| Title: | Combined -omics framework reveals how ant symbionts benefit the Neotropical ant-plant Tococa quadrialata at different levels |
| Author(s): | Muller AT; Reichelt M; Cosio EG; Salinas N; Nina A; Wang D; Moossen H; Geilmann H; Gershenzon J; Kollner TG; Mithofer A; |
| Address: | "Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, Research Group Plant Defense Physiology, 07745 Jena, Germany. Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, Department of Biochemistry, 07745 Jena, Germany. Pontifical Catholic University of Peru, Institute for Nature Earth and Energy (INTE-PUCP), San Miguel, 15088 Lima, Peru. Max Planck Institute for Biogeochemistry, Stable Isotope Laboratory (BGC-IsoLab), 07745 Jena, Germany. Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, Department of Natural Product Biosynthesis, 07745 Jena, Germany" |
| DOI: | 10.1016/j.isci.2022.105261 |
| ISSN/ISBN: | 2589-0042 (Electronic) 2589-0042 (Linking) |
| Abstract: | "Ant-plant defensive mutualism is a widely studied phenomenon, where ants protect their host plants (myrmecophytes) against herbivores in return for the provision of nesting sites and food. However, few studies addressed the influence of ant colonization and herbivory on the plant's metabolism. We chose the Amazonian plant Tococa quadrialata, living in association with Azteca cf. tonduzi ants for an ant-exclusion study to reveal the chemistry behind this symbiosis. We found that colonized plants did not only benefit from protection but also from increased amino acid and nitrogen content, enabling better performance even in an herbivore-free environment. In contrast, ant-deprived T. quadrialata plants accumulated more ellagitannins, a major class of constitutive defense compounds. Moreover, herbivory-induced jasmonate-mediated defense responses, including the upregulation of signaling and defense genes and the emission of volatiles irrespective of colonization status. Altogether, we show how ant-colonization can influence the general and defense-related metabolism and performance of myrmecophytes" |
| Keywords: | Ecology omics plant physiology; |
| Notes: | "PubMed-not-MEDLINEMuller, Andrea T Reichelt, Michael Cosio, Eric G Salinas, Norma Nina, Alex Wang, Ding Moossen, Heiko Geilmann, Heike Gershenzon, Jonathan Kollner, Tobias G Mithofer, Axel eng 2022/10/25 iScience. 2022 Oct 2; 25(10):105261. doi: 10.1016/j.isci.2022.105261. eCollection 2022 Oct 21" |
