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PLoS One

Title:		The role of jasmonates in floral nectar secretion
Author(s):		Radhika V; Kost C; Boland W; Heil M;
Address:		"Department of Bioorganic Chemistry, Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, Jena, Germany"
Journal Title:		PLoS One
Year:		2010
Volume:		20100219
Issue:		2
Page Number:		e9265 -
DOI:		10.1371/journal.pone.0009265
ISSN/ISBN:		1932-6203 (Electronic) 1932-6203 (Linking)
Abstract:		"Plants produce nectar in their flowers as a reward for their pollinators and most of our crops depend on insect pollination, but little is known on the physiological control of nectar secretion. Jasmonates are well-known for their effects on senescence, the development and opening of flowers and on plant defences such as extrafloral nectar. Their role in floral nectar secretion has, however, not been explored so far. We investigated whether jasmonates have an influence on floral nectar secretion in oil-seed rape, Brassica napus. The floral tissues of this plant produced jasmonic acid (JA) endogenously, and JA concentrations peaked shortly before nectar secretion was highest. Exogenous application of JA to flowers induced nectar secretion, which was suppressed by treatment with phenidone, an inhibitor of JA synthesis. This effect could be reversed by additional application of JA. Jasmonoyl-isoleucine and its structural mimic coronalon also increased nectar secretion. Herbivory or addition of JA to the leaves did not have an effect on floral nectar secretion, demonstrating a functional separation of systemic defence signalling from reproductive nectar secretion. Jasmonates, which have been intensively studied in the context of herbivore defences and flower development, have a profound effect on floral nectar secretion and, thus, pollination efficiency in B. napus. Our results link floral nectar secretion to jasmonate signalling and thereby integrate the floral nectar secretion into the complex network of oxylipid-mediated developmental processes of plants"
Keywords:		Analysis of Variance Animals Brassica napus/growth & development/metabolism/parasitology Cyclopentanes/*metabolism/pharmacology Flowers/drug effects/growth & development/*metabolism Fructose/analysis Glucose/analysis Host-Parasite Interactions Isoleucine/;
Notes:		"MedlineRadhika, Venkatesan Kost, Christian Boland, Wilhelm Heil, Martin eng Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't 2010/02/23 PLoS One. 2010 Feb 19; 5(2):e9265. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0009265"