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Peer Reviewed Papers
Peer Reviewed Papers
Information arms race explains plant-herbivore chemical communication in ecological communities
Information arms race explains plant-herbivore chemical communication in ecological communities
Zu P*, Del-Val E, Boege K, Schuman M, Stevenson P, Alejandro Zaldivar-Riveron, Saavedra S. 2020 Science DOI: 10.1126/science.aba2965
https://science.sciencemag.org/content/368/6497/1377?intcmp=trendmd-sci
Abstract:
Plants emit an extraordinary diversity of chemicals, providing information about their identity and mediating interactions with insects. However, most studies have focused on a few model species in controlled environments, limiting our capacity to understand plant-insect chemical communication in ecological communities. Here, by integrating information theory with ecological and evolutionary theories, we show that a stable information structure of plant volatile organic compounds (VOCs) can emerge from a conflicting information process between plants and herbivores. We corroborate this information arms-race theory with field data recording plant-VOC associations and herbivore-plant interactions in a tropical dry forest. We reveal that plant VOC redundancy and herbivore specialization can be explained by a conflicting information transfer. Information-based communication approaches can increase our understanding of species interactions across trophic levels.
The effects of becoming taller: Direct and pleiotropic effects of artificial selection on plant height in Brassica rapa
The effects of becoming taller: Direct and pleiotropic effects of artificial selection on plant height in Brassica rapa
Zu P*, Schiestl FP. 2017. The Plant Journal 89, 1009-1019. http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/tpj.13440/full
Abstract:
Plant height is an important trait for plant reproductive success. Plant height is often under pollinator‐mediated selection, and has been shown to be correlated with various other traits. However, few studies have examined the evolutionary trajectory of plant height under selection and the pleiotropic effects of plant height evolution. We conducted a bi‐directional artificial selection experiment on plant height with fast cycling Brassica rapa plants to estimate its heritability and genetic correlations, and to reveal evolutionary responses to artificial selection on height and various correlated traits. With the divergent lines obtained through artificial selection, we subsequently conducted pollinator‐choice assays and investigated resource limitation of fruit production. We found that plant height variation is strongly genetically controlled (with a realized heritability of 41–59%). Thus, plant height can evolve rapidly under phenotypic selection. In addition, we found remarkable pleiotropic effects in phenology, morphology, floral scent, color, nectar and leaf glucosinolates. Most traits were increased in tall‐line plants, but flower size, UV reflection and glucosinolates were decreased, indicating potential trade‐offs. Pollinators preferred plants of the tall selection lines over the short selection lines in both greenhouse experiments with bumblebees and field experiment with natural pollinators. We did not detect any differences in resource limitation between plants of the different selection lines. Overall, our study predicts that increased height should evolve under positive pollinator‐mediated directional selection with potential trade‐offs in floral signals and herbivore defense.
Heritability of floral volatiles and pleiotropic responses to artificial selection in Brassica rapa
Heritability of floral volatiles and pleiotropic responses to artificial selection in Brassica rapa
Zu P, Blanckenhorn WU, Schiestl FP*. 2016. New Phytologist 209(3): 1208-1219. http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/nph.13652/full
Abstract:
The evolution of the vast diversity of floral volatiles is little understood, although they serve fundamental functions, such as pollinator attraction and herbivore deterrence. Floral volatiles are often species specific, yet highly variable and sensitive to environmental factors. To date, nothing is known about the heritability of floral volatiles, and whether individual compounds can evolve independently or solely in concert with the whole volatile bouquet. We conducted bi‐directional artificial selection on four target floral volatiles to estimate heritability and correlated pleiotropic responses in the wild turnip (Brassica rapa). The realized heritability of the four target volatiles ranged from 20% to 45%. The average narrow‐sense heritability of all 13 analyzed floral volatiles was 18% based on parent–offspring regressions. There were pleiotropic effects of the selected floral volatile compounds on other constituents of the floral scent bouquet, on flowering time and on some morphological traits. We found that the whole floral scent bouquet changed, even when there was selection only on single compounds, with the overall phenotypic covariance being unaffected. Our study demonstrates that floral scent can evolve rapidly under phenotypic selection, but with additional correlated responses in traits that are not direct targets of selection.
Saavedra, S., Bartomeus, I., Godoy, O., Rohr, R.P. and Zu, P., 2022. Towards a system-level causative knowledge of pollinator communities. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B (accepted). Preprint see bioRxiv.
Zu, P., Garcia-Garcia, R., Schuman, M., Saavedra, S. and Melian, C., 2022. Plant-insect chemical communication in ecological communities: an information theory perspective. Journal of Systematics and Evolution (accepted). Preprint see bioRxiv.
Jia Xing Fang, Hui Cong Du, Xia Shi, Su Fang Zhang, Fu Liu, Zhen Zhang, Peng Juan Zu, and Xiang Bo Kong. 2021. Monoterpenoid signals and their transcriptional responses to feeding and juvenile hormone regulations in bark beetle Ips hauseri Reitter. Journal of Experimental Biology 224(9):jeb238030 https://journals.biologists.com/jeb/article/224/9/jeb238030/238114/Monoterpenoid-signals-and-their-transcriptional
Zu, P., Koch, H., Schwery, O., Pironon, S., Phillips, C., Ondo, I., Farrell, I., Nes, W.D., Moore, E., Wright, G., Farman, D.I., and Stevenson PC. 2021. Pollen sterols are associated with phylogeny and environment but not with pollinator guilds. New Phytologist (open access) https://nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/nph.17227
Zu P*, Del-Val E, Boege K, Schuman M, Stevenson P, Alejandro Zaldivar-Riveron, Saavedra S. 2020 Science DOI: 10.1126/science.aba2965 https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.aba2965
Zu P, Schiestl FP, Li X, Runcie DE, Gervasi D, Guillaume F*. 2020. Floral signals evolve in a predictable way under artificial and pollinator selection in Brassica rapa. BMC Evolutionary Biology 20(1), 1-12. bmcevolbiol.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12862-020-01692-7
Zu P*, Schiestl FP. 2017. The Plant Journal 89, 1009-1019. http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/tpj.13440/full
Zu P, Blanckenhorn WU, Schiestl FP*. 2016. New Phytologist 209(3): 1208-1219. http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/nph.13652/full
Cai J, Zu P, Schiestl FP*. 2016. The molecular bases of floral scent evolution under artificial selection: insights from a transcriptome analysis in Brassica rapa. Scientific Reports 6: 36966. http://www.nature.com/articles/srep36966
Sletvold N*, Grindeland JM, Zu P, Ågren J. 2012. Strong inbreeding depression and local outbreeding depression in the rewarding orchid Gymnadenia conopsea. Conservation Genetics 13(5): 1305-1315. http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10592-012-0373-7
Dissertation and thesis:
Zu P. 2017. Predicting floral evolution: a complementary approach to floral signals in Brassica rapa. Dissertation Universität Zürich. OCLC:1010736945
Zu P. 2011. Effects of nectar production and pollinator assemblies on mating patterns in orchid. Dissertation Uppsala universitet. URN: urn:nbn:se:uu:diva-159358
Conference contributions
Conference contributions
2021 BEEES Seminar Series, University of Zurich, Switzerland, invited speaker
2021 PSC-Syngenta symposium, Stein, Switzerland, Keynote speaker
2021 ISEB Seminar Series, University of Zurich, Switzerland, invited speaker
2021 Aquatic ecology and macroevolution seminar., Eawag, Switzerland, invited speaker
2020 Ecology Meeting, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, USA, poster
2019 Chinese Academic of Science Symposium, Beijing & Xinjiang, China, invited speaker
2019 43th NPS: Interaction networks and trait evolution, Zurich, Switzerland, poster
2019 The Future of Quantitative Biology Symposium, Harvard University, USA, talk
2019 Science seminar, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, UK, invited talk
2019 4th Xishuangbanna International Symposium, Yunnan, China, group talk
2018 Ecology and Evolution Symposium, Beijing Normal University, China, invited talk
2018 Northeast Forestry University, Harbin, Heilongjiang, China, invited talk
2018 Stefan Vogel Symposium, Zurich, Switzerland, poster
2018 GRC (Gordon Research Conference) on Plant Volatiles, Lucca, Italy, invited talk
2017 ‘Zijing’ International Young Scientist Congress, Guangzhou, China, invited talk
2016 Evolution, Austin, TX, USA, talk
2015 ESEB (European Society for Evolutionary Biology), Lausanne, Switzerland, talk
2015 Evolution, Guarujá, Brazil, talk
2014 The 5th National Conference & International Workshop on Evolutionary Ecology and Plant Reproductive Biology, Guangzhou, China, talk
2014 GRC (Gordon Research Conference) on Plant Volatiles, Ventura, CA, USA, talk
2013 Plant volatiles: from lab bench to application, Les Diablerets, Switzerland, poster
2012 International Workshop on Plant Reproduction Biology, Urumqi, Xinjiang, China, talk
2011 International Plant-animal relationship Symposium, Xishuangbanna, China, talk
2010 Science conference, Uppsala, Sweden, talk
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