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Hamon LE, Youngsteadt E, Irwin RE, Sorenson CE. As prey and pollinators, insects increase reproduction and allow for outcrossing in the carnivorous plant Dionaea muscipula. Am J Bot 2024; 111:e16279. [PMID: 38290989 DOI: 10.1002/ajb2.16279] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2023] [Revised: 12/08/2023] [Accepted: 12/11/2023] [Indexed: 02/01/2024]
Abstract
PREMISE Understanding the factors that limit reproductive success is a key component of plant biology. Carnivorous plants rely on insects as both nutrient sources and pollinators, providing a unique system for studying the effects of both resource and pollen limitation on plant reproduction. METHODS We conducted a field experiment using wild-growing Dionaea muscipula J. Ellis (Droseraceae) in which we manipulated prey and pollen in a factorial design and measured flower production, number of fruits, and number of seeds. Because understanding reproduction requires knowledge of a plant species' reproductive and pollination biology, we also examined the pollination system, per-visit pollinator effectiveness, and pollen-ovule (P/O) ratio of D. muscipula. RESULTS Plants that received supplemental prey produced more flowers than control plants. They also had a higher overall fitness estimate (number of flowers × fruit set (total fruits/total flowers) × seeds per fruit), although this benefit was significant only when prey supplementation occurred in the previous growing season. Neither pollen supplementation nor the interaction between pollen and prey supplementation significantly affected overall plant fitness. CONCLUSIONS This study reinforces the reliance of D. muscipula on adequate prey capture for flower, fruit, and seed production and a mobile pollen vector for reproduction, indicating the importance of considering insects as part of an effective conservation management plan for this species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura E Hamon
- Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina, 27695, USA
- Department of Applied Ecology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina, 27695, USA
| | - Elsa Youngsteadt
- Department of Applied Ecology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina, 27695, USA
- Center for Geospatial Analytics, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina, USA
| | - Rebecca E Irwin
- Department of Applied Ecology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina, 27695, USA
| | - Clyde E Sorenson
- Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina, 27695, USA
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Iosip AL, Scherzer S, Bauer S, Becker D, Krischke M, Al-Rasheid KAS, Schultz J, Kreuzer I, Hedrich R. DYSCALCULIA, a Venus flytrap mutant without the ability to count action potentials. Curr Biol 2023; 33:589-596.e5. [PMID: 36693369 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2022.12.058] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2022] [Revised: 12/01/2022] [Accepted: 12/21/2022] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
The Venus flytrap Dionaea muscipula estimates prey nutrient content by counting trigger hair contacts initiating action potentials (APs) and calcium waves traveling all over the trap.1,2,3 A first AP is associated with a subcritical rise in cytosolic calcium concentration, but when the second AP arrives in time, calcium levels pass the threshold required for fast trap closure. Consequently, memory function and decision-making are timed via a calcium clock.3,4 For higher numbers of APs elicited by the struggling prey, the Ca2+ clock connects to the networks governed by the touch hormone jasmonic acid (JA), which initiates slow, hermetic trap sealing and mining of the animal food stock.5 Two distinct phases of trap closure can be distinguished within Dionaea's hunting cycle: (1) very fast trap snapping requiring two APs and crossing of a critical cytosolic Ca2+ level and (2) JA-dependent slow trap sealing and prey processing induced by more than five APs. The Dionaea mutant DYSC is still able to fire touch-induced APs but does not snap close its traps and fails to enter the hunting cycle after prolonged mechanostimulation. Transcriptomic analyses revealed that upon trigger hair touch/AP stimulation, activation of calcium signaling is largely suppressed in DYSC traps. The observation that external JA application restored hunting cycle progression together with the DYSC phenotype and its transcriptional landscape indicates that DYSC cannot properly read, count, and decode touch/AP-induced calcium signals that are key in prey capture and processing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anda-Larisa Iosip
- Molecular Plant Physiology and Biophysics, University of Würzburg, Julius-von-Sachs-Platz 2, 97082 Würzburg, Germany; Center for Computational and Theoretical Biology, University of Würzburg, Clara-Oppenheimer-Weg 32, 97074 Würzburg, Germany
| | - Sönke Scherzer
- Molecular Plant Physiology and Biophysics, University of Würzburg, Julius-von-Sachs-Platz 2, 97082 Würzburg, Germany
| | - Sonja Bauer
- Molecular Plant Physiology and Biophysics, University of Würzburg, Julius-von-Sachs-Platz 2, 97082 Würzburg, Germany
| | - Dirk Becker
- Molecular Plant Physiology and Biophysics, University of Würzburg, Julius-von-Sachs-Platz 2, 97082 Würzburg, Germany
| | - Markus Krischke
- Pharmaceutical Biology, Julius-von-Sachs Institute of Biosciences, University of Würzburg, Julius-von-Sachs-Platz 2, 97082 Würzburg, Germany
| | - Khaled A S Al-Rasheid
- Zoology Department, College of Science, King Saud University, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia
| | - Jörg Schultz
- Center for Computational and Theoretical Biology, University of Würzburg, Clara-Oppenheimer-Weg 32, 97074 Würzburg, Germany
| | - Ines Kreuzer
- Molecular Plant Physiology and Biophysics, University of Würzburg, Julius-von-Sachs-Platz 2, 97082 Würzburg, Germany.
| | - Rainer Hedrich
- Molecular Plant Physiology and Biophysics, University of Würzburg, Julius-von-Sachs-Platz 2, 97082 Würzburg, Germany.
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Scherzer S, Böhm J, Huang S, Iosip AL, Kreuzer I, Becker D, Heckmann M, Al-Rasheid KAS, Dreyer I, Hedrich R. A unique inventory of ion transporters poises the Venus flytrap to fast-propagating action potentials and calcium waves. Curr Biol 2022; 32:4255-4263.e5. [PMID: 36087579 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2022.08.051] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2022] [Revised: 06/20/2022] [Accepted: 08/17/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Since the 19th century, it has been known that the carnivorous Venus flytrap is electrically excitable. Nevertheless, the mechanism and the molecular entities of the flytrap action potential (AP) remain unknown. When entering the electrically excitable stage, the trap expressed a characteristic inventory of ion transporters, among which the increase in glutamate receptor GLR3.6 RNA was most pronounced. Trigger hair stimulation or glutamate application evoked an AP and a cytoplasmic Ca2+ transient that both propagated at the same speed from the site of induction along the entire trap lobe surface. A priming Ca2+ moiety entering the cytoplasm in the context of the AP was further potentiated by an organelle-localized calcium-induced calcium release (CICR)-like system prolonging the Ca2+ signal. While the Ca2+ transient persisted, SKOR K+ channels and AHA H+-ATPases repolarized the AP already. By counting the number of APs and long-lasting Ca2+ transients, the trap directs the different steps in the carnivorous plant's hunting cycle. VIDEO ABSTRACT.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sönke Scherzer
- Molecular Plant Physiology and Biophysics, Julius-von-Sachs Institute for Biosciences, Biocenter, Wuerzburg University, Julius-von-Sachs-Platz 2, 97070 Wuerzburg, Germany.
| | - Jennifer Böhm
- Molecular Plant Physiology and Biophysics, Julius-von-Sachs Institute for Biosciences, Biocenter, Wuerzburg University, Julius-von-Sachs-Platz 2, 97070 Wuerzburg, Germany
| | - Shouguang Huang
- Molecular Plant Physiology and Biophysics, Julius-von-Sachs Institute for Biosciences, Biocenter, Wuerzburg University, Julius-von-Sachs-Platz 2, 97070 Wuerzburg, Germany
| | - Anda L Iosip
- Molecular Plant Physiology and Biophysics, Julius-von-Sachs Institute for Biosciences, Biocenter, Wuerzburg University, Julius-von-Sachs-Platz 2, 97070 Wuerzburg, Germany
| | - Ines Kreuzer
- Molecular Plant Physiology and Biophysics, Julius-von-Sachs Institute for Biosciences, Biocenter, Wuerzburg University, Julius-von-Sachs-Platz 2, 97070 Wuerzburg, Germany
| | - Dirk Becker
- Molecular Plant Physiology and Biophysics, Julius-von-Sachs Institute for Biosciences, Biocenter, Wuerzburg University, Julius-von-Sachs-Platz 2, 97070 Wuerzburg, Germany
| | - Manfred Heckmann
- Department of Neurophysiology, Institute of Physiology, Wuerzburg University, Röntgenring 9, 97070 Wuerzburg, Germany
| | - Khaled A S Al-Rasheid
- Zoology Department, College of Science, King Saud University, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia
| | - Ingo Dreyer
- Center of Bioinformatics, Simulation and Modeling (CBSM), Faculty of Engineering, Universidad de Talca, 2 Norte 685, Talca 3460000, Chile
| | - Rainer Hedrich
- Molecular Plant Physiology and Biophysics, Julius-von-Sachs Institute for Biosciences, Biocenter, Wuerzburg University, Julius-von-Sachs-Platz 2, 97070 Wuerzburg, Germany.
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Saikia E, Läubli NF, Vogler H, Rüggeberg M, Herrmann HJ, Burgert I, Burri JT, Nelson BJ, Grossniklaus U, Wittel FK. Mechanical factors contributing to the Venus flytrap's rate-dependent response to stimuli. Biomech Model Mechanobiol 2021; 20:2287-2297. [PMID: 34431032 PMCID: PMC8595191 DOI: 10.1007/s10237-021-01507-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2021] [Revised: 07/16/2021] [Accepted: 08/13/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
The sensory hairs of the Venus flytrap (Dionaea muscipula Ellis) detect mechanical stimuli imparted by their prey and fire bursts of electrical signals called action potentials (APs). APs are elicited when the hairs are sufficiently stimulated and two consecutive APs can trigger closure of the trap. Earlier experiments have identified thresholds for the relevant stimulus parameters, namely the angular displacement \documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$\omega $$\end{document}ω. However, these experiments could not trace the deformation of the trigger hair’s sensory cells, which are known to transduce the mechanical stimulus. To understand the kinematics at the cellular level, we investigate the role of two relevant mechanical phenomena: viscoelasticity and intercellular fluid transport using a multi-scale numerical model of the sensory hair. We hypothesize that the combined influence of these two phenomena and \documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$\omega $$\end{document}ω contribute to the flytrap’s rate-dependent response to stimuli. In this study, we firstly perform sustained deflection tests on the hair to estimate the viscoelastic material properties of the tissue. Thereafter, through simulations of hair deflection tests at different loading rates, we were able to establish a multi-scale kinematic link between \documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$\omega $$\end{document}ω and the cell wall stretch \documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$\delta $$\end{document}δ. Furthermore, we find that the rate at which \documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$\omega $$\end{document}ω. This suggests that mechanosensitive ion channels, expected to be stretch-activated and localized in the plasma membrane of the sensory cells, could be additionally sensitive to the rate at which stretch is applied.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eashan Saikia
- Department of Civil, Environmental and Geomatic Engineering, ETH Zurich, Zurich, 8093, Switzerland.
| | - Nino F Läubli
- Department of Mechanical and Process Engineering, ETH Zurich, Zurich, 8092, Switzerland.,Department of Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB3 0AS, United Kingdom
| | - Hannes Vogler
- Department of Plant and Microbial Biology and Zurich-Basel Plant Science Center, University of Zurich, Zurich, 8008, Switzerland
| | | | - Hans J Herrmann
- Laboratoire de Physique et Mécanique des Milieux Hétérogènes, École Supérieur de Physique et de Chimie Industrielles de la Ville de Paris, 75005, Paris, France
| | - Ingo Burgert
- Department of Civil, Environmental and Geomatic Engineering, ETH Zurich, Zurich, 8093, Switzerland.,Swiss Federal Laboratories for Material Science and Technology-EMPA, Cellulose and Wood Materials Laboratory, 8600, Dubendorf, Switzerland
| | - Jan T Burri
- Department of Mechanical and Process Engineering, ETH Zurich, Zurich, 8092, Switzerland
| | - Bradley J Nelson
- Department of Mechanical and Process Engineering, ETH Zurich, Zurich, 8092, Switzerland
| | - Ueli Grossniklaus
- Department of Plant and Microbial Biology and Zurich-Basel Plant Science Center, University of Zurich, Zurich, 8008, Switzerland
| | - Falk K Wittel
- Department of Civil, Environmental and Geomatic Engineering, ETH Zurich, Zurich, 8093, Switzerland
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Cazalis R, Cottam R. An approach to the plant body: Assessing concrete and abstract aspects. Biosystems 2021; 207:104461. [PMID: 34166731 DOI: 10.1016/j.biosystems.2021.104461] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2021] [Revised: 05/29/2021] [Accepted: 06/16/2021] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
The paper aims at proposing a representation of plants as individuals. The first section selects the population of plants to which this study is addressed. The second section describes the effective architecture of plants as modular systems with fixed and mobile elements, in other words, plants and their extensions. The third section presents how plants integrate the fixed and mobile modules into functional units through three areas of particular relevance to plant growth and development: nutrition, defence and pollination. Based on the tangible elements introduced in the previous sections, the fourth section presents the main issue of the proposal which is not apparent at first glance, namely, the local-global relationship in plants' architecture that determines their individuality as organisms. Finally, in the conclusion, we issue the challenge of developing a collective presentation of plants which satisfies their complementary dimension.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roland Cazalis
- Dept. of 'Sciences, Philosophies, Societies', ESPHIN, NAXYS, University of Namur, Namur, Belgium
| | - Ron Cottam
- The Living Systems Project, Department of Electronics and Informatics, Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), Brussels, Belgium.
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Krychowiak-Maśnicka M, Krauze-Baranowska M, Godlewska S, Kaczyński Z, Bielicka-Giełdoń A, Grzegorczyk N, Narajczyk M, Frackowiak JE, Krolicka A. Potential of Silver Nanoparticles in Overcoming the Intrinsic Resistance of Pseudomonas aeruginosa to Secondary Metabolites from Carnivorous Plants. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:4849. [PMID: 34063704 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22094849] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2021] [Accepted: 04/29/2021] [Indexed: 12/05/2022] Open
Abstract
Carnivorous plants are exemplary natural sources of secondary metabolites with biological activity. However, the therapeutic antimicrobial potential of these compounds is limited due to intrinsic resistance of selected bacterial pathogens, among which Pseudomonas aeruginosa represents an extreme example. The objective of the study was to overcome the intrinsic resistance of P. aeruginosa by combining silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) with secondary metabolites from selected carnivorous plant species. We employed the broth microdilution method, the checkerboard titration technique and comprehensive phytochemical analyses to define interactions between nanoparticles and active compounds from carnivorous plants. It has been confirmed that P. aeruginosa is resistant to a broad range of secondary metabolites from carnivorous plants, i.e., naphthoquinones, flavonoids, phenolic acids (MBC = 512 µg mL−1) and only weakly sensitive to their mixtures, i.e., extracts and extracts’ fractions. However, it was shown that the antimicrobial activity of extracts and fractions with a significant level of naphthoquinone (plumbagin) was significantly enhanced by AgNPs. Our studies clearly demonstrated a crucial role of naphthoquinones in AgNPs and extract interaction, as well as depicted the potential of AgNPs to restore the bactericidal activity of naphthoquinones towards P. aeruginosa. Our findings indicate the significant potential of nanoparticles to modulate the activity of selected secondary metabolites and revisit their antimicrobial potential towards human pathogenic bacteria.
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7
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Procko C, Murthy S, Keenan WT, Mousavi SAR, Dabi T, Coombs A, Procko E, Baird L, Patapoutian A, Chory J. Stretch-activated ion channels identified in the touch-sensitive structures of carnivorous Droseraceae plants. eLife 2021; 10:e64250. [PMID: 33724187 PMCID: PMC7963481 DOI: 10.7554/elife.64250] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2020] [Accepted: 02/18/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
In response to touch, some carnivorous plants such as the Venus flytrap have evolved spectacular movements to capture animals for nutrient acquisition. However, the molecules that confer this sensitivity remain unknown. We used comparative transcriptomics to show that expression of three genes encoding homologs of the MscS-Like (MSL) and OSCA/TMEM63 family of mechanosensitive ion channels are localized to touch-sensitive trigger hairs of Venus flytrap. We focus here on the candidate with the most enriched expression in trigger hairs, the MSL homolog FLYCATCHER1 (FLYC1). We show that FLYC1 transcripts are localized to mechanosensory cells within the trigger hair, transfecting FLYC1 induces chloride-permeable stretch-activated currents in naïve cells, and transcripts coding for FLYC1 homologs are expressed in touch-sensing cells of Cape sundew, a related carnivorous plant of the Droseraceae family. Our data suggest that the mechanism of prey recognition in carnivorous Droseraceae evolved by co-opting ancestral mechanosensitive ion channels to sense touch.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carl Procko
- Plant Biology Laboratory, Salk Institute for Biological StudiesLa JollaUnited States
| | - Swetha Murthy
- Department of Neuroscience, Dorris Neuroscience Center, Scripps ResearchSan DiegoUnited States
- Howard Hughes Medical InstituteChevy ChaseUnited States
| | - William T Keenan
- Department of Neuroscience, Dorris Neuroscience Center, Scripps ResearchSan DiegoUnited States
- Howard Hughes Medical InstituteChevy ChaseUnited States
| | - Seyed Ali Reza Mousavi
- Department of Neuroscience, Dorris Neuroscience Center, Scripps ResearchSan DiegoUnited States
- Howard Hughes Medical InstituteChevy ChaseUnited States
| | - Tsegaye Dabi
- Plant Biology Laboratory, Salk Institute for Biological StudiesLa JollaUnited States
| | - Adam Coombs
- Department of Neuroscience, Dorris Neuroscience Center, Scripps ResearchSan DiegoUnited States
- Howard Hughes Medical InstituteChevy ChaseUnited States
| | - Erik Procko
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Illinois at Urbana-ChampaignUrbanaUnited States
| | - Lisa Baird
- Department of Biology, University of San DiegoSan DiegoUnited States
| | - Ardem Patapoutian
- Department of Neuroscience, Dorris Neuroscience Center, Scripps ResearchSan DiegoUnited States
- Howard Hughes Medical InstituteChevy ChaseUnited States
| | - Joanne Chory
- Plant Biology Laboratory, Salk Institute for Biological StudiesLa JollaUnited States
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8
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Saikia E, Läubli NF, Burri JT, Rüggeberg M, Vogler H, Burgert I, Herrmann HJ, Nelson BJ, Grossniklaus U, Wittel FK. Kinematics Governing Mechanotransduction in the Sensory Hair of the Venus flytrap. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 22:E280. [PMID: 33396579 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22010280] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2020] [Revised: 12/21/2020] [Accepted: 12/22/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Insects fall prey to the Venus flytrap (Dionaea muscipula) when they touch the sensory hairs located on the flytrap lobes, causing sudden trap closure. The mechanical stimulus imparted by the touch produces an electrical response in the sensory cells of the trigger hair. These cells are found in a constriction near the hair base, where a notch appears around the hair’s periphery. There are mechanosensitive ion channels (MSCs) in the sensory cells that open due to a change in membrane tension; however, the kinematics behind this process is unclear. In this study, we investigate how the stimulus acts on the sensory cells by building a multi-scale hair model, using morphometric data obtained from μ-CT scans. We simulated a single-touch stimulus and evaluated the resulting cell wall stretch. Interestingly, the model showed that high stretch values are diverted away from the notch periphery and, instead, localized in the interior regions of the cell wall. We repeated our simulations for different cell shape variants to elucidate how the morphology influences the location of these high-stretch regions. Our results suggest that there is likely a higher mechanotransduction activity in these ’hotspots’, which may provide new insights into the arrangement and functioning of MSCs in the flytrap. Dataset: 10.3929/ethz-b-000448954
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Makowski W, Tokarz B, Banasiuk R, Królicka A, Dziurka M, Wojciechowska R, Tokarz KM. Is a blue-red light a good elicitor of phenolic compounds in the family Droseraceae? A comparative study. J Photochem Photobiol B 2019; 201:111679. [PMID: 31710926 DOI: 10.1016/j.jphotobiol.2019.111679] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2019] [Revised: 07/23/2019] [Accepted: 10/30/2019] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Abstract
Plants from the family Droseraceae, especially Drosera sp. and Dionaea sp., are naturally rich in phenolic derivatives such as plumbagin, among others. Plumbagin is known both for its pharmacological significance and its protective properties against light stress. Light stress - high light intensity or/and light spectral composition - activates plants' response mechanisms including, among others, hormonal (salicylic acid, jasmonic acid) pathways and secondary metabolite (phenolic compounds, proline) pathways. Short-wavelength radiation, due to its high energy, will induce the synthesis of protective secondary metabolites, including those with pharmaceutical properties. The aim of the study was to describe and compare acclimation strategies of Drosera peltata and Dionaea muscipula to blue-red light in the context of phenolic compound accumulation, and salicylic acid, jasmonic acid and proline synthesis. For the first time, differences in the responses of D. muscipula and D. peltata to blue-red light (in the ratio 6:1) were established. In Dionaea sp., it was associated with the use of redox equivalents (in particular, plastoquinone pool) for the synthesis of primary metabolites used in the process of growth and development. In Drosera sp., a rapid adjustment of redox state led to the synthesis of secondary metabolites, constituting a reservoir of carbon skeletons and allowing for a quick defence response to stress factors. In both species, blue-red light did not induce the jasmonic acid pathway. However, the salicylic acid pathway was induced as an alternative to the phenolic compound synthesis pathway. Nevertheless, the applied blue-red light was not an effective elicitor of phenolic compounds in the plants examined.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wojciech Makowski
- Unit of Botany and Plant Physiology, Institute of Plant Biology and Biotechnology, Faculty of Biotechnology and Horticulture, University of Agriculture in Krakow, 29 Listopada 54, 31-425 Krakow, Poland
| | - Barbara Tokarz
- Unit of Botany and Plant Physiology, Institute of Plant Biology and Biotechnology, Faculty of Biotechnology and Horticulture, University of Agriculture in Krakow, 29 Listopada 54, 31-425 Krakow, Poland
| | - Rafał Banasiuk
- Institute of Biotechnology and Molecular Medicine, Trzy Lipy 3, 80-172 Gdansk, Poland
| | - Aleksandra Królicka
- University of Gdansk, Intercollegiate Faculty of Biotechnology UG and MUG, Laboratory of Biologically Active Compounds, Abrahama 58, 80-307 Gdansk, Poland
| | - Michał Dziurka
- The Franciszek Górski Institute of Plant Physiology Polish Academy of Science, Niezapominajek 21, 30-239 Krakow, Poland
| | - Renata Wojciechowska
- Unit of Botany and Plant Physiology, Institute of Plant Biology and Biotechnology, Faculty of Biotechnology and Horticulture, University of Agriculture in Krakow, 29 Listopada 54, 31-425 Krakow, Poland
| | - Krzysztof M Tokarz
- Unit of Botany and Plant Physiology, Institute of Plant Biology and Biotechnology, Faculty of Biotechnology and Horticulture, University of Agriculture in Krakow, 29 Listopada 54, 31-425 Krakow, Poland.
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Scherzer S, Shabala L, Hedrich B, Fromm J, Bauer H, Munz E, Jakob P, Al-Rascheid KAS, Kreuzer I, Becker D, Eiblmeier M, Rennenberg H, Shabala S, Bennett M, Neher E, Hedrich R. Insect haptoelectrical stimulation of Venus flytrap triggers exocytosis in gland cells. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2017; 114:4822-7. [PMID: 28416693 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1701860114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The Venus flytrap Dionaea muscipula captures insects and consumes their flesh. Prey contacting touch-sensitive hairs trigger traveling electrical waves. These action potentials (APs) cause rapid closure of the trap and activate secretory functions of glands, which cover its inner surface. Such prey-induced haptoelectric stimulation activates the touch hormone jasmonate (JA) signaling pathway, which initiates secretion of an acidic hydrolase mixture to decompose the victim and acquire the animal nutrients. Although postulated since Darwin's pioneering studies, these secretory events have not been recorded so far. Using advanced analytical and imaging techniques, such as vibrating ion-selective electrodes, carbon fiber amperometry, and magnetic resonance imaging, we monitored stimulus-coupled glandular secretion into the flytrap. Trigger-hair bending or direct application of JA caused a quantal release of oxidizable material from gland cells monitored as distinct amperometric spikes. Spikes reminiscent of exocytotic events in secretory animal cells progressively increased in frequency, reaching steady state 1 d after stimulation. Our data indicate that trigger-hair mechanical stimulation evokes APs. Gland cells translate APs into touch-inducible JA signaling that promotes the formation of secretory vesicles. Early vesicles loaded with H+ and Cl- fuse with the plasma membrane, hyperacidifying the "green stomach"-like digestive organ, whereas subsequent ones carry hydrolases and nutrient transporters, together with a glutathione redox moiety, which is likely to act as the major detected compound in amperometry. Hence, when glands perceive the haptoelectrical stimulation, secretory vesicles are tailored to be released in a sequence that optimizes digestion of the captured animal.
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Böhm J, Scherzer S, Shabala S, Krol E, Neher E, Mueller TD, Hedrich R. Venus Flytrap HKT1-Type Channel Provides for Prey Sodium Uptake into Carnivorous Plant Without Conflicting with Electrical Excitability. Mol Plant 2016; 9:428-436. [PMID: 26455461 PMCID: PMC4791408 DOI: 10.1016/j.molp.2015.09.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2015] [Revised: 09/24/2015] [Accepted: 09/24/2015] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
The animal diet of the carnivorous Venus flytrap, Dionaea muscipula, contains a sodium load that enters the capture organ via an HKT1-type sodium channel, expressed in special epithelia cells on the inner trap lobe surface. DmHKT1 expression and sodium uptake activity is induced upon prey contact. Here, we analyzed the HKT1 properties required for prey sodium osmolyte management of carnivorous Dionaea. Analyses were based on homology modeling, generation of model-derived point mutants, and their functional testing in Xenopus oocytes. We showed that the wild-type HKT1 and its Na(+)- and K(+)-permeable mutants function as ion channels rather than K(+) transporters driven by proton or sodium gradients. These structural and biophysical features of a high-capacity, Na(+)-selective ion channel enable Dionaea glands to manage prey-derived sodium loads without confounding the action potential-based information management of the flytrap.
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Affiliation(s)
- J Böhm
- Julius-von-Sachs Institute, Department for Molecular Plant Physiology and Biophysics, University of Würzburg, Julius-von-Sachs Platz 2, 97082 Würzburg, Germany
| | - S Scherzer
- Julius-von-Sachs Institute, Department for Molecular Plant Physiology and Biophysics, University of Würzburg, Julius-von-Sachs Platz 2, 97082 Würzburg, Germany
| | - S Shabala
- School of Land and Food, University of Tasmania, Hobart TAS 7001, Australia
| | - E Krol
- Julius-von-Sachs Institute, Department for Molecular Plant Physiology and Biophysics, University of Würzburg, Julius-von-Sachs Platz 2, 97082 Würzburg, Germany
| | - E Neher
- Zoology Department, College of Science, King Saud University, PO Box 2455, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia; Department for Membrane Biophysics, Max Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry, 37077 Goettingen, Germany
| | - T D Mueller
- Julius-von-Sachs Institute, Department for Molecular Plant Physiology and Biophysics, University of Würzburg, Julius-von-Sachs Platz 2, 97082 Würzburg, Germany.
| | - R Hedrich
- Julius-von-Sachs Institute, Department for Molecular Plant Physiology and Biophysics, University of Würzburg, Julius-von-Sachs Platz 2, 97082 Würzburg, Germany.
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Scherzer S, Böhm J, Krol E, Shabala L, Kreuzer I, Larisch C, Bemm F, Al-Rasheid KA, Shabala S, Rennenberg H, Neher E, Hedrich R. Calcium sensor kinase activates potassium uptake systems in gland cells of Venus flytraps. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2015; 112:7309-14. [PMID: 25997445 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1507810112] [Citation(s) in RCA: 76] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
The Darwin plant Dionaea muscipula is able to grow on mineral-poor soil, because it gains essential nutrients from captured animal prey. Given that no nutrients remain in the trap when it opens after the consumption of an animal meal, we here asked the question of how Dionaea sequesters prey-derived potassium. We show that prey capture triggers expression of a K(+) uptake system in the Venus flytrap. In search of K(+) transporters endowed with adequate properties for this role, we screened a Dionaea expressed sequence tag (EST) database and identified DmKT1 and DmHAK5 as candidates. On insect and touch hormone stimulation, the number of transcripts of these transporters increased in flytraps. After cRNA injection of K(+)-transporter genes into Xenopus oocytes, however, both putative K(+) transporters remained silent. Assuming that calcium sensor kinases are regulating Arabidopsis K(+) transporter 1 (AKT1), we coexpressed the putative K(+) transporters with a large set of kinases and identified the CBL9-CIPK23 pair as the major activating complex for both transporters in Dionaea K(+) uptake. DmKT1 was found to be a K(+)-selective channel of voltage-dependent high capacity and low affinity, whereas DmHAK5 was identified as the first, to our knowledge, proton-driven, high-affinity potassium transporter with weak selectivity. When the Venus flytrap is processing its prey, the gland cell membrane potential is maintained around -120 mV, and the apoplast is acidified to pH 3. These conditions in the green stomach formed by the closed flytrap allow DmKT1 and DmHAK5 to acquire prey-derived K(+), reducing its concentration from millimolar levels down to trace levels.
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Kreuzwieser J, Scheerer U, Kruse J, Burzlaff T, Honsel A, Alfarraj S, Georgiev P, Schnitzler JP, Ghirardo A, Kreuzer I, Hedrich R, Rennenberg H. The Venus flytrap attracts insects by the release of volatile organic compounds. J Exp Bot 2014; 65:755-66. [PMID: 24420576 PMCID: PMC3904726 DOI: 10.1093/jxb/ert455] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
Does Dionaea muscipula, the Venus flytrap, use a particular mechanism to attract animal prey? This question was raised by Charles Darwin 140 years ago, but it remains unanswered. This study tested the hypothesis that Dionaea releases volatile organic compounds (VOCs) to allure prey insects. For this purpose, olfactory choice bioassays were performed to elucidate if Dionaea attracts Drosophila melanogaster. The VOCs emitted by the plant were further analysed by GC-MS and proton transfer reaction-mass spectrometry (PTR-MS). The bioassays documented that Drosophila was strongly attracted by the carnivorous plant. Over 60 VOCs, including terpenes, benzenoids, and aliphatics, were emitted by Dionaea, predominantly in the light. This work further tested whether attraction of animal prey is affected by the nutritional status of the plant. For this purpose, Dionaea plants were fed with insect biomass to improve plant N status. However, although such feeding altered the VOC emission pattern by reducing terpene release, the attraction of Drosophila was not affected. From these results it is concluded that Dionaea attracts insects on the basis of food smell mimicry because the scent released has strong similarity to the bouquet of fruits and plant flowers. Such a volatile blend is emitted to attract insects searching for food to visit the deadly capture organ of the Venus flytrap.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jürgen Kreuzwieser
- Professur für Baumphysiologie, Institut für Forstwissenschaften, Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg, Georges-Köhler-Allee Geb. 053/054, 79110 Freiburg, Germany
| | - Ursel Scheerer
- Professur für Baumphysiologie, Institut für Forstwissenschaften, Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg, Georges-Köhler-Allee Geb. 053/054, 79110 Freiburg, Germany
| | - Jörg Kruse
- Professur für Baumphysiologie, Institut für Forstwissenschaften, Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg, Georges-Köhler-Allee Geb. 053/054, 79110 Freiburg, Germany
| | - Tim Burzlaff
- Professur für Forstzoologie und Entomologie, Institut für Forstwissenschaften, Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg, Tennenbacher Strasse 4, 79085 Freiburg, Germany
| | - Anne Honsel
- Professur für Baumphysiologie, Institut für Forstwissenschaften, Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg, Georges-Köhler-Allee Geb. 053/054, 79110 Freiburg, Germany
| | - Saleh Alfarraj
- Zoology Department, College of Science, King Saud University, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia
| | - Plamen Georgiev
- Fly Facility, Max Planck Institute of Immunobiology and Epigenetics, Stübeweg 51, 79108 Freiburg, Germany
| | - Jörg-Peter Schnitzler
- Research Unit Environmental Simulation (EUS), Institute of Biochemical Plant Pathology, Helmholtz Zentrum München, Ingolstädter Landstr. 1, 85764 Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Andrea Ghirardo
- Research Unit Environmental Simulation (EUS), Institute of Biochemical Plant Pathology, Helmholtz Zentrum München, Ingolstädter Landstr. 1, 85764 Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Ines Kreuzer
- Lehrstuhl für Botanik I, Julius-von-Sachs-Institut für Biowissenschaften, Julius-von-Sachs-Platz 2, 97082 Würzburg, Germany
| | - Rainer Hedrich
- Lehrstuhl für Botanik I, Julius-von-Sachs-Institut für Biowissenschaften, Julius-von-Sachs-Platz 2, 97082 Würzburg, Germany
| | - Heinz Rennenberg
- Professur für Baumphysiologie, Institut für Forstwissenschaften, Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg, Georges-Köhler-Allee Geb. 053/054, 79110 Freiburg, Germany
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