staatssammlung München (SNSB-ZSM), Munich, Germany
| | - Andreas Fleischmann
- grid.452781.d0000 0001 2203 6205Botanische Staatssammlung München (SNSB-BSM), Munich, Germany ,grid.5252.00000 0004 1936 973XGeoBio-Center LMU, Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Munich, Germany
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Lutz TM, Kimna C, Casini A, Lieleg O. Bio-based and bio-inspired adhesives from animals and plants for biomedical applications. Mater Today Bio 2022; 13:100203. [PMID: 35079700 PMCID: PMC8777159 DOI: 10.1016/j.mtbio.2022.100203] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2021] [Revised: 01/08/2022] [Accepted: 01/08/2022] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
With the "many-headed" slime mold Physarum polycelphalum having been voted the unicellular organism of the year 2021 by the German Society of Protozoology, we are reminded that a large part of nature's huge variety of life forms is easily overlooked - both by the general public and researchers alike. Indeed, whereas several animals such as mussels or spiders have already inspired many scientists to create novel materials with glue-like properties, there is much more to discover in the flora and fauna. Here, we provide an overview of naturally occurring slimy substances with adhesive properties and categorize them in terms of the main chemical motifs that convey their stickiness, i.e., carbohydrate-, protein-, and glycoprotein-based biological glues. Furthermore, we highlight selected recent developments in the area of material design and functionalization that aim at making use of such biological compounds for novel applications in medicine - either by conjugating adhesive motifs found in nature to biological or synthetic macromolecules or by synthetically creating (multi-)functional materials, which combine adhesive properties with additional, problem-specific (and sometimes tunable) features.
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Affiliation(s)
- Theresa M. Lutz
- School of Engineering and Design, Department of Materials Engineering, Technical University of Munich, Boltzmannstraße 15, Garching, 85748, Germany
- Center for Protein Assemblies, Technical University of Munich, Ernst-Otto-Fischer Str. 8, Garching, 85748, Germany
| | - Ceren Kimna
- School of Engineering and Design, Department of Materials Engineering, Technical University of Munich, Boltzmannstraße 15, Garching, 85748, Germany
- Center for Protein Assemblies, Technical University of Munich, Ernst-Otto-Fischer Str. 8, Garching, 85748, Germany
| | - Angela Casini
- Chair of Medicinal and Bioinorganic Chemistry, Department of Chemistry, Technical University of Munich, Lichtenbergstraße 4, Garching, 85748, Germany
| | - Oliver Lieleg
- School of Engineering and Design, Department of Materials Engineering, Technical University of Munich, Boltzmannstraße 15, Garching, 85748, Germany
- Center for Protein Assemblies, Technical University of Munich, Ernst-Otto-Fischer Str. 8, Garching, 85748, Germany
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Ojeda F, Carrera C, Paniw M, García-Moreno L, Barbero GF, Palma M. Volatile and Semi-Volatile Organic Compounds May Help Reduce Pollinator-Prey Overlap in the Carnivorous Plant Drosophyllum lusitanicum (Drosophyllaceae). J Chem Ecol 2021; 47:73-86. [PMID: 33417071 DOI: 10.1007/s10886-020-01235-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2020] [Revised: 08/02/2020] [Accepted: 11/18/2020] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
Most carnivorous plants show a conspicuous separation between flowers and leaf-traps, which has been interpreted as an adaptive response to minimize pollinator-prey conflicts which will reduce fitness. Here, we used the carnivorous subshrub Drosophyllum lusitanicum (Drosophyllaceae) to explore if and how carnivorous plants with minimal physical separation of flower and trap avoid or reduce a likely conflict of pollinator and prey. We carried out an extensive field survey in the Aljibe Mountains, at the European side of the Strait of Gibraltar, of pollinating and prey insects of D. lusitanicum. We also performed a detailed analysis of flower and leaf volatile and semi-volatile organic compounds (VOCs and SVOCs, respectively) by direct thermal desorption-gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (TD-GC/MS) to ascertain whether this species shows different VOC/SVOC profiles in flowers and leaf-traps that might attract pollinators and prey, respectively. Our results show a low overlap between pollinator and prey groups as well as clear differences in the relative abundance of VOCs and SVOCs between flowers and leaf-traps. Coleopterans and hymenopterans were the most represented groups of floral visitors, whereas dipterans were the most diverse group of prey insects. Regarding VOCs and SVOCs, while aldehydes and carboxylic acids presented higher relative contents in leaf-traps, alkanes and plumbagin were the main VOC/SVOC compounds detected in flowers. We conclude that D. lusitanicum, despite its minimal flower-trap separation, does not seem to present a marked pollinator-prey conflict. Differences in the VOCs and SVOCs produced by flowers and leaf-traps may help explain the conspicuous differences between pollinator and prey guilds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fernando Ojeda
- Departamento de Biología-IVAGRO, Universidad de Cádiz, Campus Río San Pedro, 11510, Puerto Real, Spain.
| | - Ceferino Carrera
- Departamento de Química Analítica-IVAGRO, Universidad de Cádiz, Campus Río San Pedro, 11510, Puerto Real, Spain
| | - Maria Paniw
- Ecological and Forestry Applications Research Centre (CREAF), Campus de Bellaterra (UAB) Edifici C, ES-08193, Cerdanyola del Vallès, Spain
| | - Luis García-Moreno
- Departamento de Química Analítica-IVAGRO, Universidad de Cádiz, Campus Río San Pedro, 11510, Puerto Real, Spain
| | - Gerardo F Barbero
- Departamento de Química Analítica-IVAGRO, Universidad de Cádiz, Campus Río San Pedro, 11510, Puerto Real, Spain
| | - Miguel Palma
- Departamento de Química Analítica-IVAGRO, Universidad de Cádiz, Campus Río San Pedro, 11510, Puerto Real, Spain
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Krueger T, Cross AT, Fleischmann A. Size matters: trap size primarily determines prey spectra differences among sympatric species of carnivorous sundews. Ecosphere 2020. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.3179] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Thilo Krueger
- School of Molecular and Life Sciences Curtin University Bentley Perth Western Australia 6102 Australia
| | - Adam T. Cross
- ARC Centre for Mine Site Restoration School of Molecular and Life Sciences Curtin University BentleyPerth Western Australia 6102 Australia
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Skates LM, Paniw M, Cross AT, Ojeda F, Dixon KW, Stevens JC, Gebauer G. An ecological perspective on 'plant carnivory beyond bogs': nutritional benefits of prey capture for the Mediterranean carnivorous plant Drosophyllum lusitanicum. ANNALS OF BOTANY 2019; 124:65-76. [PMID: 31329814 PMCID: PMC6676385 DOI: 10.1093/aob/mcz045] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2018] [Accepted: 03/06/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIMS Little is known about the evolutionary and ecological drivers of carnivory in plants, particularly for those terrestrial species that do not occur in typical swamp or bog habitats. The Mediterranean endemic Drosophyllum lusitanicum (Drosophyllaceae) is one of very few terrestrial carnivorous plant species outside of Australia to occur in seasonally dry, fire-prone habitats, and is thus an ecological rarity. Here we assess the nutritional benefits of prey capture for D. lusitanicum under differing levels of soil fertility in situ. METHODS We measured the total nitrogen and stable nitrogen and carbon isotope ratios of D. lusitanicum leaves, neighbouring non-carnivorous plant leaves, and groups of insect prey in three populations in southern Spain. We calculated trophic enrichment (ε15N) and estimated the proportion of prey-derived nitrogen (%Nprey) in D. lusitanicum leaves, and related these factors to soil chemistry parameters measured at each site. KEY RESULTS In all three populations studied, D. lusitanicum plants were significantly isotopically enriched compared with neighbouring non-carnivorous plants. We estimated that D. lusitanicum gain ~36 %Nprey at the Puerto de Gáliz site, ~54 %Nprey at the Sierra Carbonera site and ~75 %Nprey at the Montera del Torero site. Enrichment in N isotope (ε15N) differed considerably among sites; however, it was not found to be significantly related to log10(soil N), log10(soil P) or log10(soil K). CONCLUSIONS Drosophyllum lusitanicum individuals gain a significant nutritional benefit from captured prey in their natural habitat, exhibiting proportions of prey-derived nitrogen that are similar to those recorded for carnivorous plants occurring in more mesic environments. This study adds to the growing body of literature confirming that carnivory is a highly beneficial nutritional strategy not only in mesic habitats but also in seasonally dry environments, and provides insights to inform conservation strategies for D. lusitanicum in situ.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura M Skates
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Western Australia, Crawley, WA, Australia
- Kings Park Science, Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions, Perth, WA, Australia
| | - Maria Paniw
- Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
- Departamento de Biologia – IVAGRO, Universidad de Cadiz, Campus Rio San Pedro, Puerto Real, Spain
| | - Adam T Cross
- Centre for Mine Site Restoration, School of Molecular and Life Sciences, Curtin University, GPO Bentley, WA, Australia
| | - Fernando Ojeda
- Departamento de Biologia – IVAGRO, Universidad de Cadiz, Campus Rio San Pedro, Puerto Real, Spain
| | - Kingsley W Dixon
- Centre for Mine Site Restoration, School of Molecular and Life Sciences, Curtin University, GPO Bentley, WA, Australia
| | - Jason C Stevens
- Kings Park Science, Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions, Perth, WA, Australia
| | - Gerhard Gebauer
- BAYCEER – Laboratory of Isotope Biogeochemistry, University of Bayreuth, Bayreuth, Germany
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Salces-Castellano A, Paniw M, Casimiro-Soriguer R, Ojeda F. Attract them anyway: benefits of large, showy flowers in a highly autogamous, carnivorous plant species. AOB PLANTS 2016; 8:plw017. [PMID: 26977052 PMCID: PMC4832431 DOI: 10.1093/aobpla/plw017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2015] [Accepted: 03/03/2016] [Indexed: 05/06/2023]
Abstract
Reproductive biology of carnivorous plants has largely been studied on species that rely on insects as pollinators and prey, creating potential conflicts. Autogamous pollination, although present in some carnivorous species, has received less attention. In angiosperms, autogamous self-fertilization is expected to lead to a reduction in flower size, thereby reducing resource allocation to structures that attract pollinators. A notable exception is the carnivorous pyrophyteDrosophyllum lusitanicum(Drosophyllaceae), which has been described as an autogamous selfing species but produces large, yellow flowers. Using a flower removal and a pollination experiment, we assessed, respectively, whether large flowers in this species may serve as an attracting device to prey insects or whether previously reported high selfing rates for this species in peripheral populations may be lower in more central, less isolated populations. We found no differences between flower-removed plants and intact, flowering plants in numbers of prey insects trapped. We also found no indication of reduced potential for autogamous reproduction, in terms of either seed set or seed size. However, our results showed significant increases in seed set of bagged, hand-pollinated flowers and unbagged flowers exposed to insect visitation compared with bagged, non-manipulated flowers that could only self-pollinate autonomously. Considering that the key life-history strategy of this pyrophytic species is to maintain a viable seed bank, any increase in seed set through insect pollinator activity would increase plant fitness. This in turn would explain the maintenance of large, conspicuous flowers in a highly autogamous, carnivorous plant.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Salces-Castellano
- Departamento de Biología and IVAGRO, Universidad de Cádiz, Campus Río San Pedro, E-11510 Puerto Real, Spain Present address: IPNA-CSIC, C/Astrofísico Francisco Sánchez 3, 38206-La Laguna, Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain
| | - M Paniw
- Departamento de Biología and IVAGRO, Universidad de Cádiz, Campus Río San Pedro, E-11510 Puerto Real, Spain
| | - R Casimiro-Soriguer
- Departamento de Biología and IVAGRO, Universidad de Cádiz, Campus Río San Pedro, E-11510 Puerto Real, Spain
| | - F Ojeda
- Departamento de Biología and IVAGRO, Universidad de Cádiz, Campus Río San Pedro, E-11510 Puerto Real, Spain
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