Title: | "Herbivory and jasmonate treatment affect reproductive traits in wild Lima bean, but without transgenerational effects" |
Author(s): | Bustos-Segura C; Hernandez-Cumplido J; Traine J; Benrey B; |
Address: | "Institute of Biology, Laboratory of Evolutionary Entomology, University of Neuchatel, Rue Emile-Argand 11, 2000, Switzerland. Departamento de Ecologia y Recursos Naturales, Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico, Ciudad de Mexico, 04510, Mexico" |
ISSN/ISBN: | 1537-2197 (Electronic) 0002-9122 (Print) 0002-9122 (Linking) |
Abstract: | "PREMISE: Plant responses to herbivores and their elicitors include changes in traits associated with phenology, defense, and reproduction. Induced responses by chewing herbivores are known to be hormonally mediated by the jasmonate pathway and can cascade and affect late-season seed predators and pollinators. Moreover, herbivore-induced plant responses can be transmitted to the next generation. Whether herbivore-induced transgenerational effects also apply to phenological traits is less well understood. METHODS: Here, we explored responses of wild lima bean plants (Phaseolus lunatus) to herbivory and jasmonate treatment and possible transgenerational effects of herbivore-induced early flowering. In a controlled field experiment, we exposed lima bean plants to herbivory by leaf beetles or methyl jasmonate sprays (MJ). We then compared plant development, phenology, reproductive fitness and seed traits among these treatments and undamaged, untreated control plants. RESULTS: We found that MJ and leaf herbivory induced similar responses, with treated plants growing less, flowering earlier, and producing fewer seeds than undamaged plants. However, seed size, phenolics and cyanogenic glycosides concentrations did not differ among treatments. Seed germination rates and flowering time of the offspring were similar among maternal treatments. CONCLUSIONS: Overall, the results confirm that responses of lima bean to herbivory by leaf beetles are mediated by jasmonate; however, effects on phenological traits are not transmitted to the next generation. We discuss why transgenerational effects of herbivory might be restricted to traits that directly target herbivores" |
Keywords: | Animals *Coleoptera Cyclopentanes Herbivory Oxylipins *Phaseolus Reproduction Fabaceae Phaseolus lunatus early flowering herbivore induction jasmonate leaf beetles plant phenology seed traits transgenerational effects; |
Notes: | "MedlineBustos-Segura, Carlos Hernandez-Cumplido, Johnattan Traine, Juan Benrey, Betty eng Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't 2021/10/26 Am J Bot. 2021 Oct; 108(10):2096-2104. doi: 10.1002/ajb2.1786. Epub 2021 Oct 24" |