Dimethylsulphoniopropionate (DMSP) and related compounds in higher plants

Abstract

Dimethylsulphoniopropionate (DMSP) is produced in high concentrations in many marine algae, but in higher plants only in a few salt marsh grasses of the genus Spartina, in sugar canes (Saccharum spp.), and in the Pacific strand plant Wollastonia biflora (L.) DC. The high concentrations found in higher plants (up to 250 micromol g(-1) dry weight) suggest an important role, but though many functions have been suggested (including methylating agent, detoxification of excess sulphur, salt tolerance, and herbivore deterrent), its actual functions remain unclear. The fact that the ability to produce DMSP in high concentrations is found in species that have no taxonomic or ecological relationship suggests that the compound evolved independently and serves different functions in different plants. This is supported by observations that DMSP in W. biflora behaves differently from that in Spartina species. While DMSP concentrations in W. biflora have been found to increase with increasing salinity, suggesting a role in osmotic control, such a relationship has not been found for DMSP in Spartina species. Recent observations on tissue culture showed that, while undifferentiated tissue of W. biflora produced DMSP, such material of Spartina alterniflora Loisel. did not. Ongoing studies with tissue culture of both species have opened up new avenues of research on DMSP in higher plants, ultimately to elucidate the functions of this enigmatic compound.

Variability in dimethylsulfoniopropionate (DMSP) concentrations in Spartina alterniflora and the effect on Littoraria irrorata

“…Previous investigators have focused on the production, function, and fate of DMSP in Spartina alterniflora (Pakulski & Kiene 1992, Otte & Morris 1994, Otte et al 2004, but none have shown that DMSP concentration affects Littoraria irrorata behavior as this study has. The ring assay showed that periwinkle snails are attracted to elevated levels of DMSP.…”

“…That DMSP may act as an L. irrorata attractant and not as a deterrent is further supported by the results of the ring assay. Twenty percent and 40% of L. irrorata were attracted to 10 µmol ml -1 and 90 µmol ml -1 DMSP, respectively, and no snails exhibited a negative behavior.Previous investigators have focused on the production, function, and fate of DMSP in Spartina alterniflora (Pakulski & Kiene 1992, Otte & Morris 1994, Otte et al 2004, but none have shown that DMSP concentration affects Littoraria irrorata behavior as this study has. The ring assay showed that periwinkle snails are attracted to elevated levels of DMSP.…”

“…They observed that the rats had chewed through the sheath of the stem in order to reach the younger shoots inside. Upon further analysis, the investigators found that the inner tissue of the stems that the rice rats were probably trying to reach contained a much lower concentration of DMSP than the same tissue from the unfertilized plants ( Otte et al 2004). These observations, along with others (Dacey & Wakeham 1986, Nakajima 1989, Wolfe & Steinke 1996, Wolfe et al 1997, Van Alstyne & Houser 2003, suggest that DMSP may act as an herbivore deterrent.…”

Seasonal and spatial variability of dimethylsulfoniopropionate (DMSP) in the Mediterranean seagrass Posidonia oceanica

“…Out of the 177 species of terrestrial angiosperms studied by Paquet et al (1995), only seven had a DMSP content per mass of dry weight (dw) between 0.1 and 1 mol g dw −1 , all the others being characterized by undetectable DMSP levels. Only a few species of higher plants have a high DMSP content, either strictly terrestrial plants such as sugar cane (Saccharum) and Wollastonia biflora and intertidal plants such as some species of Spartina (Otte et al, 2004;Dacey et al, 1987). The only study so far that has investigated the occurrence of DMSP in seagrasses was carried out by Dacey et al (1994) who attributed the occurrence of DMSP in samples from three species (Halodule wrightii, Syringodium filiforme, Thalas- * Corresponding author.…”

“…Several physiological and ecological roles have been attributed to DMSP (Table 2). Some are common to phytoplankton, macroal- Table 1 Dimethylsulfoniopropionate (DMSP) content per dry wet (dw) (mol g dw −1 ) in major phytoplanktonic groups based on Stefels et al (2007), macroalgae based on Van Alstyne and Puglisi (2007), intertidal marsh plants based on Otte et al (2004) and Dacey et al (1987). The values for phytoplankton initially given in molS:molC were converted into dry weight using a carbon to total dry weight of 50% (Reynolds 2006).…”