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Martinez-Swatson K, Mihály E, Lange C, Ernst M, Dela Cruz M, Price MJ, Mikkelsen TN, Christensen JH, Lundholm N, Rønsted N. Biomonitoring of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon Deposition in Greenland Using Historical Moss Herbarium Specimens Shows a Decrease in Pollution During the 20 th Century. Front Plant Sci 2020; 11:1085. [PMID: 32760420 PMCID: PMC7373755 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2020.01085] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2020] [Accepted: 06/30/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Although most point sources of persistent organic pollutants (POPs), including polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), are at lower latitudes, the Arctic region is contaminated. In particular, PAHs now dominate the POP body burden of the region's marine biota at the lower trophic levels. Greenlandic Inuits have the most elevated levels of POPs in their blood compared to any other population, due to their consumption of seal meat and other marine mammals. PAHs, the by-products of the incomplete combustion of petroleum products, are known carcinogens and have been shown to affect the immune system, reproduction, endocrine functions, and the nervous system. With industrial activities and climate change set to increase local PAH emissions, it is paramount to document changes in atmospheric PAH deposition to further investigate PAH exposure in the region and attribute contaminations to their sources. As a measure of atmospheric pollution, we sampled bryophyte herbarium specimens of three common and widespread species collected in Greenland between the 1920s and 1970s after which time new collections were not available. They were analyzed for 19 PAHs using GC-MS (gas chromatography mass spectrometry). The presence of more low-molecular-weight PAHs than high-molecular-weight PAHs is evidence that the PAH contamination in Greenland is due to long-range transport rather than originating from local sources. The results show peaks in PAH atmospheric deposition in the first part of the 19th century followed by a trend of decrease, which mirror global trends in atmospheric pollution known from those periods. PAHs associated with wood and fossil-fuel combustion decrease in the 1970s coinciding with the disappearance of charcoal pits and foundries in Europe and North America, and a shift away from domestic heating with wood during the 19th century. The results highlight the value of bryophytes as bioindicators to measure PAH atmospheric pollution as well as the unrealized potential of herbaria as historical records of environmental change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karen Martinez-Swatson
- Natural History Museum of Denmark, Faculty of Science, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Eszter Mihály
- Natural History Museum of Denmark, Faculty of Science, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Christian Lange
- Natural History Museum of Denmark, Faculty of Science, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Madeleine Ernst
- Natural History Museum of Denmark, Faculty of Science, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Center for Newborn Screening, Department of Congenital Disorders, Statens Serum Institute, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Majbrit Dela Cruz
- Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Science, University of Copenhagen, Frederiksberg, Denmark
| | - Michelle J. Price
- Conservatoire et Jardin Botaniques de la Ville de Genève, Geneva, Switzerland
| | | | - Jan H. Christensen
- Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Science, University of Copenhagen, Frederiksberg, Denmark
| | - Nina Lundholm
- Natural History Museum of Denmark, Faculty of Science, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Nina Rønsted
- Natural History Museum of Denmark, Faculty of Science, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Science and Conservation, National Tropical Botanical Garden, Kalaheo, HI, United States
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Martinez-Swatson K, Kjøller R, Cozzi F, Simonsen HT, Rønsted N, Barnes C. Exploring evolutionary theories of plant defence investment using field populations of the deadly carrot. Ann Bot 2020; 125:737-750. [PMID: 31563960 PMCID: PMC7182587 DOI: 10.1093/aob/mcz151] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2019] [Accepted: 09/25/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIMS There are a number of disparate models predicting variation in plant chemical defences between species, and within a single species over space and time. These can give conflicting predictions. Here we review a number of these theories, before assessing their power to predict the spatial-temporal variation of thapsigargins between and within populations of the deadly carrot (Thapsia garganica). By utilizing multiple models simultaneously (optimum defence theory, growth rate hypothesis, growth-differentiation balance hypothesis, intra-specific framework and resource exchange model of plant defence), we will highlight gaps in their predictions and evaluate the performance of each. METHODS Thapsigargins are potent anti-herbivore compounds that occur in limited richness across the different plant tissues of T. garganica, and therefore represent an ideal system for exploring these models. Thapsia garganica plants were collected from six locations on the island of Ibiza, Spain, and the thapsigargins quantified within reproductive, vegetative and below-ground tissues. The effects of sampling time, location, mammalian herbivory, soil nutrition and changing root-associated fungal communities on the concentrations of thapsigargins within these in situ observations were analysed, and the results were compared with our model predictions. KEY RESULTS The models performed well in predicting the general defence strategy of T. garganica and the above-ground distribution of thapsigargins, but failed to predict the considerable proportion of defences found below ground. Models predicting variation over environmental gradients gave conflicting and less specific predictions, with intraspecific variation remaining less understood. CONCLUSION Here we found that multiple models predicting the general defence strategy of plant species could likely be integrated into a single model, while also finding a clear need to better incorporate below-ground defences into models of plant chemical defences. We found that constitutive and induced thapsigargins differed in their regulation, and suggest that models predicting intraspecific defences should consider them separately. Finally, we suggest that in situ studies be supplemented with experiments in controlled environments to identify specific environmental parameters that regulate variation in defences within species.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Rasmus Kjøller
- Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | | | - Henrik Toft Simonsen
- Department of Biotechnology and Biomedicine, Technical University of Denmark, Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Nina Rønsted
- Natural History Museum of Denmark, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
- National Tropical Botanical Garden, Kalaheo, Hawaii, USA
| | - Christopher Barnes
- Natural History Museum of Denmark, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
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Ernst M, Nothias LF, van der Hooft JJJ, Silva RR, Saslis-Lagoudakis CH, Grace OM, Martinez-Swatson K, Hassemer G, Funez LA, Simonsen HT, Medema MH, Staerk D, Nilsson N, Lovato P, Dorrestein PC, Rønsted N. Assessing Specialized Metabolite Diversity in the Cosmopolitan Plant Genus Euphorbia L. Front Plant Sci 2019; 10:846. [PMID: 31333695 PMCID: PMC6615404 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2019.00846] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2019] [Accepted: 06/13/2019] [Indexed: 05/02/2023]
Abstract
Coevolutionary theory suggests that an arms race between plants and herbivores yields increased plant specialized metabolite diversity and the geographic mosaic theory of coevolution predicts that coevolutionary interactions vary across geographic scales. Consequently, plant specialized metabolite diversity is expected to be highest in coevolutionary hotspots, geographic regions, which exhibit strong reciprocal selection on the interacting species. Despite being well-established theoretical frameworks, technical limitations have precluded rigorous hypothesis testing. Here we aim at understanding how geographic separation over evolutionary time may have impacted chemical differentiation in the cosmopolitan plant genus Euphorbia. We use a combination of state-of-the-art computational mass spectral metabolomics tools together with cell-based high-throughput immunomodulatory testing. Our results show significant differences in specialized metabolite diversity across geographically separated phylogenetic clades. Chemical structural diversity of the highly toxic Euphorbia diterpenoids is significantly reduced in species native to the Americas, compared to Afro-Eurasia. The localization of these compounds to young stems and roots suggest a possible ecological relevance in herbivory defense. This is further supported by reduced immunomodulatory activity in the American subclade as well as herbivore distribution patterns. We conclude that computational mass spectrometric metabolomics coupled with relevant ecological data provide a strong tool for exploring plant specialized metabolite diversity in a chemo-evolutionary framework.
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Affiliation(s)
- Madeleine Ernst
- Natural History Museum of Denmark, Faculty of Science, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Collaborative Mass Spectrometry Innovation Center, Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States
- Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States
| | - Louis-Félix Nothias
- Collaborative Mass Spectrometry Innovation Center, Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States
- Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States
| | - Justin J. J. van der Hooft
- Bioinformatics Group, Department of Plant Sciences, Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen, Netherlands
| | - Ricardo R. Silva
- Collaborative Mass Spectrometry Innovation Center, Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States
- Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States
| | | | - Olwen M. Grace
- Comparative Plant and Fungal Biology, Royal Botanic Gardens, Richmond, United Kingdom
| | - Karen Martinez-Swatson
- Natural History Museum of Denmark, Faculty of Science, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Gustavo Hassemer
- Natural History Museum of Denmark, Faculty of Science, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Department of Botany, Federal University of Santa Catarina, Florianópolis, Brazil
| | - Luís A. Funez
- Department of Botany, Federal University of Santa Catarina, Florianópolis, Brazil
| | - Henrik T. Simonsen
- Department of Biotechnology and Biomedicine, Technical University of Denmark, Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Marnix H. Medema
- Bioinformatics Group, Department of Plant Sciences, Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen, Netherlands
| | - Dan Staerk
- Department of Drug Design and Pharmacology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | | | - Paola Lovato
- Front End Innovation, LEO Pharma A/S, Ballerup, Denmark
| | - Pieter C. Dorrestein
- Collaborative Mass Spectrometry Innovation Center, Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States
- Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States
- Center for Microbiome Innovation, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States
| | - Nina Rønsted
- Natural History Museum of Denmark, Faculty of Science, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
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López CQ, Corral P, Lorrain-Lorrette B, Martinez-Swatson K, Michoux F, Simonsen HT. Use of a temporary immersion bioreactor system for the sustainable production of thapsigargin in shoot cultures of Thapsia garganica. Plant Methods 2018; 14:79. [PMID: 30202426 PMCID: PMC6128993 DOI: 10.1186/s13007-018-0346-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2018] [Accepted: 08/31/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Thapsigargin and nortrilobolide are sesquiterpene lactones found in the Mediterranean plant Thapsia garganica L. Thapsigargin is a potent inhibitor of the sarco/endoplasmic reticulum calcium ATPase pump, inducing apoptosis in mammalian cells. This mechanism has been used to develop a thapsigargin-based cancer drug first by GenSpera and later Inspyr Therapeutics (Westlake Village, California). However, a stable production of thapsigargin is not established. RESULTS In vitro regeneration from leaf explants, shoot multiplication and rooting of T. garganica was obtained along with the production of thapsigargins in temporary immersion bioreactors (TIBs). Thapsigargin production was enhanced using reduced nutrient supply in combination with methyl jasmonate elicitation treatments. Shoots grown in vitro were able to produce 0.34% and 2.1% dry weight of thapsigargin and nortrilobolide, respectively, while leaves and stems of wild T. garganica plants contain only between 0.1 and 0.5% of thapsigargin and below detectable levels of nortrilobolide. In addition, a real-time reverse transcription PCR (qRT-PCR) study was performed to study the regulatory role of the biosynthetic genes HMG-CoA reductase (HMGR), farnesyl diphosphate synthase (FPPS), epikunzeaol synthase (TgTPS2) and the cytochrome P450 (TgCYP76AE2) of stem, leaf and callus tissues. Nadi staining showed that the thapsigargins are located in secretory ducts within these tissues. CONCLUSIONS Shoot regeneration, rooting and biomass growth from leaf explants of T. garganica were achieved, together with a high yield in vitro production of thapsigargin in TIBs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carmen Quiñonero López
- Department of Biotechnology and Biomedicine, Faculty of Bioengineering, Technical University of Denmark, Lyngby, Denmark
- Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Science, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | | | | | | | | | - Henrik Toft Simonsen
- Department of Biotechnology and Biomedicine, Faculty of Bioengineering, Technical University of Denmark, Lyngby, Denmark
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