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Berger T, Gimpel H, Stein A, Troost C, Asseng S, Bichler M, Bieling C, Birner R, Grass I, Kollmann J, Leonhardt SD, Schurr FM, Weisser W. Hybrid intelligence for reconciling biodiversity and productivity in agriculture. Nat Food 2024; 5:270-272. [PMID: 38605130 DOI: 10.1038/s43016-024-00963-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/13/2024]
Affiliation(s)
- T Berger
- University of Hohenheim, Stuttgart, Germany.
| | - H Gimpel
- University of Hohenheim, Stuttgart, Germany
- Fraunhofer FIT, Sankt Augustin, Germany
| | - A Stein
- University of Hohenheim, Stuttgart, Germany
| | - C Troost
- University of Hohenheim, Stuttgart, Germany
| | - S Asseng
- Technical University of Munich, München, Germany
- HEF World Agricultural Systems Center, Freising, Germany
| | - M Bichler
- Technical University of Munich, München, Germany
| | - C Bieling
- University of Hohenheim, Stuttgart, Germany
| | - R Birner
- University of Hohenheim, Stuttgart, Germany
| | - I Grass
- University of Hohenheim, Stuttgart, Germany
| | - J Kollmann
- Technical University of Munich, München, Germany
| | | | - F M Schurr
- University of Hohenheim, Stuttgart, Germany
| | - W Weisser
- Technical University of Munich, München, Germany
- HEF World Agricultural Systems Center, Freising, Germany
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2
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van der Kooi CJ, Spaethe J, Leonhardt SD. Editorial: Sensory ecology of plant-pollinator interactions. Front Ecol Evol 2022. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2022.1101114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/05/2022] Open
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Leonhardt SD, Peters B, Keller A. Do amino and fatty acid profiles of pollen provisions correlate with bacterial microbiomes in the mason bee Osmia bicornis? Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2022; 377:20210171. [PMID: 35491605 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2021.0171] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Bee performance and well-being strongly depend on access to sufficient and appropriate resources, in particular pollen and nectar of flowers, which constitute the major basis of bee nutrition. Pollen-derived microbes appear to play an important but still little explored role in the plant pollen-bee interaction dynamics, e.g. through affecting quantities and ratios of important nutrients. To better understand how microbes in pollen collected by bees may affect larval health through nutrition, we investigated correlations between the floral, bacterial and nutritional composition of larval provisions and the gut bacterial communities of the solitary megachilid bee Osmia bicornis. Our study reveals correlations between the nutritional quality of pollen provisions and the complete bacterial community as well as individual members of both pollen provisions and bee guts. In particular pollen fatty acid profiles appear to interact with specific members of the pollen bacterial community, indicating that pollen-derived bacteria may play an important role in fatty acid provisioning. As increasing evidence suggests a strong effect of dietary fatty acids on bee performance, future work should address how the observed interactions between specific fatty acids and the bacterial community in larval provisions relate to health in O. bicornis. This article is part of the theme issue 'Natural processes influencing pollinator health: from chemistry to landscapes'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara Diana Leonhardt
- Plant-Insect Interactions, TUM School of Life Science Systems, Technical University of Munich, Freising, Germany
| | - Birte Peters
- Department for Animal Ecology and Tropical Biology, Biocenter, University of Würzburg, Am Hubland, 97074 Würzburg, Germany.,Center for Computational and Theoretical Biology, University of Würzburg, Emil Fischer Strasse, 97074 Würzburg, Germany
| | - Alexander Keller
- Cellular and Organismic Networks, Faculty of Biology, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität Munich, 82152 Planegg-Martinsried, Germany
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Peters B, Keller A, Leonhardt SD. Diets maintained in a changing world: Does land‐use intensification alter wild bee communities by selecting for flexible generalists? Ecol Evol 2022; 12:e8919. [PMID: 35600696 PMCID: PMC9108308 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.8919] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2021] [Revised: 04/07/2022] [Accepted: 04/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Birte Peters
- Department for Animal Ecology and Tropical Biology University of Würzburg Biocenter Würzburg Germany
- Department of Bioinformatics University of Würzburg Biocenter Würzburg Germany
- Center for Computational and Theoretical Biology University of Würzburg Würzburg Germany
| | - Alexander Keller
- Cellular and Organismic Networks Faculty of Biology Ludwig‐Maximilians‐Universität Munich Planegg‐Martinsried Germany
| | - Sara Diana Leonhardt
- Department for Animal Ecology and Tropical Biology University of Würzburg Biocenter Würzburg Germany
- Department of Life Science Systems Technical University of Munich Freising Germany
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Venjakob C, Ruedenauer FA, Klein AM, Leonhardt SD. Variation in nectar quality across 34 grassland plant species. Plant Biol (Stuttg) 2022; 24:134-144. [PMID: 34618397 DOI: 10.1111/plb.13343] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2021] [Accepted: 09/01/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Floral nectar is considered the most important floral reward for attracting pollinators. It contains large amounts of carbohydrates besides variable concentrations of amino acids and thus represents an important food source for many pollinators. Its nutrient content and composition can, however, strongly vary within and between plant species. The factors driving this variation in nectar quality are still largely unclear. We investigated factors underlying interspecific variation in macronutrient composition of floral nectar in 34 different grassland plant species. Specifically, we tested for correlations between the phylogenetic relatedness and morphology of plants and the carbohydrate (C) and total amino acid (AA) composition and C:AA ratios of nectar. We found that compositions of carbohydrates and (essential) amino acids as well as C:AA ratios in nectar varied significantly within and between plant species. They showed no clear phylogenetic signal. Moreover, variation in carbohydrate composition was related to family-specific structural characteristics and combinations of morphological traits. Plants with nectar-exposing flowers, bowl- or parabolic-shaped flowers, as often found in the Apiaceae and Asteraceae, had nectar with higher proportions of hexoses, indicating a selective pressure to decelerate evaporation by increasing nectar osmolality. Our study suggests that variation in nectar nutrient composition is, among others, affected by family-specific combinations of morphological traits. However, even within species, variation in nectar quality is high. As nectar quality can strongly affect visitation patterns of pollinators and thus pollination success, this intra- and interspecific variation requires more studies to fully elucidate the underlying causes and the consequences for pollinator behaviour.
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Affiliation(s)
- C Venjakob
- Institute of Ecology, Ecosystem Functions, Leuphana University of Lüneburg, Lüneburg, Germany
- Agroecology, DNPW, University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - F A Ruedenauer
- Plant-Insect Interactions, TUM School of Life Science Systems, Technical University of Munich, Freising, Germany
| | - A-M Klein
- Faculty of Environment and Natural Resources, Nature Conservation and Landscape Ecology, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - S D Leonhardt
- Plant-Insect Interactions, TUM School of Life Science Systems, Technical University of Munich, Freising, Germany
- Department of Animal Ecology and Tropical Biology, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
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Parreño MA, Alaux C, Brunet JL, Buydens L, Filipiak M, Henry M, Keller A, Klein AM, Kuhlmann M, Leroy C, Meeus I, Palmer-Young E, Piot N, Requier F, Ruedenauer F, Smagghe G, Stevenson PC, Leonhardt SD. Critical links between biodiversity and health in wild bee conservation. Trends Ecol Evol 2021; 37:309-321. [PMID: 34955328 DOI: 10.1016/j.tree.2021.11.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2021] [Revised: 11/24/2021] [Accepted: 11/30/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Wild bee populations are declining due to human activities, such as land use change, which strongly affect the composition and diversity of available plants and food sources. The chemical composition of food (i.e., nutrition) in turn determines the health, resilience, and fitness of bees. For pollinators, however, the term 'health' is recent and is subject to debate, as is the interaction between nutrition and wild bee health. We define bee health as a multidimensional concept in a novel integrative framework linking bee biological traits (physiology, stoichiometry, and disease) and environmental factors (floral diversity and nutritional landscapes). Linking information on tolerated nutritional niches and health in different bee species will allow us to better predict their distribution and responses to environmental change, and thus support wild pollinator conservation.
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Affiliation(s)
- M A Parreño
- Plant-Insect Interactions, TUM School of Life Science Systems, Technical University of Munich (TUM), Freising, Germany.
| | - C Alaux
- INRAE, Abeilles et Environnement, Avignon, France
| | - J-L Brunet
- INRAE, Abeilles et Environnement, Avignon, France
| | - L Buydens
- Laboratory of Agrozoology, Department of Plants and Crops, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, Coupure Links 653, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
| | - M Filipiak
- Faculty of Biology, Institute of Environmental Sciences, Jagiellonian University, Gronostajowa 7, 30-387 Kraków, Poland.
| | - M Henry
- INRAE, Abeilles et Environnement, Avignon, France
| | - A Keller
- Center for Computational and Theoretical Biology, and Department of Bioinformatics, Biocenter, University of Würzburg, 97074 Würzburg, Germany
| | - A-M Klein
- Chair of Nature Conservation and Landscape Ecology, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - M Kuhlmann
- Zoological Museum of Kiel University, Kiel, Germany
| | - C Leroy
- INRAE, Abeilles et Environnement, Avignon, France
| | - I Meeus
- Laboratory of Agrozoology, Department of Plants and Crops, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, Coupure Links 653, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
| | - E Palmer-Young
- US Department of Agriculture (USDA) Agricultural Research Service Bee Research Laboratory, Beltsville, MD, USA
| | - N Piot
- Laboratory of Agrozoology, Department of Plants and Crops, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, Coupure Links 653, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
| | - F Requier
- Université Paris-Saclay, CNRS, IRD, UMR Évolution, Génomes, Comportement, et Écologie, 91198 Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - F Ruedenauer
- Plant-Insect Interactions, TUM School of Life Science Systems, Technical University of Munich (TUM), Freising, Germany
| | - G Smagghe
- Laboratory of Agrozoology, Department of Plants and Crops, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, Coupure Links 653, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
| | - P C Stevenson
- Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Surrey TW9 3AE, UK; University of Greenwich, London, UK
| | - S D Leonhardt
- Plant-Insect Interactions, TUM School of Life Science Systems, Technical University of Munich (TUM), Freising, Germany.
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Drescher N, Klein AM, Schmitt T, Leonhardt SD. A clue on bee glue: New insight into the sources and factors driving resin intake in honeybees (Apis mellifera). PLoS One 2019; 14:e0210594. [PMID: 30726258 PMCID: PMC6364881 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0210594] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2018] [Accepted: 12/28/2018] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Honeybees (Apis mellifera) are threatened by numerous pathogens and parasites. To prevent infections they apply cooperative behavioral defenses, such as allo-grooming and hygiene, or they use antimicrobial plant resin. Resin is a chemically complex and highly variable mixture of many bioactive compounds. Bees collect the sticky material from different plant species and use it for nest construction and protection. Despite its importance for colony health, comparatively little is known about the precise origins and variability in resin spectra collected by honeybees. To identify the botanical resin sources of A. mellifera in Western Europe we chemically compared resin loads of individual foragers and tree resins. We further examined the resin intake of 25 colonies from five different apiaries to assess the effect of location on variation in the spectra of collected resin. Across all colonies and apiaries, seven distinct resin types were categorized according to their color and chemical composition. Matches between bee-collected resin and tree resin indicated that bees used poplar (Populus balsamifera, P. x canadensis), birch (Betula alba), horse chestnut (Aesculus hippocastanum) and coniferous trees (either Picea abies or Pinus sylvestris) as resin sources. Our data reveal that honeybees collect a comparatively broad and variable spectrum of resin sources, thus assuring protection against a variety of antagonists sensitive to different resins and/or compounds. We further unravel distinct preferences for specific resins and resin chemotypes, indicating that honeybees selectively search for bioactive resin compounds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nora Drescher
- Institute of Ecology, Leuphana University of Lüneburg, Lüneburg, Germany
| | - Alexandra-Maria Klein
- Chair of Nature Conservation and Landscape Ecology, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Thomas Schmitt
- Department of Animal Ecology and Tropical Biology, University of Würzburg, Biocenter—Am Hubland, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Sara Diana Leonhardt
- Department of Animal Ecology and Tropical Biology, University of Würzburg, Biocenter—Am Hubland, Würzburg, Germany
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Pufal G, Memmert J, Leonhardt SD, Minden V. Negative bottom-up effects of sulfadiazine, but not penicillin and tetracycline, in soil substitute on plants and higher trophic levels. Environ Pollut 2019; 245:531-544. [PMID: 30466072 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2018.11.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2018] [Revised: 10/05/2018] [Accepted: 11/02/2018] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Veterinary antibiotics are widely used in livestock production and can be released to the environment via manure, affecting non-target organisms. Recent studies provide evidence that antibiotics can adversely affect both plants and insects but whether antibiotics in soil also affect trophic interactions is unknown. We tested whether antibiotics grown in sand as soil substitute with environmentally relevant concentrations of penicillin, sulfadiazine and tetracycline affect the survival of aphids feeding on plants (two crop and one non-crop plant species). Apera spica-venti, Brassica napus, and Triticum aestivum individuals were infested with aphids that were monitored over four weeks. We did not observe effects of penicillin or tetracycline on plants or aphids. However, sulfadiazine treatments reduced plant growth and increased mortality in the two tested grass species, but not in B. napus. Sulfadiazine subsequently decreased aphid density indirectly through reduced host plant biomass. We thus show that an antibiotic at realistic concentrations in a soil substitute can affect several trophic levels, i.e. plants and herbivores. This study contributes to the environmental risk assessment of veterinary antibiotics as it implies that their use potentially affects plant-insect interactions at environmentally relevant concentrations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gesine Pufal
- Department of Nature Conservation and Landscape Ecology, Albert-Ludwigs-University of Freiburg, 79106, Freiburg, Germany.
| | - Jörg Memmert
- Department of Nature Conservation and Landscape Ecology, Albert-Ludwigs-University of Freiburg, 79106, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Sara Diana Leonhardt
- Department of Animal Ecology and Tropical Biology, University of Würzburg, 97074, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Vanessa Minden
- Landscape Ecology Group, Institute of Biology and Environmental Sciences, University of Oldenburg, 26111, Oldenburg, Germany; Department of Biology, Ecology and Biodiversity, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, 1050, Brussels, Belgium
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Junker RR, Kuppler J, Amo L, Blande JD, Borges RM, van Dam NM, Dicke M, Dötterl S, Ehlers BK, Etl F, Gershenzon J, Glinwood R, Gols R, Groot AT, Heil M, Hoffmeister M, Holopainen JK, Jarau S, John L, Kessler A, Knudsen JT, Kost C, Larue-Kontic AAC, Leonhardt SD, Lucas-Barbosa D, Majetic CJ, Menzel F, Parachnowitsch AL, Pasquet RS, Poelman EH, Raguso RA, Ruther J, Schiestl FP, Schmitt T, Tholl D, Unsicker SB, Verhulst N, Visser ME, Weldegergis BT, Köllner TG. Covariation and phenotypic integration in chemical communication displays: biosynthetic constraints and eco-evolutionary implications. New Phytol 2018; 220:739-749. [PMID: 28256726 DOI: 10.1111/nph.14505] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [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: 09/30/2016] [Accepted: 01/29/2017] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
Chemical communication is ubiquitous. The identification of conserved structural elements in visual and acoustic communication is well established, but comparable information on chemical communication displays (CCDs) is lacking. We assessed the phenotypic integration of CCDs in a meta-analysis to characterize patterns of covariation in CCDs and identified functional or biosynthetically constrained modules. Poorly integrated plant CCDs (i.e. low covariation between scent compounds) support the notion that plants often utilize one or few key compounds to repel antagonists or to attract pollinators and enemies of herbivores. Animal CCDs (mostly insect pheromones) were usually more integrated than those of plants (i.e. stronger covariation), suggesting that animals communicate via fixed proportions among compounds. Both plant and animal CCDs were composed of modules, which are groups of strongly covarying compounds. Biosynthetic similarity of compounds revealed biosynthetic constraints in the covariation patterns of plant CCDs. We provide a novel perspective on chemical communication and a basis for future investigations on structural properties of CCDs. This will facilitate identifying modules and biosynthetic constraints that may affect the outcome of selection and thus provide a predictive framework for evolutionary trajectories of CCDs in plants and animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert R Junker
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Salzburg, Hellbrunnerstrasse 34, 5020, Salzburg, Austria
| | - Jonas Kuppler
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Salzburg, Hellbrunnerstrasse 34, 5020, Salzburg, Austria
| | - Luisa Amo
- Department of Animal Ecology, Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW), NL-6700, EH Wageningen, the Netherlands
- Department of Evolutionary Ecology, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales (CSIC), 28006, Madrid, Spain
| | - James D Blande
- Department of Environmental and Biological Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, 70211, Kuopio, Finland
| | - Renee M Borges
- Centre for Ecological Sciences, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, 560012, India
| | - Nicole M van Dam
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv), Halle-Jena-Leipzig/Friedrich-Schiller-Universität Jena, Deutscher Platz 5e, 04103, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Marcel Dicke
- Laboratory of Entomology, Wageningen University, PO Box 16, 6700 AA, Wageningen, the Netherlands
| | - Stefan Dötterl
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Salzburg, Hellbrunnerstrasse 34, 5020, Salzburg, Austria
| | - Bodil K Ehlers
- Department of Bioscience, Aarhus University, Vejlsøvej 25, 8600, Silkeborg, Denmark
| | - Florian Etl
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Salzburg, Hellbrunnerstrasse 34, 5020, Salzburg, Austria
- Department of Botany and Biodiversity Research, University of Vienna, 1030, Vienna, Austria
| | - Jonathan Gershenzon
- Department of Biochemistry, Max-Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, 07745, Jena, Germany
| | - Robert Glinwood
- Department of Crop Production Ecology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Box 7043, S750 07, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Rieta Gols
- Laboratory of Entomology, Wageningen University, PO Box 16, 6700 AA, Wageningen, the Netherlands
| | - Astrid T Groot
- Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics (IBED), University of Amsterdam, 1090 GE, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
- Department of Entomology, Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, 07745, Jena, Germany
| | - Martin Heil
- Departamento de Ingeniería Genética, CINVESTAV - Irapuato, Irapuato, CP 36821, México
| | - Mathias Hoffmeister
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Salzburg, Hellbrunnerstrasse 34, 5020, Salzburg, Austria
| | - Jarmo K Holopainen
- Department of Environmental and Biological Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, 70211, Kuopio, Finland
| | - Stefan Jarau
- Institute for Neurobiology, Ulm University, Helmholtzstr. 10/1, 89081, Ulm, Germany
| | - Lena John
- Institute for Neurobiology, Ulm University, Helmholtzstr. 10/1, 89081, Ulm, Germany
| | - Andre Kessler
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 14853, USA
| | - Jette T Knudsen
- Deptartment of Biology, Lund University, SE 223 62, Lund, Sweden
- Nattaro Labs AB, Medicon Village, 223 81, Lund, Sweden
| | - Christian Kost
- Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, Research Group Experimental Ecology and Evolution, 07745, Jena, Germany
- Department of Ecology, School of Biology/Chemistry, University of Osnabrück, 49074, Osnabrück, Germany
| | - Anne-Amélie C Larue-Kontic
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Salzburg, Hellbrunnerstrasse 34, 5020, Salzburg, Austria
| | - Sara Diana Leonhardt
- Department of Animal Ecology and Tropical Biology, Würzburg University, 97074, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Dani Lucas-Barbosa
- Laboratory of Entomology, Wageningen University, PO Box 16, 6700 AA, Wageningen, the Netherlands
| | - Cassie J Majetic
- Department of Biology, Saint Mary's College, Notre Dame, IN, 46556, USA
| | - Florian Menzel
- Institute of Zoology, University of Mainz, 55128, Mainz, Germany
| | - Amy L Parachnowitsch
- Plant Ecology and Evolution, Evolutionary Biology Centre, Uppsala University, Uppsala, 75236, Sweden
| | - Rémy S Pasquet
- Department of ECOBIO, IRD, 44 Bd de Dunkerque, 13572, Marseille Cedex 02, France
| | - Erik H Poelman
- Laboratory of Entomology, Wageningen University, PO Box 16, 6700 AA, Wageningen, the Netherlands
| | - Robert A Raguso
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 14853, USA
| | - Joachim Ruther
- Institute of Zoology, University of Regensburg, Universitätsstraße 31, 93053, Regensburg, Germany
| | - Florian P Schiestl
- Department of Systematic and Evolutionary Botany, University of Zürich, Zollikerstrasse 107, 8008, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Thomas Schmitt
- Department of Animal Ecology and Tropical Biology, Würzburg University, 97074, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Dorothea Tholl
- Department of Biological Sciences, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, 24061, USA
| | - Sybille B Unsicker
- Department of Biochemistry, Max-Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, 07745, Jena, Germany
| | - Niels Verhulst
- Laboratory of Entomology, Wageningen University, PO Box 16, 6700 AA, Wageningen, the Netherlands
| | - Marcel E Visser
- Department of Animal Ecology, Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW), NL-6700, EH Wageningen, the Netherlands
| | - Berhane T Weldegergis
- Laboratory of Entomology, Wageningen University, PO Box 16, 6700 AA, Wageningen, the Netherlands
| | - Tobias G Köllner
- Department of Biochemistry, Max-Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, 07745, Jena, Germany
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Minden V, Deloy A, Volkert AM, Leonhardt SD, Pufal G. Antibiotics impact plant traits, even at small concentrations. AoB Plants 2017; 9:plx010. [PMID: 28439396 PMCID: PMC5393049 DOI: 10.1093/aobpla/plx010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2016] [Revised: 02/07/2017] [Accepted: 03/08/2017] [Indexed: 05/29/2023]
Abstract
Antibiotics of veterinary origin are released to agricultural fields via grazing animals or manure. Possible effects on human health through the consumption of antibiotic exposed crop plants have been intensively investigated. However, information is still lacking on the effects of antibiotics on plants themselves, particularly on non-crop species, although evidence suggests adverse effects of antibiotics on growth and performance of plants. This study evaluated the effects of three major antibiotics, penicillin, sulfadiazine and tetracycline, on the germination rates and post-germinative traits of four plant species during ontogenesis and at the time of full development. Antibiotic concentrations were chosen as to reflect in vivo situations, i.e. concentrations similar to those detected in soils. Plant species included two herb species and two grass species, and represent two crop-species and two non-crop species commonly found in field margins, respectively. Germination tests were performed in climate chambers and effects on the remaining plant traits were determined in greenhouse experiments. Results show that antibiotics, even in small concentrations, significantly affect plant traits. These effects include delayed germination and post-germinative development. Effects were species and functional group dependent, with herbs being more sensitive to antibiotics then grasses. Responses were either negative or positive, depending on plant species and antibiotic. Effects were generally stronger for penicillin and sulfadiazine than for tetracycline. Our study shows that cropland species respond to the use of different antibiotics in livestock industry, for example, with delayed germination and lower biomass allocation, indicating possible effects on yield in farmland fertilized with manure containing antibiotics. Also, antibiotics can alter the composition of plant species in natural field margins, due to different species-specific responses, with unknown consequences for higher trophic levels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vanessa Minden
- Department of Biology, Ecology and Biodiversity, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Pleinlaan 2, 1050 Brussels, Belgium
- Landscape Ecology Group, Institute of Biology and Environmental Sciences, Carl von Óssietzky-Strasse 9-11, 26111 Oldenburg, Germany
| | - Andrea Deloy
- Landscape Ecology Group, Institute of Biology and Environmental Sciences, Carl von Óssietzky-Strasse 9-11, 26111 Oldenburg, Germany
| | - Anna Martina Volkert
- Landscape Ecology Group, Institute of Biology and Environmental Sciences, Carl von Óssietzky-Strasse 9-11, 26111 Oldenburg, Germany
| | - Sara Diana Leonhardt
- Department of Animal Ecology and Tropical Biology, Biozentrum, Am Hubland, University of Würzburg, 97074 Würzburg, Germany
| | - Gesine Pufal
- Nature Conservation and Landscape Ecology, Faculty of Environment and Natural Resources, University of Freiburg, Tennenbacher Strasse 4, 79106 Freiburg, Germany
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11
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Abstract
Insect life strategies comprise all levels of sociality from solitary to eusocial, in which individuals form persistent groups and divide labor. With increasing social complexity, the need to communicate a greater diversity of messages arose to coordinate division of labor, group cohesion, and concerted actions. Here we summarize the knowledge on prominent messages in social insects that inform about reproduction, group membership, resource locations, and threats and discuss potential evolutionary trajectories of each message in the context of social complexity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara Diana Leonhardt
- Department of Animal Ecology and Tropical Biology, University of Würzburg, 97074 Würzburg, Germany
| | - Florian Menzel
- Evolutionary Biology, Institute of Zoology, University of Mainz, 55128 Mainz, Germany
| | - Volker Nehring
- Department of Evolutionary Biology and Animal Ecology, University of Freiburg, 79104 Freiburg, Germany
| | - Thomas Schmitt
- Department of Animal Ecology and Tropical Biology, University of Würzburg, 97074 Würzburg, Germany.
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Drescher N, Wallace HM, Katouli M, Massaro CF, Leonhardt SD. Diversity matters: how bees benefit from different resin sources. Oecologia 2014; 176:943-53. [PMID: 25205030 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-014-3070-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2014] [Accepted: 08/25/2014] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Biodiverse environments provide a variety of resources that can be exploited by consumers. While many studies revealed a positive correlation between biodiversity and consumer biomass and richness, only few studies have investigated how resource diversity affects single consumers. To better understand whether a single consumer species benefits from diverse resources, we tested how the protective function of a defensive plant resource (i.e. resin exploited by social bees) varied among different sources and target organisms (predators, parasites and pathogens). To assess synergistic effects, resins from different plant genera were tested separately and in combination. We found that resin diversity is beneficial for bees, with its functional properties depending on the target organisms, type and composition of resin. Different resins showed different effects, and mixtures were more effective than some of the single resins (functional complementarity). We conclude that resins of different plant species target different organisms and act synergistically where combined. Bees that rely on resin for protection benefit more when they have access to diverse resin sources. Loss of biodiversity may in turn destabilize consumer populations due to restricted access to a variety of resources.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nora Drescher
- Department of Ecology, Leuphana University of Lüneburg, 21335, Lüneburg, Germany,
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Leonhardt SD, Form S, Blüthgen N, Schmitt T, Feldhaar H. Genetic Relatedness and Chemical Profiles in an Unusually Peaceful Eusocial Bee. J Chem Ecol 2011; 37:1117-26. [PMID: 21948201 DOI: 10.1007/s10886-011-0016-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2011] [Revised: 05/23/2011] [Accepted: 09/05/2011] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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Leonhardt SD, Blüthgen N, Schmitt T. Chemical profiles of body surfaces and nests from six Bornean stingless bee species. J Chem Ecol 2010; 37:98-104. [PMID: 21165680 DOI: 10.1007/s10886-010-9900-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2010] [Revised: 09/20/2010] [Accepted: 12/07/2010] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
Stingless bees (Apidae: Meliponini) are the most diverse group of Apid bees and represent common pollinators in tropical ecosystems. Like honeybees they live in large eusocial colonies and rely on complex chemical recognition and communication systems. In contrast to honeybees, their ecology and especially their chemical ecology have received only little attention, particularly in the Old World. We previously have analyzed the chemical profiles of six paleotropical stingless bee species from Borneo and revealed the presence of species-specific cuticular terpenes- an environmentally derived compound class so far unique among social insects. Here, we compared the bees' surface profiles to the chemistry of their nest material. Terpenes, alkanes, and alkenes were the dominant compound groups on both body surfaces and nest material. However, bee profiles and nests strongly differed in their chemical composition. Body surfaces thus did not merely mirror nests, rendering a passive compound transfer from nests to bees unlikely. The difference between nests and bees was particularly pronounced when all resin-derived compounds (terpenes) were excluded and only genetically determined compounds were considered. When terpenes were included, bee profiles and nest material still differed, because whole groups of terpenes (e.g., sesquiterpenes) were found in nest material of some species, but missing in their chemical profile, indicating that bees are able to influence the terpene composition both in their nests and on their surfaces.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara Diana Leonhardt
- Department of Animal Ecology and Tropical Biology, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany.
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Abstract
Insects largely rely on olfactory cues when seeking and judging information on nests, partners, or resources. Bees are known to use volatile compounds-besides visual cues-to find flowers suitable for pollen and nectar collection. Tropical stingless bees additionally collect large amounts of plant resins for nest construction, nest maintenance, nest defense, and to derive chemical constituents for their cuticular profiles. We here demonstrate that stingless bees of Borneo also use olfactory cues to find tree resins. They rely on volatile mono- and sesquiterpenes to locate or recognize known resin sources. Moreover, by modifying resin extracts, we found that stingless bees do not use the entire resin bouquet but relative proportions of several terpenes. In doing so, the bees are able to learn specific tree resin profiles and distinguish between tree species and partly even tree individuals.
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Affiliation(s)
- S D Leonhardt
- Department of Evolutionary Biology and Animal Ecology, University of Würzburg, Germany
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Leonhardt SD, Brandstaetter AS, Kleineidam CJ. Reformation process of the neuronal template for nestmate-recognition cues in the carpenter ant Camponotus floridanus. J Comp Physiol A Neuroethol Sens Neural Behav Physiol 2007; 193:993-1000. [PMID: 17639411 DOI: 10.1007/s00359-007-0252-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2007] [Revised: 06/22/2007] [Accepted: 06/23/2007] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Ants use cuticular hydrocarbons (CHC-profiles) as multicomponent recognition cues to identify colony members (nestmates). Recognition cues (label) are thought to be perceived during ant-ant encounters and compared to a neuronal template that represents the colony label. Over time, the CHC-profile may change, and the template is adjusted accordingly. A phenotype mismatch between label and template, as happens with CHC-profiles of foreign workers (non-nestmates), frequently leads to aggressive behavior. We investigated the template reformation in workers of the carpenter ant Camponotus floridanus by masking their antennae with postpharyngeal gland (PPG) extracts from nestmates or non-nestmates. The behavioral response of manipulated workers encountering unmanipulated workers was measured independently after 2 and after 15 h. After 2 h of incubation, workers treated with either of the two PPG-extracts showed low aggression towards nestmates and high aggression towards non-nestmates. In contrast, after 15 h of incubation, workers treated with non-nestmate PPG-extract showed low aggression towards both nestmates and non-nestmates. The slow (>2 h) adjustment of the template indicates a reformation localized in the central nervous system rather than in chemosensory neurons. In addition, our data show that template adjustment to a new CHC-profile does not impair the assessment of the old CHC-profile as nestmate label.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara Diana Leonhardt
- Department of Sociobiology and Behavioral Physiology, Biozentrum, University of Würzburg, Am Hubland, 97074, Würzburg, Germany
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