Diverse organ-specific localisation of a chemical defence, cyanogenic glycosides, in flowers of eleven species of Proteaceae

Edita Ritmejerytė; Berin A Boughton; Michael J Bayly; Rebecca E Miller

doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0285007

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Diverse organ-specific localisation of a chemical defence, cyanogenic glycosides, in flowers of eleven species of Proteaceae

Journal article

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Diverse organ-specific localisation of a chemical defence, cyanogenic glycosides, in flowers of eleven species of Proteaceae

Edita Ritmejerytė, Berin A Boughton, Michael J Bayly and Rebecca E Miller

PloS one, Vol.18(4), Art. e0285007

2023

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0285007

PMID: 37104509

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Abstract

Flowers - metabolism

Glycosides - metabolism

Plants

Pollen

Pollination

Proteaceae

Floral chemical defence strategies remain under-investigated, despite the significance of flowers to plant fitness. We used cyanogenic glycosides (CNglycs)-constitutive secondary metabolites that deter herbivores by releasing hydrogen cyanide, but also play other metabolic roles-to ask whether more apparent floral tissues and those most important for fitness are more defended as predicted by optimal defence theories, and what fine-scale CNglyc localisation reveals about function(s)? Florets of eleven species from the Proteaceae family were dissected to quantitatively compare the distribution of CNglycs within flowers and investigate whether distributions vary with other floral/plant traits. CNglycs were identified and their localisation in florets was revealed by matrix-assisted laser desorption ionisation mass spectrometry imaging (MALDI-MSI). We identified extremely high CNglyc content in floral tissues of several species (>1% CN), highly tissue-specific CNglyc distributions within florets, and substantial interspecific differences in content distributions, not all consistent with optimal defence hypotheses. Four patterns of within-flower CNglyc allocation were identified: greater tissue-specific allocations to (1) anthers, (2) pedicel (and gynophore), (3) pollen presenter, and (4) a more even distribution among tissues with higher content in pistils. Allocation patterns were not correlated with other floral traits (e.g. colour) or taxonomic relatedness. MALDI-MSI identified differential localisation of two tyrosine-derived CNglycs, demonstrating the importance of visualising metabolite localisation, with the diglycoside proteacin in vascular tissues, and monoglycoside dhurrin across floral tissues. High CNglyc content, and diverse, specific within-flower localisations indicate allocations are adaptive, highlighting the importance of further research into the ecological and metabolic roles of floral CNglycs.

Details

Title: Diverse organ-specific localisation of a chemical defence, cyanogenic glycosides, in flowers of eleven species of Proteaceae
Authors/Creators: Edita Ritmejerytė - The University of Melbourne
Berin A Boughton - Murdoch University, Centre for Computational and Systems Medicine
Michael J Bayly - The University of Melbourne
Rebecca E Miller - The University of Melbourne
Publication Details: PloS one, Vol.18(4), Art. e0285007
Publisher: PLOS
Identifiers: 991005571668807891
Murdoch Affiliation: Australian National Phenome Centre
Language: English
Resource Type: Journal article

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Collaboration types: Domestic collaboration
Citation topics: 3 Agriculture, Environment & Ecology; 3.180 Microbial Biotechnology; 3.180.1812 Cyanide Biodegradation
Web Of Science research areas: Plant Sciences
ESI research areas: Plant & Animal Science