Highly Species-Specific Foliar Metabolomes of Diverse Woody Species and Relationships with the Leaf Economics Spectrum
Schweiger, Rabea (Bielefeld University. Department of Chemical Ecology)
Castells, Eva (Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona. Departament de Farmacologia, de Terapèutica i de Toxicologia)
Da Sois, Luca (Centre de Recerca Ecològica i d'Aplicacions Forestals)
Martínez Vilalta, Jordi 1975- (Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona. Departament de Biologia Animal, de Biologia Vegetal i d'Ecologia)
Müller, Caroline (Bielefeld University. Department of Chemical Ecology)

Date:	2021
Abstract:	Plants show an extraordinary diversity in chemical composition and are characterized by different functional traits. However, relationships between the foliar primary and specialized metabolism in terms of metabolite numbers and composition as well as links with the leaf economics spectrum have rarely been explored. We investigated these relationships in leaves of 20 woody species from the Mediterranean region grown as saplings in a common garden, using a comparative ecometabolomics approach that included (semi-)polar primary and specialized metabolites. Our analyses revealed significant positive correlations between both the numbers and relative composition of primary and specialized metabolites. The leaf metabolomes were highly species-specific but in addition showed some phylogenetic imprints. Moreover, metabolomes of deciduous species were distinct from those of evergreens. Significant relationships were found between the primary metabolome and nitrogen content and carbon/nitrogen ratio, important traits of the leaf economics spectrum, ranging from acquisitive (mostly deciduous) to conservative (evergreen) leaves. A comprehensive understanding of various leaf traits and their coordination in different plant species may facilitate our understanding of plant functioning in ecosystems. Chemodiversity is thereby an important component of biodiversity.
Grants:	Agencia Estatal de Investigación CGL2017-89149-C2-1-R Agència de Gestió d'Ajuts Universitaris i de Recerca 2017/SGR-1001
Rights:	Aquest document està subjecte a una llicència d'ús Creative Commons. Es permet la reproducció total o parcial, la distribució, la comunicació pública de l'obra i la creació d'obres derivades, fins i tot amb finalitats comercials, sempre i quan es reconegui l'autoria de l'obra original.
Language:	Anglès
Document:	Article ; recerca ; Versió publicada
Subject:	Chemodiversity ; Deciduous versus evergreen ; Leaf economics spectrum ; Leaf habit ; Mediterranean ; Metabolomics ; Metabolite richness ; Primary metabolites ; Specialized metabolites ; Species comparison
Published in:	Cells, Vol. 10, Issue 3 (March 2021) , art. 644, ISSN 2073-4409

DOI: 10.3390/cells10030644
PMID: 33805842

18 p, 5.1 MB

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Research literature > UAB research groups literature > Research Centres and Groups (research output) > Experimental sciences > CREAF (Centre de Recerca Ecològica i d'Aplicacions Forestals)
Articles > Research articles
Articles > Published articles