Article
Ecology
Giacomo Puglielli, Carlos P. Carmona, Laura Varone, Lauri Laanisto, Carlo Ricotta
Summary: In trait-based ecology, it is common to use measures to quantify phenotypic variation between populations. However, these measures overlook the within-population trait variability and some of them cannot be partitioned between populations. This study proposes a new measure called the phenotypic dissimilarity (PhD) index to address these issues and provide a tool for quantifying phenotypic variation within and between species.
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Alex C. Johnson, Thomas H. Pendergast, Srinivasa Chaluvadi, Jeffrey L. Bennetzen, Katrien M. Devos
Summary: This study investigated the effects of arbuscular mycorrhizal symbiosis on miRNA expression in switchgrass. Through miRNA analysis and degradome sequencing, it was found that both upland and lowland genotypes, as well as upland-lowland hybrids, responded to mycorrhizal symbiosis and targets of miRNAs involved in symbiosis were identified. Copper miRNA downregulation was common amongst the different genotypes, and superoxide dismutases and laccases were among the identified targets.
Article
Plant Sciences
Chenglei Wang, Karen Velandia, Choon-Tak Kwon, Kate E. Wulf, David S. Nichols, James B. Reid, Eloise Foo
Summary: Plants form mutualistic nutrient-acquiring symbioses with microbes like arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi, and employ a negative feedback loop called autoregulation of mycorrhizae (AOM) to limit the formation of these symbioses. Specific genes like FAB, FIN, and SlCLV2 have been identified as playing roles in negatively regulating arbuscular mycorrhizal formation in tomato. Furthermore, external nutrients such as phosphate and nitrate can strongly suppress arbuscular mycorrhizal formation, with FAB and FIN being required for nitrate suppression but not for phosphate suppression. This suggests a deep homology in the symbiotic role of these genes, potentially forming a common symbiotic toolkit for beneficial plant-microbe interactions.
JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL BOTANY
(2021)
Article
Plant Sciences
Marzena Sujkowska-Rybkowska, Anna Lisek, Beata Sumorok, Edyta Derkowska, Magdalena Szymanska, Lidia Sas-Paszt
Summary: The old Zn-Pb-contaminated tailings in southern Poland are colonized by metal-tolerant Anthyllis vulneraria L. plants, which form symbiotic associations with nitrogen-fixing rhizobia and phosphorus-acquiring arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi. The mycorrhizal status and diversity of the fungi in these legumes have been poorly studied. Metal ions accumulate mainly in the nodules and fungal structures in the roots, rather than the plant cell walls. The mycorrhization parameters for the plants in the tailings were significantly higher than those in the non-metallicolous site, indicating a potential role of the unique fungal symbionts in enhancing plant tolerance to heavy metal stress.
Article
Plant Sciences
Mst. Rokeya Khatun, Shunya Tojo, Toshiaki Teruya, Hisashi Kato-Noguchi
Summary: This study found that loliolide and 6,7,8-trimethoxycoumarin in Trewia nudiflora leaves have inhibitory effects on the growth of lettuce and foxtail fescue, suggesting the potential use of T. nudiflora extracts as bioherbicides.
Review
Ecology
Steven L. Chown, Melodie A. McGeoch
Summary: This article provides a theory-based examination and empirical review of functional trait-based ecology in relation to animal invasions. Despite the increase in empirical research in this field, interspecific comparisons and assemblage studies are still relatively rare. Broad environmental tolerances, life history traits, and phenotypic plasticity mediate the success of animal invasions at different stages, while introduction effort remains a crucial factor.
ANNUAL REVIEW OF ECOLOGY EVOLUTION AND SYSTEMATICS
(2023)
Article
Forestry
Dan Du, Stephen J. Livesley, Stefan K. Arndt, Camille Truong, Rebecca E. Miller
Summary: A study found that the use of compost tea did not have a positive effect on the growth and root mycorrhizal colonization of container-grown trees. This suggests that compost tea may not be beneficial for tree growth in a nursery setting, and further research is needed to investigate its potential benefits in urban landscapes.
Article
Plant Sciences
N. Taichi, A. Ushimaru
Summary: It has been suggested that urban environments promote both plastic response and genetic divergence of a set of traits in native plants. Our findings suggest that low leaf number, SLA, and positive plant height-leaf area correlations have evolved. In addition, larger plant size is achieved via phenotypic plasticity in urban environments.
Article
Plant Sciences
Thomas B. Irving, Sanhita Chakraborty, Sergey Ivanov, Michael Schultze, Kirankumar S. Mysore, Maria J. Harrison, Jean-Michel Ane
Summary: This study characterized the symbiotic phenotypes of four Medicago truncatula mutants and identified two genes, RAM1 and KIN3, involved in mycorrhization. The results showed that RAM1 acts upstream of KIN3 and that KIN3 is involved in suppressing plant defenses and promoting root colonization. KIN3 also plays an essential role in the symbiotic response to soil nitrogen levels.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Dongguang Yang, Li Wang, Fang Ma, Gen Wang, Yongqiang You
Summary: Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) are harmful to plants, but arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) can alleviate their toxicity. Concentration is the main factor influencing the phytotoxicity of AgNPs. Different antioxidant enzymes have different tolerances to AgNPs, and the growth configuration and Ag accumulation and translocation in plants are less affected by AgNPs. AMF inoculation improves plant antioxidant capability and biomass growth, and regulates the root:shoot ratio to cope with AgNP stress.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Agronomy
Vinicius Rigueiro Messa, Matheus Rodrigues Savioli
Summary: The rhizosphere microbiome can increase crop yields and mitigate diseases and abiotic stress factors through rhizobacteria and mycorrhizae. Modern inoculum-based biotechnology will be more incorporated into common practice, reducing agriculture's environmental impact.
Article
Plant Sciences
Marwa A. Fakhr, Yasser S. A. Mazrou, Faten Y. Ellmouni, AlBaraa ElSaied, Mohamed Elhady, Amr Elkelish, Iman H. Nour
Summary: The phenotypic plasticity of T. portulacastrum was investigated, and it was found that photosynthetic pigments and macromorphological characteristics exhibited the highest plasticity, followed by seed micromorphology, and then stomatal complex traits. Soil moisture, salinity, and temperature were identified as the most important factors determining the variation between the classified groups.
Article
Microbiology
Romain Darriaut, Livio Antonielli, Guilherme Martins, Patricia Ballestra, Philippe Vivin, Elisa Marguerit, Birgit Mitter, Isabelle Masneuf-Pomarede, Stephane Compant, Nathalie Ollat, Virginie Lauvergeat
Summary: Soil microbiota plays a significant role in the development and health of plants, including grapevines. This study examined the impact of soil microbiological quality and grapevine rootstock genotype on the development of root microbial community in young grapevine plants. The results showed that the soil status and rootstock genotype influenced the colonization of mycorrhizal fungi and the number of microorganisms in the rhizosphere. Fungal diversity and richness were affected by both the soil status and rootstock genotype, while bacterial richness was only influenced by the genotype. Fungal genera associated with grapevine diseases were more abundant in declining soils. The study also found that rootstock genotype influenced the compartmentalization of microbial communities.
FRONTIERS IN MICROBIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Marco Antonio Lardies, Paz Caballero, Cristian Duarte, Maria Josefina Poupin
Summary: The study revealed that the responses to ocean acidification are species-specific, with one species (S. viridula) showing better performance under acidification conditions compared to another species (S. zebrina). Additionally, the results indicate that habitat factor significantly influences certain traits, with organisms from variable environments displaying higher plasticity to buffer the physiological effects of ocean acidification. These findings emphasize the importance of geographic variation in phenotypic plasticity in determining the vulnerability of calcifying organisms to future scenarios of ocean acidification.
FRONTIERS IN MARINE SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Agronomy
Evangelia V. Avramidou, Theodoros Moysiadis, Ioannis Ganopoulos, Michail Michailidis, Christos Kissoudis, Dimitrios Valasiadis, Konstantinos Kazantzis, Eirini Tsaroucha, Athanasios Tsaftaris, Athanassios Molassiotis, Filippos A. Aravanopoulos, Aliki Xanthopoulou
Summary: Sweet cherry germplasm exhibits high phenotypic variation, which may be a result of genetic or epigenetic diversity. The genetic diversity was found to be greater than epigenetic diversity, and epigenetic diversity was shown to have a stronger impact on phenotypic traits in predefined populations of sweet cherry than genetic diversity.
Article
Plant Sciences
Cristopher Albor, Jose G. Garcia-Franco, Victor Parra-Tabla, Cecilia Diaz-Castelazo, Gerardo Arceo-Gomez
JOURNAL OF ECOLOGY
(2019)
Article
Plant Sciences
Conchita Alonso, Monica Medrano, Ricardo Perez, Azucena Canto, Victor Parra-Tabla, Carlos M. Herrera
Article
Ecology
Thai Ramirez-Viga, Patricia Guadarrama, Silvia Castillo-Arguero, Hector Estrada-Medina, Rosalva Garcia-Sanchez, Laura Hernandez-Cuevas, Irene Sanchez-Gallen, Jose Ramos-Zapata
Article
Plant Sciences
Alexander Suarez-Marino, Gerardo Arceo-Gomez, Paula Sosenski, Victor Parra-Tabla
AMERICAN JOURNAL OF BOTANY
(2019)
Article
Mycology
Uriel Ramon Jakousi Solis-Rodriguez, Jose Alberto Ramos-Zapata, Laura Hernandez-Cuevas, Luis Salinas-Peba, Patricia Guadarrama
MYCOLOGICAL PROGRESS
(2020)
Article
Plant Sciences
Thai Khan Ramirez-Viga, Jose Alberto Ramos-Zapata, Cristobal Caceres G. Canton, Laura Hernandez-Cuevas, Patricia Guadarrama-Chavez
BOTANICAL SCIENCES
(2020)
Article
Plant Sciences
Cristopher Albor, Gerardo Arceo-Gomez, Victor Parra-Tabla
JOURNAL OF ECOLOGY
(2020)
Article
Plant Sciences
Victor Parra-Tabla, Conchita Alonso, Tia-Lynn Ashman, Robert A. Raguso, Cristopher Albor, Paula Sosenski, Diego Carmona, Gerardo Arceo-Gomez
Summary: The study shows that HP transfer in invaded co-flowering communities is common, with native and alien species playing different roles within the HP transfer networks, regulated by different floral traits. Alien plants play a central role as HP donors and are more tolerant to HP receipt compared to natives, highlighting overlooked mechanisms facilitating alien plant invasion and success within native co-flowering communities.
JOURNAL OF ECOLOGY
(2021)
Review
Plant Sciences
Victor Parra-Tabla, Gerardo Arceo-Gomez
Summary: Disruption of mutualisms by invasive species has consequences for biodiversity loss and ecosystem function. More research is needed on the impact of invasive plants on entire plant-pollinator communities. Bridging demographic studies with pollination networks is essential for understanding the effects of invasive species on native plant biodiversity.
Article
Plant Sciences
Alexander Suarez-Marino, Gerardo Arceo-Gomez, Cristopher Albor, Victor Parra-Tabla
Summary: Co-flowering communities with high plant generalization and pollinator sharing are influenced by flowering phenology and floral similarity, which play important roles in shaping plant-pollinator network structure. Flowering overlap has a positive effect on pollinator sharing and plant generalization, and also influences network nestedness and modularity. The interaction between floral similarity and flowering overlap affects pollinator sharing and network nestedness.
JOURNAL OF ECOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Plant Sciences
Alexander Suarez-Marino, Gerardo Arceo-Gomez, Cristopher Albor, Victor Parra-Tabla
Summary: Flowering phenology is an important factor influencing the structure and dynamics of plant-pollinator networks. However, many studies fail to consider its effects. This study examines the temporal dynamics of plant-pollinator networks in two coastal communities by analyzing co-flowering networks and the similarity in floral traits and pollinator sharing. The results show that floral trait similarity and pollinator sharing are related to changes in network structure, but these changes vary among communities. The prevalence of specialized interactions throughout the flowering season suggests the importance of explicitly considering flowering phenology in understanding temporal changes in plant-pollinator networks.
Article
Plant Sciences
Brian Suarez, Juan Tun-Garrido, Paula Sosenski, Victor Parra-Tabla
Summary: This study comprehensively examined the distyly system in the tropical shrub Waltheria rotundifolia and found that it exhibited asymmetry in pollen deposition and a heteromorphic incompatibility system, indicating a low efficiency of pollen transfer by the main floral visitor, Apis mellifera.
PLANT SPECIES BIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Victor Parra-Tabla, Juan Tun-Garrido, Jose Garcia-Franco, Maria Luisa Martinez
Summary: The invasive plant Cassytha filiformis extensively invades the coastal dunes of the Yucatan Peninsula, significantly reducing the sexual reproduction of its host plants. It parasitizes three common shrub species and has higher reproductive success when parasitizing Suriana maritima.
BIOLOGICAL INVASIONS
(2023)
Article
Plant Sciences
Judith Isabel Lopez-Lopez, Victor Parra-Tabla, Demetria Mondragon
Summary: The study revealed that there are variations in the flowering phenology of vascular epiphytes along different elevational zones, although phorophyte features were not significantly related to the onset and duration of flowering. This suggests that vascular epiphytes follow elevational patterns in phenology similar to other life forms, with populations in the same elevation range showing variability. Further investigation is needed to understand the causes of intra-elevational variation.
ACTA BIOLOGICA COLOMBIANA
(2021)
Article
Plant Sciences
Victor Parra-Tabla, Conchita Alonso
Summary: The endemic plant species Cienfuegosia yucatanensis in the north coast of the Yucatan peninsula, Mexico, is self-compatible and has efficient autonomous pollination mechanisms, which ensure reproductive assurance without early inbreeding depression effects.
BOTANICAL SCIENCES
(2021)