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Grasshoppers regulate N:p stoichiometric homeostasis by changing phosphorus contents in their frass.

ABSTRACT: Nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) are important limiting nutrients for plant production and consumer performance in a variety of ecosystems. As a result, the N:P stoichiometry of herbivores has received increased attention in ecology. However, the mechanisms by which herbivores maintain N:P stoichiometric homeostasis are poorly understood. Here, using a field manipulation experiment we show that the grasshopper Oedaleus asiaticus maintains strong N:P stoichiometric homeostasis regardless of whether grasshoppers were reared at low or high density. Grasshoppers maintained homeostasis by increasing P excretion when eating plants with higher P contents. However, while grasshoppers also maintained constant body N contents, we found no changes in N excretion in response to changing plant N content over the range measured. These results suggest that O. asiaticus maintains P homeostasis primarily by changing P absorption and excretion rates, but that other mechanisms may be more important for regulating N homeostasis. Our findings improve our understanding of consumer-driven P recycling and may help in understanding the factors affecting plant-herbivore interactions and ecosystem processes in grasslands.

SUBMITTER: Zhang Z

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4121213 | biostudies-literature | 2014

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Grasshoppers regulate N:p stoichiometric homeostasis by changing phosphorus contents in their frass.

Zhang Zijia Z Elser James J JJ Cease Arianne J AJ Zhang Ximei X Yu Qiang Q Han Xingguo X Zhang Guangming G

PloS one 20140804 8

Nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) are important limiting nutrients for plant production and consumer performance in a variety of ecosystems. As a result, the N:P stoichiometry of herbivores has received increased attention in ecology. However, the mechanisms by which herbivores maintain N:P stoichiometric homeostasis are poorly understood. Here, using a field manipulation experiment we show that the grasshopper Oedaleus asiaticus maintains strong N:P stoichiometric homeostasis regardless of whethe ...[more]

PMID: 25089521

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Project description:Soil biogeochemical processes and the ecological stability of wetland ecosystems under global warming scenarios have gained increasing attention worldwide. Changes in the capacity of microorganisms to maintain stoichiometric homeostasis, or relatively stable internal concentrations of elements, may serve as an indicator of alterations to soil biogeochemical processes and their associated ecological feedbacks. In this study, an outdoor computerized microcosm was set up to simulate a warmed (+5°C) climate scenario, using novel, minute-scale temperature manipulation technology. The principle of stoichiometric homeostasis was adopted to illustrate phosphorus (P) biogeochemical cycling coupled with carbon (C) dynamics within the soil-microorganism complex. We hypothesized that enhancing the flux of P from soil to water under warming scenarios is tightly coupled with a decrease in homeostatic regulation ability in wetland ecosystems. Results indicate that experimental warming impaired the ability of stoichiometric homeostasis (H) to regulate biogeochemical processes, enhancing the ecological role of wetland soil as an ecological source for both P and C. The potential P flux from soil to water ranged from 0.11 to 34.51 mg m(-2) d(-1) in the control and 0.07 to 61.26 mg m(-2) d(-1) in the warmed treatment. The synergistic function of C-P acquisition is an important mechanism underlying C∶P stoichiometric balance for soil microorganisms under warming. For both treatment groups, strongly significant (p<0.001) relationships fitting a negative allometric power model with a fractional exponent were found between n-HC∶P (the specialized homeostatic regulation ability as a ratio of soil highly labile organic carbon to dissolved reactive phosphorus in porewater) and potential P flux. Although many factors may affect soil P dynamics, the n-HC∶P term fundamentally reflects the stoichiometric balance or interactions between the energy landscape (i.e., C) and flow of resources (e.g., N and P), and can be a useful ecological tool for assessing potential P flux in ecosystems.

Project description:BACKGROUND:The kidneys maintain acid-base homeostasis through excretion of acid as either ammonium or as titratable acids that primarily use phosphate as a buffer. In chronic kidney disease (CKD), ammoniagenesis is impaired, promoting metabolic acidosis. Metabolic acidosis stimulates phosphaturic hormones, parathyroid hormone (PTH) and fibroblast growth factor 23 (FGF-23) in vitro, possibly to increase urine titratable acid buffers, but this has not been confirmed in humans. We hypothesized that higher acid load and acidosis would associate with altered phosphorus homeostasis, including higher urinary phosphorus excretion and serum PTH and FGF-23. STUDY DESIGN:Cross-sectional. SETTING & PARTICIPANTS:980 participants with CKD enrolled in the Chronic Renal Insufficiency Cohort (CRIC) Study. PREDICTORS:Net acid excretion as measured in 24-hour urine, potential renal acid load (PRAL) estimated from food frequency questionnaire responses, and serum bicarbonate concentration < 22 mEq/L. OUTCOME & MEASUREMENTS:24-hour urine phosphorus and calcium excretion and serum phosphorus, FGF-23, and PTH concentrations. RESULTS:Using linear and log-linear regression adjusted for demographics, kidney function, comorbid conditions, body mass index, diuretic use, and 24-hour urine creatinine excretion, we found that 24-hour urine phosphorus excretion was higher at higher net acid excretion, higher PRAL, and lower serum bicarbonate concentration (each P<0.05). Serum phosphorus concentration was also higher with higher net acid excretion and lower serum bicarbonate concentration (each P=0.001). Only higher net acid excretion associated with higher 24-hour urine calcium excretion (P<0.001). Neither net acid excretion nor PRAL was associated with FGF-23 or PTH concentrations. PTH, but not FGF-23, concentration (P=0.2) was 26% (95% CI, 13%-40%) higher in participants with a serum bicarbonate concentration <22 versus ?22 mEq/L (P<0.001). Primary results were similar if stratified by estimated glomerular filtration rate categories or adjusted for iothalamate glomerular filtration rate (n=359), total energy intake, dietary phosphorus, or urine urea nitrogen excretion, when available. LIMITATIONS:Possible residual confounding by kidney function or nutrition; urine phosphorus excretion was included in calculation of the titratable acid component of net acid excretion. CONCLUSIONS:In CKD, higher acid load and acidosis associate independently with increased circulating phosphorus concentration and augmented phosphaturia, but not consistently with FGF-23 or PTH concentrations. This may be an adaptation that increases titratable acid excretion and thus helps maintain acid-base homeostasis in CKD. Understanding whether administration of base can lower phosphorus concentrations requires testing in interventional trials.

Project description:It is frequently presumed that heterotrophic bacteria from aquatic environments have low carbon (C) content, high phosphorus (P) content, and maintain homeostasis at low C:P in their biomass. Dissolved and particulate organic matter from primary producers in terrestrial and aquatic environments typically has high C:P ratios, suggesting that heterotrophic bacteria consuming this resource experience stoichiometric imbalance in C and P. The strength of elemental homeostasis is important for understanding how heterotrophic bacteria couple C and P cycles in response to environmental change, yet these generalizations are based upon data from only a few species that might not represent the physiology of bacteria in freshwaters. However, recent research has indicated that some strains of bacteria isolated from freshwaters have flexible C:P stoichiometry and can acclimate to changes in resource C:P. Although it is apparent that strains differ in their biomass C:P and flexibility, the basis for these characteristics has not been explained. We evaluated biomass C:P homeostasis in 24 strains of bacteria isolated from temperate lakes using a uniform relative growth rate in chemostats. Overall, the strains exhibited a range of homeostatic regulation from strong homeostasis to highly flexible biomass stoichiometry, but strains that were isolated using P-rich media formulations were more homeostatic than strains isolated using P-poor media. Strains exhibiting homeostatic biomass C:P had high cellular C and P content and showed little morphological change between C and P limitation. In contrast, stoichiometrically flexible strains had low P quotas and increased their C quotas and cell size under P limitation. Because stoichiometric flexibility is closely coupled to absolute P content in bacteria, anthropogenic inputs of P could lead to prevalence of more homeostatic bacteria, reducing the ability of natural assemblages to buffer changes in the availability of P and organic C.

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Grasshoppers regulate N:p stoichiometric homeostasis by changing phosphorus contents in their frass.

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Grasshoppers regulate N:p stoichiometric homeostasis by changing phosphorus contents in their frass.

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