Integration of attractive and defensive phytochemicals is unlikely to constrain chemical diversification in a perennial herb

Hanna Eriksdotter Thosteman*, Katherine Eisen, Hampus Petrén, Sotiria Boutsi, Loretta Pace, John M. Halley, Consuelo M. De Moraes, Mark C. Mescher, James Buckley, Magne Friberg

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

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Abstract

Diversification of plant chemical phenotypes is typically associated with spatially and temporally variable plant–insect interactions. Floral scent is often assumed to be the target of pollinator-mediated selection, whereas foliar compounds are considered targets of antagonist-mediated selection. However, floral and vegetative phytochemicals can be biosynthetically linked and may thus evolve as integrated phenotypes. Utilizing a common garden of 28 populations of the perennial herb Arabis alpina (Brassicaceae), we investigated integration within and among floral scent compounds and foliar defense compounds (both volatile compounds and tissue-bound glucosinolates). Within floral scent volatiles, foliar volatile compounds, and glucosinolates, phytochemicals were often positively correlated, and correlations were stronger within these groups than between them. Thus, we found no evidence of integration between compound groups indicating that these are free to evolve independently. Relative to self-compatible populations, self-incompatible populations experienced stronger correlations between floral scent compounds, and a trend toward lower integration between floral scent and foliar volatiles. Our study serves as a rare test of integration of multiple, physiologically related plant traits that each are potential targets of insect-mediated selection. Our results suggest that independent evolutionary forces are likely to diversify different axes of plant chemistry without major constraints.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)249-264
Number of pages16
JournalNew Phytologist
Volume244
Issue number1
Early online date30 Jul 2024
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Oct 2024

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Physiology
  • Plant Science

Keywords

  • Arabis alpina
  • covariation
  • intraspecific variation
  • phenotypic integration
  • phytochemistry
  • trait coevolution
  • trait integration
  • Phytochemicals/analysis
  • Odorants/analysis
  • Brassicaceae/physiology
  • Volatile Organic Compounds/metabolism
  • Phenotype
  • Flowers/physiology
  • Glucosinolates/metabolism
  • Plant Leaves/physiology

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