The carnivorous plants in the order Caryophyllales co-opted jasmonate signalling from plant defence to botanical carnivory. However, carnivorous plants have at least 11 independent origins, and here we ask whether jasmonate signalling has been co-opted repeatedly in different evolutionary lineages. We experimentally wounded and fed the carnivorous plants Sarracenia purpurea (order Ericales), Cephalotus follicularis (order Oxalidales), Drosophyllum lusitanicum (order Caryophyllales), and measured electrical signals, phytohormone tissue level, and digestive enzymes activity. Coronatine was added exogenously to confirm the role of jasmonates in the induction of digestive process. Immunodetection of aspartic protease and proteomic analysis of digestive fluid was also performed. We found that prey capture induced accumulation of endogenous jasmonates only in D. lusitanicum, in accordance with increased enzyme activity after insect prey or coronatine application. In C. follicularis, the enzyme activity was constitutive while in S. purpurea was regulated by multiple factors. Several classes of digestive enzymes were identified in the digestive fluid of D. lusitanicum. Although carnivorous plants from different evolutionary lineages use the same digestive enzymes, the mechanism of their regulation differs. All investigated genera use jasmonates for their ancient role, defence, but jasmonate signalling has been co-opted for botanical carnivory only in some of them.

• Keywords
• Aspartic protease, carnivorous plant, digestive enzymes, electrical signal, jasmonic acid, phytohormone, plant defence, wounding,
• MeSH
• Carnivory * MeSH
• Carnivorous Plant * MeSH
• Proteomics MeSH
• Publication type
• Journal Article MeSH
• Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't MeSH
• Names of Substances
• coronatine MeSH Browser
• jasmonic acid MeSH Browser

• Keywords
• endosymbiosis, evolution, loss, photosynthesis, plastid,
• Publication type
• Editorial MeSH

BACKGROUND: Carnivorous plants are an ecological group of approx. 810 vascular species which capture and digest animal prey, absorb prey-derived nutrients and utilize them to enhance their growth and development. Extant carnivorous plants have evolved in at least ten independent lineages, and their adaptive traits represent an example of structural and functional convergence. Plant carnivory is a result of complex adaptations to mostly nutrient-poor, wet and sunny habitats when the benefits of carnivory exceed the costs. With a boost in interest and extensive research in recent years, many aspects of these adaptations have been clarified (at least partly), but many remain unknown. SCOPE: We provide some of the most recent insights into substantial ecophysiological, biochemical and evolutional particulars of plant carnivory from the functional viewpoint. We focus on those processes and traits in carnivorous plants associated with their ecological characterization, mineral nutrition, cost-benefit relationships, functioning of digestive enzymes and regulation of the hunting cycle in traps. We elucidate mechanisms by which uptake of prey-derived nutrients leads to stimulation of photosynthesis and root nutrient uptake. CONCLUSIONS: Utilization of prey-derived mineral (mainly N and P) and organic nutrients is highly beneficial for plants and increases the photosynthetic rate in leaves as a prerequisite for faster plant growth. Whole-genome and tandem gene duplications brought gene material for diversification into carnivorous functions and enabled recruitment of defence-related genes. Possible mechanisms for the evolution of digestive enzymes are summarized, and a comprehensive picture on the biochemistry and regulation of prey decomposition and prey-derived nutrient uptake is provided.

• Keywords
• Dionaea, Drosera, Nepenthes, Carnivorous plant, co-option, cost–benefit relationships, digestive enzymes, evolution of carnivory, hunting cycle, mineral nutrient economy, regulation of enzyme secretion, terrestrial and aquatic species,
• MeSH
• Photosynthesis MeSH
• Plant Leaves MeSH
• Carnivory * MeSH
• Plants * genetics   MeSH
• Nutrients MeSH
• Animals MeSH
• Check Tag
• Animals MeSH
• Publication type
• Journal Article MeSH
• Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't MeSH

Centromere drive model describes an evolutionary process initiated by centromeric repeats expansion, which leads to the recruitment of excess kinetochore proteins and consequent preferential segregation of an expanded centromere to the egg during female asymmetric meiosis. In response to these selfish centromeres, the histone protein CenH3, which recruits kinetochore components, adaptively evolves to restore chromosomal parity and counter the detrimental effects of centromere drive. Holocentric chromosomes, whose kinetochores are assembled along entire chromosomes, have been hypothesized to prevent expanded centromeres from acquiring a selective advantage and initiating centromere drive. In such a case, CenH3 would be subjected to less frequent or no adaptive evolution. Using codon substitution models, we analyzed 36 CenH3 sequences from 35 species of the holocentric family Cyperaceae. We found 10 positively selected codons in the CenH3 gene [six codons in the N-terminus and four in the histone fold domain (HFD)] and six branches of its phylogeny along which the positive selection occurred. One of the positively selected codons was found in the centromere targeting domain (CATD) that directly interacts with DNA and its mutations may be important in centromere drive suppression. The frequency of these positive selection events was comparable to the frequency of positive selection in monocentric clades with asymmetric female meiosis. Taken together, these results suggest that preventing centromere drive is not the primary adaptive role of holocentric chromosomes, and their ability to suppress it likely depends on their kinetochore structure in meiosis.

• Keywords
• CenH3, asymmetric meiosis, centromere drive, holocentric chromosomes, meiotic drive, monocentric chromosomes, symmetric meiosis,
• Publication type
• Journal Article MeSH

The genus Aldrovanda is a Palaeogene element containing a single extant species, Aldrovanda vesiculosa L. This aquatic carnivorous herb has a very wide range of distribution, natively covering four continents; however, it is a critically endangered aquatic plant species worldwide. Previous studies revealed that A. vesiculosa had an extremely low genetic variation. The main aim of the present paper is to explore, using chemometric tools, the diversity of 16 A. vesiculosa populations from various sites from four continents (Eurasia, Africa, Australia). Using chemometric data as markers for genetic diversity, we show the relationships of 16 A. vesiculosa populations from various sites, including four continents. Phytochemical markers allowed the identification of five well-supported (bootstrap > 90%) groups among the 16 populations sampled. The principal component analysis data support the idea that the strongly related African (Botswana) and Australian (Kimberley, NT, NW Australia) populations are the most distant ones, separated from the European and Asian ones. However, considering the five Australian populations sampled, three are nested within the Eurasian group. The chemometric data are correlated positively with the geographical distances between the samples, which suggests a tendency toward isolation for the most distant populations.

• Keywords
• aquatic carnivorous plant, carnivorous plant, critically endangered aquatic species, phenetics, phylogeny, plant taxonomy,
• MeSH
• Models, Biological MeSH
• Droseraceae chemistry   genetics   MeSH
• Phylogeny MeSH
• Genetic Variation genetics   MeSH
• Population genetics   MeSH
• Publication type
• Journal Article MeSH
• Geographicals
• Africa MeSH
• Australia MeSH