Fitness benefits of trypsin proteinase inhibitor expression in <it>Nicotiana attenuata </it>are greater than their costs when plants are attacked.
<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The commonly invoked cost-benefit paradigm, central to most of functional biology, explains why one phenotype cannot be optimally fit in all environments; yet it is rarely tested. Trypsin proteinase inhibitors (TPIs) expression in &l...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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BMC
2004-08-01
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| Series: | BMC Ecology |
| Online Access: | http://www.biomedcentral.com/1472-6785/4/11 |
| _version_ | 1818908510940823552 |
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| author | Baldwin Ian T Zavala Jorge A |
| author_facet | Baldwin Ian T Zavala Jorge A |
| author_sort | Baldwin Ian T |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | <p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The commonly invoked cost-benefit paradigm, central to most of functional biology, explains why one phenotype cannot be optimally fit in all environments; yet it is rarely tested. Trypsin proteinase inhibitors (TPIs) expression in <it>Nicotiana attenuata </it>is known to decrease plant fitness when plants compete with unattacked conspecifics that do not produce TPIs and also to decrease the performance of attacking herbivores.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>In order to determine whether the putative benefits of TPI production outweigh its cost, we transformed <it>N. attenuata </it>to silence endogenous TPI production or restore it in a natural mutant that was unable to produce TPIs. We compared the lifetime seed production of <it>N. attenuata </it>genotypes of the same genetic background with low or no TPI to that of genotypes with high TPI levels on which <it>M. sexta </it>larvae were allowed to feed freely. Unattacked low TPI-producing genotypes produced more seed capsules than did plants with high TPI levels. Caterpillar attack reduced seed capsule production in all genotypes and reversed the pattern of seed capsule production among genotypes. <it>M. sexta </it>larvae attacking genotypes with high TPI activity consumed more TPI, less protein, and move later to the young leaves. Larval masses were negatively correlated (R<sup>2 </sup>= 0.56) with seed capsule production per plant.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Our results demonstrate that the fitness benefits of TPI production outweigh their costs in greenhouse conditions, when plants are attacked and that despite the ongoing evolutionary interactions between plant and herbivore, TPI-mediated decreases in <it>M. sexta </it>performance translates into a fitness benefit for the plant.</p> |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-19T22:12:10Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-f3bce94f47f747d69556ea2114e6798b |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1472-6785 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-19T22:12:10Z |
| publishDate | 2004-08-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
| record_format | Article |
| series | BMC Ecology |
| spelling | doaj.art-f3bce94f47f747d69556ea2114e6798b2022-12-21T20:03:52ZengBMCBMC Ecology1472-67852004-08-01411110.1186/1472-6785-4-11Fitness benefits of trypsin proteinase inhibitor expression in <it>Nicotiana attenuata </it>are greater than their costs when plants are attacked.Baldwin Ian TZavala Jorge A<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The commonly invoked cost-benefit paradigm, central to most of functional biology, explains why one phenotype cannot be optimally fit in all environments; yet it is rarely tested. Trypsin proteinase inhibitors (TPIs) expression in <it>Nicotiana attenuata </it>is known to decrease plant fitness when plants compete with unattacked conspecifics that do not produce TPIs and also to decrease the performance of attacking herbivores.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>In order to determine whether the putative benefits of TPI production outweigh its cost, we transformed <it>N. attenuata </it>to silence endogenous TPI production or restore it in a natural mutant that was unable to produce TPIs. We compared the lifetime seed production of <it>N. attenuata </it>genotypes of the same genetic background with low or no TPI to that of genotypes with high TPI levels on which <it>M. sexta </it>larvae were allowed to feed freely. Unattacked low TPI-producing genotypes produced more seed capsules than did plants with high TPI levels. Caterpillar attack reduced seed capsule production in all genotypes and reversed the pattern of seed capsule production among genotypes. <it>M. sexta </it>larvae attacking genotypes with high TPI activity consumed more TPI, less protein, and move later to the young leaves. Larval masses were negatively correlated (R<sup>2 </sup>= 0.56) with seed capsule production per plant.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Our results demonstrate that the fitness benefits of TPI production outweigh their costs in greenhouse conditions, when plants are attacked and that despite the ongoing evolutionary interactions between plant and herbivore, TPI-mediated decreases in <it>M. sexta </it>performance translates into a fitness benefit for the plant.</p>http://www.biomedcentral.com/1472-6785/4/11 |
| spellingShingle | Baldwin Ian T Zavala Jorge A Fitness benefits of trypsin proteinase inhibitor expression in <it>Nicotiana attenuata </it>are greater than their costs when plants are attacked. BMC Ecology |
| title | Fitness benefits of trypsin proteinase inhibitor expression in <it>Nicotiana attenuata </it>are greater than their costs when plants are attacked. |
| title_full | Fitness benefits of trypsin proteinase inhibitor expression in <it>Nicotiana attenuata </it>are greater than their costs when plants are attacked. |
| title_fullStr | Fitness benefits of trypsin proteinase inhibitor expression in <it>Nicotiana attenuata </it>are greater than their costs when plants are attacked. |
| title_full_unstemmed | Fitness benefits of trypsin proteinase inhibitor expression in <it>Nicotiana attenuata </it>are greater than their costs when plants are attacked. |
| title_short | Fitness benefits of trypsin proteinase inhibitor expression in <it>Nicotiana attenuata </it>are greater than their costs when plants are attacked. |
| title_sort | fitness benefits of trypsin proteinase inhibitor expression in it nicotiana attenuata it are greater than their costs when plants are attacked |
| url | http://www.biomedcentral.com/1472-6785/4/11 |
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