Convergence of Elaiosomes and insect Prey: Evidence from ant Foraging Behaviour and Fatty Acid Composition

Hughes, Lesley; Westoby, Mark; Jurado, Enrique

doi:10.2307/2389829

Cited by 154 publications

(186 citation statements)

References 33 publications

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“…The internal organs are rich in long-chain fatty acids derived from triglycerides and cholesterol. Fatty acids that are derived from seed elaiosomes are also used as rewards and/or semiochemicals that help trigger seed-dispersal behavior of ants (26,27). These behaviors indicate that ant antennae are able to detect fatty acids.…”

Section: Cjapnpc2 Carries Hydrophobic Semiochemicals Evoking Antennalmentioning

confidence: 99%

Niemann–Pick type C2 protein mediating chemical communication in the worker ant

Ishida

Tsuchiya

Fujii

et al. 2014

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

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Ants are eusocial insects that are found in most regions of the world. Within its caste, worker ants are responsible for various tasks that are required for colony maintenance. In their chemical communication, α-helical carrier proteins, odorant-binding proteins, and chemosensory proteins, which accumulate in the sensillum lymph in the antennae, play essential roles in transferring hydrophobic semiochemicals to chemosensory receptors. It has been hypothesized that semiochemicals are recognized by α-helical carrier proteins. The number of these proteins, however, is not sufficient to interact with a large number of semiochemicals estimated from chemosensory receptor genes. Here we shed light on this conundrum by identifying a Niemann–Pick type C2 (NPC2) protein from the antenna of the worker Japanese carpenter ant, Camponotus japonicus (CjapNPC2). CjapNPC2 accumulated in the sensillum cavity in the basiconic sensillum. The ligand-binding pocket of CjapNPC2 was composed of a flexible β-structure that allowed it to bind to a wide range of potential semiochemicals. Some of the semiochemicals elicited electrophysiolgical responses in the worker antenna. In vertebrates, NPC2 acts as an essential carrier protein for cholesterol from late endosomes and lysosomes to other cellular organelles. However, the ants have evolved an NPC2 with a malleable ligand-binding pocket as a moderately selective carrier protein in the sensillum cavity of the basiconic sensillum. CjapNPC2 might be able to deliver various hydrophobic semiochemicals to chemosensory receptor neurons and plays crucial roles in chemical communication required to perform the worker ant tasks.

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Section: Cjapnpc2 Carries Hydrophobic Semiochemicals Evoking Antennalmentioning

confidence: 99%

Niemann–Pick type C2 protein mediating chemical communication in the worker ant

Ishida

Tsuchiya

Fujii

et al. 2014

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

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“…The general idea was based on the results of the bioassays described above, as well as on literature data on other myrmecochory systems (neotropical AG epiphytes Seidel et al, 1990); terricolous myrmecochores (e.g. Berg, 1975;Marshall et al, 1979;Hughes et al, 1994;Sheridan et al, 1996)). These provided hints that the same substances could be responsible for seed retrieval in several epiphyte species from different genera and even families (e.g.…”

Section: Comparison Of Gc/ms Profiles and Ir Spectra Of Several Attramentioning

confidence: 99%

“…This hypothesis has been supported by observations of Horvitz and Beattie (1980), because some carnivorous ants seem to be particularly reliable seed dispersers. Hughes et al (1994) compared the fatty acid compositions of elaiosomes to those of the seeds to which the elaiosomes were attached, and to general patterns of fatty acids in seven insect orders. Their results revealed that the fatty acid compositions of elaiosomes and insects were very similar, while those of elaiosomes and seeds were not.…”

Section: Terricolous Myrmecochoresmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Their results revealed that the fatty acid compositions of elaiosomes and insects were very similar, while those of elaiosomes and seeds were not. Hughes et al (1994) therefore suggested that, although 1,2-diolein might be eliciting seed-retrieval in the first place, the similarity of fatty acid composition to possible prey insects might further promote seed retrieval by carnivorous and omnivorous rather than granivorous ants.…”

Section: Terricolous Myrmecochoresmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The main reason why plant species generally do not specialize in one single ant species may be found in a patchy distribution of ant species, so that a speciesspecific plant would run the risk of its seeds not being found by the 'correct' ant species in time (Brew et al, 1989;Hughes et al, 1994).…”

Section: Terricolous Myrmecochoresmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Towards a Monophyletic Hoya (Marsdenieae, Apocynaceae): Inferences from the Chloroplast trnL Region and the rbcL-atpB Spacer

Wanntorp

Kocyan

Donkelaar³

et al. 2006

Systematic Botany

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The delimitation of the genus Hoya, with at least 200 species distributed from India and China to Australia, from its closest relatives in the Marsdenieae has long been problematic, precluding an understanding of the evolution and biogeography of the genus. Traditional circumscriptions of genera in the Hoya alliance have relied on features of the flower, but these overlap extensively between clades and may be evolutionarily labile. We obtained chloroplast DNA sequences to infer the phylogenetic relationships among a sample of 35 taxa of Hoya and 11 other genera in the tribe Marsdenieae, namely Absolmsia, Cionura, Dischidia, Dregea, Gongronema, Gunnessia, Madangia, Marsdenia, Micholitzia, Rhyssolobium, and Telosma. Trees were rooted with representatives of Asclepiadeae, Ceropegieae, Fockeeae, Periplocoideae, and Secamonoideae. Hoya and Dischidia form a monophyletic group, but the phylogenetic signal in the chloroplast data analyzed here was insufficient to statistically support the mutual monophyly of the two genera. A monophyletic Hoya, however, must include the monotypic Absolmsia, Madangia, and Micholitzia, a result congruent with their flower morphology. The data also identified several wellsupported groups within Hoya. The morphologically unusual Gunnessia belongs firmly in the Marsdenieae, but it is not close to Hoya and Dischidia.

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Evaluation of seed‐dispersal services by ants at a temperate pasture: Results of direct observations in an ant suppression experiment

Konečná,

Lisner,

Blažek

et al. 2023

Ecology and Evolution

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Ants disperse seeds of many plant species adapted to myrmecochory. While advantages of this ant–plant mutualism for myrmecochorous plants (myrmecochores) have been previously studied in temperate region mostly in forests, our study system was a pasture. Moreover, we used a unique combination of observing the effect of ant‐activity suppression on ant dispersal and comparison of the contribution of ant and unassisted dispersal to the distance from mother plant. We established plots without and with ant‐activity suppression (enclosures). We offered diaspores of a myrmecochorous (Knautia arvensis), and a non‐myrmecochorous (Plantago lanceolata) species in a choice test and followed ants carrying diaspores during days and nights (focus of previous studies was on diurnal dispersal). We measured frequency and distances of ant dispersal and compared them with unassisted dispersal recorded using sticky trap method. The dispersal frequency was lower in enclosures (3.16 times). Ants strongly preferred diaspores of the myrmecochore to non‐myrmecochore with 586 and 42 dispersal events, respectively (out of 6400 diaspores of each species offered). Ant dispersal resulted in more even and on average longer distances (maximum almost tenfold longer, 994 cm) in comparison to unassisted dispersal. Ant dispersal altered the distribution of distances of the myrmecochore from roughly symmetric for unassisted dispersal to positively skewed. Ants dispersed heavier diaspores farther. Ants dropped the majority of diaspores during the dispersal (which reduces clustering of seeds), while several (11%) were carried into anthills. Anthills are disturbed microsites presumably favorable for germination in competitive habitats. Ants provided non‐negligible dispersal services to myrmecochorous K. arvensis but also, to a lesser extent, of non‐myrmecochorous P. lanceolata.

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Convergence of Elaiosomes and insect Prey: Evidence from ant Foraging Behaviour and Fatty Acid Composition

Cited by 154 publications

References 33 publications

Niemann–Pick type C2 protein mediating chemical communication in the worker ant

Niemann–Pick type C2 protein mediating chemical communication in the worker ant

Towards a Monophyletic Hoya (Marsdenieae, Apocynaceae): Inferences from the Chloroplast trnL Region and the rbcL-atpB Spacer

Evaluation of seed‐dispersal services by ants at a temperate pasture: Results of direct observations in an ant suppression experiment

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