The mechanics of pollinator attraction: development and function of floral diffraction gratings

传粉媒介吸引机制：花衍射光栅的发展和功能

• 批准号: BB/Y003896/1
• 负责人: Beverley Jane Glover
• 金额: $ 83.02万
• 依托单位: University of Cambridge
• 依托单位国家: 英国
• 项目类别: Research Grant
• 财政年份: 2024
• 资助国家: 英国
• 起止时间: 2024 至 无数据
• 项目状态: 未结题
• 来源: https://gtr.ukri.org/projects?ref=BB%2FY003896%2F1
• 关键词: mechanics; pollinator; attraction; development; function

Pattern formation is key to the development of all multicellular organisms. Although biologists traditionally focus on actively controlled patterning systems, many biological patterns are emergent phenomena arising from physical forces acting on materials with specific chemistries. This is an inevitable consequence of the nature of living organisms. While genetic programmes and developmental pathways appear to have great power to sculpt form, they can only do so with materials defined by their chemical properties and in the context of a world dominated by physical forces. All living material is composed of molecules which, according to their types, frequency and organization, will confer particular material properties on the tissue. And all living organisms are subject to physical forces throughout their growth and development. From this perspective, it is not surprising that classical developmental biology cannot account for all patterns. Mechanically-emergent pattern formation has received relatively little attention, until recently, but is now being explored at a variety of system, organ and tissue levels. One example of a mechanically-emergent pattern is that of epidermal wrinkles, found in both plants and animals. Regular arrays of wrinkles can influence the optical properties of a tissue. For example, elongated rows of wrinkles on the petals of Hibiscus trionum act as a diffraction grating, giving rise to structural colour which can help bumblebees to find targets more quickly. We know very little about how wrinkle patterns, such as the H. trionum petal diffraction grating, form during development, in any tissue in either plants or animals.Floral diffraction gratings occur infrequently, but have evolved multiple times, suggesting that they are important in pollinator attraction. Bumblebees, used as model pollinators in behavioural studies, find artificial flowers with replica petal diffraction gratings more quickly than controls without them. However, there is considerable debate in the scientific community about whether these experiments with artificial surfaces really replicate natural conditions, and therefore whether floral diffraction gratings really have any impact either on pollinator attraction or on plant fitness.In this project we will address both the development of the Hibiscus trionum diffraction grating and its function. We have developed a mechanical model which explains the development of the grating through physical forces acting on the tissue, and we have developed the tools to test this model using transgenic approaches to change the plant's tissue properties. As we do this testing, we will produce transgenic plants which lack the diffraction grating, or have altered forms of it. We will use these in behavioural experiments in the lab and in glasshouses to understand fully how the diffraction grating affects pollinator behaviour. Our project will help scientists to understand how flower forms develop, and also how they function in pollinator attraction.

模式形成是所有多细胞生物发育的关键。尽管生物学家传统上关注主动控制的图案系统，但许多生物图案是由于物理力作用于具有特定化学性质的材料而产生的自然现象。这是生物体本质的必然结果。虽然基因程序和发育途径似乎具有塑造形态的强大力量，但它们只能利用由其化学特性定义的材料，并且在物理力主导的世界背景下才能做到这一点。所有生命材料均由分子组成，根据其类型、频率和组织，这些分子将赋予组织特定的材料特性。所有生物体在其生长和发育过程中都受到物理力的影响。从这个角度来看，经典发育生物学无法解释所有模式也就不足为奇了。直到最近，机械涌现的模式形成还受到相对较少的关注，但现在正在各种系统、器官和组织水平上进行探索。机械产生的模式的一个例子是表皮皱纹，在植物和动物中都存在。规则的皱纹阵列可以影响组织的光学特性。例如，芙蓉花瓣上的细长皱纹充当衍射光栅，产生结构色，可以帮助大黄蜂更快地找到目标。我们对皱纹图案（例如 H. trionum 花瓣衍射光栅）在发育过程中在植物或动物的任何组织中如何形成知之甚少。花朵衍射光栅很少出现，但已经进化了多次，这表明它们在传粉媒介的吸引力。在行为研究中用作授粉模型的大黄蜂，比没有花瓣衍射光栅的对照组更快地找到带有复制花瓣衍射光栅的人造花。然而，科学界对于这些人造表面实验是否真正复制了自然条件，以及花卉衍射光栅是否真的对传粉媒介吸引力或植物适应性产生任何影响存在相当多的争论。在这个项目中，我们将解决这两个问题Hibiscus trionum 衍射光栅的结构及其功能。我们开发了一个机械模型，它解释了通过作用在组织上的物理力产生光栅的过程，并且我们开发了工具来测试该模型，使用转基因方法改变植物的组织特性。当我们进行这项测试时，我们将生产出缺乏衍射光栅或改变了衍射光栅形式的转基因植物。我们将在实验室和温室的行为实验中使用它们，以充分了解衍射光栅如何影响传粉昆虫的行为。我们的项目将帮助科学家了解花的形态是如何发育的，以及它们如何在授粉媒介吸引中发挥作用。