Dissertation Research: Differential Pollinator Attraction by Polymorphic Chemistry

论文研究：多晶型化学差异授粉媒介吸引

• 批准号: 0608386
• 负责人: Yan Linhart
• 金额: $ 0.79万
• 依托单位: University of Colorado at Boulder
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2006
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2006-07-15 至 2008-06-30
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=0608386&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Dissertation; Research; Differential; Pollinator; Attraction

Like many species in the mint family, common thyme (Thymus vulgaris L.), produces volatile chemicals called monoterpenes in tiny sacs located on leaves and flowering parts. Plants use these chemicals for a variety of functions, including: suppressing plant competitors, repelling herbivores, and attracting pollinators. Due to simple genetic differences, individual thyme plants will be one of six different chemical types, called chemotypes. Plants of a particular chemotype produce one monoterpene that dominates their chemical composition. This means that individuals of the same species can have very different smells, tastes, and interactions with other organisms. For instance, one chemotype may repel herbivores or attract pollinators better than another chemotype. How a single species maintains these chemical differences is the focus of this work. In particular, are certain chemotypes better at attracting pollinators than others, thereby affording them better reproductive success? To determine whether the volatile chemicals from different thyme chemotypes influence pollinators differentially, a series of experiments has been planned. First, the volatiles from different thyme chemotypes will be collected and characterized to show how much and which chemicals are actually emitted. Next, observations of thyme pollinators will be conducted to determine if they behave differently toward the various chemotypes, using whole plants, plant extracts and pure monoterpenes from different chemotypes. Finally, plants of specific chemotypes will be grown in populations of other chemotypes and their reproduction assessed by measuring seed production, which is directly proportional to pollinator visitation.

像薄荷家族中的许多物种一样，普通百里香（百里香氏乳房）在位于叶子和开花部位的小囊中产生挥发性化学物质，称为单萜。 植物将这些化学物质用于各种功能，包括：抑制植物竞争者，排斥食草动物和吸引传粉媒介。 由于简单的遗传差异，单个百里香植物将是六种不同的化学类型之一，称为化学型。 特定化学型的植物会产生一种单一的单二烯，该植物主要主导其化学成分。 这意味着同一物种的个体可以与其他生物具有非常不同的气味，口味和相互作用。 例如，一种化学型可以比其他化学型更好地驱除食草动物或吸引传粉媒介。 单个物种如何维持这些化学差异是这项工作的重点。 特别是，某些化学型在吸引授粉媒介方面是否比其他化学型更好，从而为它们带来更好的生殖成功吗？ 为了确定来自不同百里香化学型的挥发性化学物质是否会影响授粉媒介，已经计划了一系列实验。 首先，将收集来自不同百里香化学型的挥发物并表征以显示实际发射了多少化学物质。 接下来，使用整个植物，植物提取物和来自不同化学型的纯单二烯对各种化学型的行为对各种化学型的行为是否有所不同。 最后，特定化学型的植物将在其他化学型的种群中种植，并通过测量种子生产来评估其繁殖，这与授粉媒介探访成正比。