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Journal article
Evolution of pyrrolizidine alkaloid biosynthesis in Apocynaceae: revisiting the defence de‐escalation hypothesis
The New phytologist, v 218(2), pp 762-773
26 Feb 2018
PMID: 29479722
Featured in Collection : UN Sustainable Development Goals @ Drexel
Abstract
Plants produce specialized metabolites for their defence. However, specialist herbivores adapt to these compounds and use them for their own benefit. Plants attacked predominantly by specialists may be under selection to reduce or eliminate production of co‐opted chemicals: the defence de‐escalation hypothesis.
We studied the evolution of pyrrolizidine alkaloids (
PA
s) in Apocynaceae, larval host plants for
PA
‐adapted butterflies (Danainae, milkweed and clearwing butterflies), to test if the evolutionary pattern is consistent with de‐escalation.
We used the first
PA
biosynthesis specific enzyme (homospermidine synthase,
HSS
) as tool for reconstructing
PA
evolution. We found
hss
orthologues in diverse Apocynaceae species, not all of them known to produce
PA
s. The phylogenetic analysis showed a monophyletic origin of the putative
hss
sequences early in the evolution of one Apocynaceae lineage (the
APSA
clade). We found an
hss
pseudogene in
Asclepias syriaca
, a species known to produce cardiac glycosides but no
PA
s, and four losses of an
HSS
amino acid motif.
APSA
clade species are significantly more likely to be Danainae larval host plants than expected if all Apocynaceae species were equally likely to be exploited.
Our findings are consistent with
PA
de‐escalation as an adaptive response to specialist attack.
Metrics
Details
- Title
- Evolution of pyrrolizidine alkaloid biosynthesis in Apocynaceae: revisiting the defence de‐escalation hypothesis
- Creators
- Tatyana Livshultz - Drexel UniversityElisabeth Kaltenegger - Kiel UniversityShannon C. K. Straub - Hobart and William Smith CollegesKevin Weitemier - Oregon State UniversityElliot Hirsch - Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel UniversityKhrystyna Koval - Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel UniversityLumi Mema - Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel UniversityAaron Liston - Oregon State University
- Publication Details
- The New phytologist, v 218(2), pp 762-773
- Publisher
- John Wiley and Sons Inc
- Grant note
- DEB 0919583; 1655553/1655223 / U.S. National Science Foundation Cottswald Foundation
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Language
- English
- Academic Unit
- Biodiversity, Earth, and Environmental Science (BEES)
- Web of Science ID
- WOS:000428070100032
- Scopus ID
- 2-s2.0-85042428379
- Other Identifier
- 991019167549004721
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- Collaboration types
- Domestic collaboration
- International collaboration
- Web of Science research areas
- Plant Sciences