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

基本信息

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

项目摘要

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.

与薄荷科的许多物种一样，普通百里香（Thymus vulgaris L.）在叶子和开花部分的微小囊中产生称为单萜的挥发性化学物质。植物利用这些化学物质实现多种功能，包括：抑制植物竞争者、驱除食草动物和吸引传粉者。由于简单的遗传差异，百里香植株将具有六种不同的化学类型之一，称为化学型。特定化学型的植物产生一种单萜，其在其化学成分中占主导地位。这意味着同一物种的个体可能有非常不同的气味、味道以及与其他生物体的相互作用。例如，一种化学型可能比另一种化学型更好地排斥食草动物或吸引传粉者。单个物种如何保持这些化学差异是这项工作的重点。特别是，某些化学型是否比其他化学型更能吸引传粉媒介，从而使它们获得更好的繁殖成功率？为了确定不同百里香化学型的挥发性化学物质是否对授粉昆虫产生不同的影响，已经计划进行一系列实验。首先，将收集不同百里香化学型的挥发物并对其进行表征，以显示实际排放的化学物质的量和种类。接下来，将使用来自不同化学型的整株植物、植物提取物和纯单萜对百里香授粉媒介进行观察，以确定它们对各种化学型的行为是否不同。最后，特定化学型的植物将在其他化学型的群体中生长，并通过测量种子产量来评估它们的繁殖，这与传粉媒介的访问成正比。