Corolla chirality does not contribute to directed pollen movement in Hypericum perforatum (Hypericaceae): mirror image pinwheel flowers function as radially symmetric flowers in pollination

Funding for Open Access provided by the UMD Libraries Open Access Publishing Fund.Corolla chirality, the pinwheel arrangement of petals within a flower, is found throughout the core eudicots. In 15 families, different chiral type flowers (i.e., right or left rotated corolla) exist on the same plant, and this condition is referred to as unfixed/enantiomorphic corolla chirality. There are no investigations on the significance of unfixed floral chirality on directed pollen movement even though analogous mirror image floral designs, for example, enantiostyly, has evolved in response to selection to direct pollinator and pollen movement. Here, we examine the role of corolla chirality on directing pollen transfer, pollinator behavior, and its potential influence on disassortative mating. We quantified pollen transfer and pollinator behavior and movement for both right and left rotated flowers in two populations of Hypericum perforatum. In addition, we quantified the number of right and left rotated flowers at the individual level. Pollinators were indifferent to corolla chirality resulting in no difference in pollen deposition between right and left flowers. Corolla chirality had no effect on pollinator and pollen movement between and within chiral morphs. Unlike other mirror image floral designs, corolla chirality appears to play no role in promoting disassortative mating in this species

Evolutionary Ecology of Plant-Arthropod Interactions in Light of the “Omics” Sciences : A Broad Guide

Funding Information: The project is funded by the European Commission as well as the following national/regional bodies: Formas—the Swedish Research Council for Sustainable Development (grant no: 2020–02376), Academy of Finland (grant no. 344726), Research Foundation—Flanders (grant no. FWO ERANET G0H6520N), and Agencia Estatal de Investigación (grant no. PCI2020-120719-2). Publisher Copyright: Copyright © 2022 De-la-Cruz, Batsleer, Bonte, Diller, Hytönen, Muola, Osorio, Posé, Vandegehuchte and Stenberg.Aboveground plant-arthropod interactions are typically complex, involving herbivores, predators, pollinators, and various other guilds that can strongly affect plant fitness, directly or indirectly, and individually, synergistically, or antagonistically. However, little is known about how ongoing natural selection by these interacting guilds shapes the evolution of plants, i.e., how they affect the differential survival and reproduction of genotypes due to differences in phenotypes in an environment. Recent technological advances, including next-generation sequencing, metabolomics, and gene-editing technologies along with traditional experimental approaches (e.g., quantitative genetics experiments), have enabled far more comprehensive exploration of the genes and traits involved in complex ecological interactions. Connecting different levels of biological organization (genes to communities) will enhance the understanding of evolutionary interactions in complex communities, but this requires a multidisciplinary approach. Here, we review traditional and modern methods and concepts, then highlight future avenues for studying the evolution of plant-arthropod interactions (e.g., plant-herbivore-pollinator interactions). Besides promoting a fundamental understanding of plant-associated arthropod communities’ genetic background and evolution, such knowledge can also help address many current global environmental challenges.Peer reviewe

Phenotypic and Metabolomic Responses of Fragaria vesca to Varied Environmental Conditions: Insights from the PlantCline Project.

Climate change poses a significant threat to plant species, potentially altering their distribution and physiological processes. The European project PlantCline seeks to understand these impacts through a collaborative scientific effort to enhance our knowledge about plant resilience and adaptation, focusing on the model organism Fragaria vesca. This abstract outline a comprehensive study of 16 F. vesca genotypes, strategically selected to represent a significant sampling of latitudinal gradients across Europe. Grown in various common gardens throughout the continent, these plants were exposed to differing environmental conditions and a controlled drought scenario, offering the possibility of additional comparisons. Phenotypic measurements were taken from these plants, and leaf samples were harvested to analyse primary metabolites using Gas Chromatography coupled to Mass Spectrometry technique (GC-MS). The data derived from this study aims to determine the genotypes’ capacity to respond to environmental changes, thereby providing insights into their potential plasticity in the face of climatic shifts. Preliminary results indicate that the different genotypes exhibit varying degrees of response to environmental changes, suggesting diverse levels of phenotypic plasticity. These findings have profound implications for understanding how plant species may cope with the ongoing challenges imposed by climate change. They also offer valuable information for conservation strategies and agricultural practices, as identifying genotypes with higher plasticity could inform the selection of species more likely to thrive in changing climates.This work has been funded by the European project PlantCline (ref. PCI2020-120719-1), Ayuda D2 Plan Propio by Universidad de Málaga and Proyecto QUAL21 012 IHSM (Consejería de Universidad, Investigación e Innovación, Junta de Andalucía). Universidad de Málaga. Campus de Excelencia Internacional Andalucía Tech

Evolutionary Ecology of Plant-Arthropod Interactions in Light of the “Omics” Sciences: A Broad Guide

Aboveground plant-arthropod interactions are typically complex, involving herbivores, predators, pollinators, and various other guilds that can strongly affect plant fitness, directly or indirectly, and individually, synergistically, or antagonistically. However, little is known about how ongoing natural selection by these interacting guilds shapes the evolution of plants, i.e., how they affect the differential survival and reproduction of genotypes due to differences in phenotypes in an environment. Recent technological advances, including next-generation sequencing, metabolomics, and gene-editing technologies along with traditional experimental approaches (e.g., quantitative genetics experiments), have enabled far more comprehensive exploration of the genes and traits involved in complex ecological interactions. Connecting different levels of biological organization (genes to communities) will enhance the understanding of evolutionary interactions in complex communities, but this requires a multidisciplinary approach. Here, we review traditional and modern methods and concepts, then highlight future avenues for studying the evolution of plant-arthropod interactions (e.g., plant-herbivore-pollinator interactions). Besides promoting a fundamental understanding of plant-associated arthropod communities’ genetic background and evolution, such knowledge can also help address many current global environmental challenges.</p

EVALUATING THE EFFECTS OF POLLINATOR MEDIATED SELECTION ON PATTERNS OF FLORAL VARIATION

Angiosperm flowers astonish for their high morphological diversity. More importantly, flower shape variation has a significant reproductive and evolutionary role. Here, I studied the relationship between flower shape and pollination precision, i.e. the precise transfer of pollen across flowers by pollinators. In the first two chapters, I studied the role of one floral trait, corolla chirality, in three species of Hypericum (Hypericaceae). Unfixed corolla chirality is the presence of pinwheel arrangement of petals, both right and left rotated, within an individual. Specifically, I evaluated whether corolla chirality promotes disassortative mating between flower morphs through directed movement of pollen and pollinators between flowers. This precise pollination mechanism could increase outcrossing rates by reducing geitonogamous pollinations. Nevertheless, pollinators were indifferent to corolla chirality and thus pollination for unfixed corolla chirality is similar to radially symmetric flowers with a generalized (non-precise) pollination system. In chapter 3, I performed a macroevolutionary analysis on multiple key flower traits. I hypothesized that flower traits with precise pollinations due to precise fit with their pollinators or due to increased pollination specialization will be under uniform directional selective pressures and thus be less variable than flowers with less precise pollination system. I found that flowers with lateral orientation or bilateral symmetry were significantly less variable than their alternative states (vertical and radial, respectively). Thus, I demonstrate that traits that restrict pollinator landing and movement play an important role in pollination precision. In chapter 4, I quantified patterns of genetic variation available for pollination precision to evolve in a male reproductive trait (i.e. stamen height) using fast-cycling Brassica rapa. The match of anthers and stigmas to the contact area on the pollinator body conveys precise pollen transfer. My results suggest that individual mean stamen height can evolve to match the population mean pistil height (presence of additive genetic variation), but that some level of imprecision will remain due to lack of additive genetic variation for within-individual stamen height variation. In summary, floral traits vary in their role in pollination precision and the evolution of pollination precision may be constrained by the types and amounts of genetic variation

Evolutionary Ecology of Plant-Arthropod Interactions in Light of the “Omics” Sciences : A Broad Guide

Funding Information: The project is funded by the European Commission as well as the following national/regional bodies: Formas—the Swedish Research Council for Sustainable Development (grant no: 2020–02376), Academy of Finland (grant no. 344726), Research Foundation—Flanders (grant no. FWO ERANET G0H6520N), and Agencia Estatal de Investigación (grant no. PCI2020-120719-2). Publisher Copyright: Copyright © 2022 De-la-Cruz, Batsleer, Bonte, Diller, Hytönen, Muola, Osorio, Posé, Vandegehuchte and Stenberg.Aboveground plant-arthropod interactions are typically complex, involving herbivores, predators, pollinators, and various other guilds that can strongly affect plant fitness, directly or indirectly, and individually, synergistically, or antagonistically. However, little is known about how ongoing natural selection by these interacting guilds shapes the evolution of plants, i.e., how they affect the differential survival and reproduction of genotypes due to differences in phenotypes in an environment. Recent technological advances, including next-generation sequencing, metabolomics, and gene-editing technologies along with traditional experimental approaches (e.g., quantitative genetics experiments), have enabled far more comprehensive exploration of the genes and traits involved in complex ecological interactions. Connecting different levels of biological organization (genes to communities) will enhance the understanding of evolutionary interactions in complex communities, but this requires a multidisciplinary approach. Here, we review traditional and modern methods and concepts, then highlight future avenues for studying the evolution of plant-arthropod interactions (e.g., plant-herbivore-pollinator interactions). Besides promoting a fundamental understanding of plant-associated arthropod communities’ genetic background and evolution, such knowledge can also help address many current global environmental challenges.Peer reviewe

Evolutionary Ecology of Plant-Arthropod Interactions in Light of the “Omics” Sciences: A Broad Guide

Aboveground plant-arthropod interactions are typically complex, involving herbivores, predators, pollinators, and various other guilds that can strongly affect plant fitness, directly or indirectly, and individually, synergistically, or antagonistically. However, little is known about how ongoing natural selection by these interacting guilds shapes the evolution of plants, i.e., how they affect the differential survival and reproduction of genotypes due to differences in phenotypes in an environment. Recent technological advances, including next-generation sequencing, metabolomics, and gene-editing technologies along with traditional experimental approaches (e.g., quantitative genetics experiments), have enabled far more comprehensive exploration of the genes and traits involved in complex ecological interactions. Connecting different levels of biological organization (genes to communities) will enhance the understanding of evolutionary interactions in complex communities, but this requires a multidisciplinary approach. Here, we review traditional and modern methods and concepts, then highlight future avenues for studying the evolution of plant-arthropod interactions (e.g., plant-herbivore-pollinator interactions). Besides promoting a fundamental understanding of plant-associated arthropod communities’ genetic background and evolution, such knowledge can also help address many current global environmental challenges