Project description:To explore brain neuropeptidic functions in behavioral regulation, a label-free quantitative strategy was employed to compare neuropeptidomic variations between behavioral phenotypes (nurse bees, nectar foragers, and pollen foragers) and the two honeybee species (Apis mellifera ligustica and Apis cerana cerana).
Project description:Many angiosperms can secret at least two types of sugar-rich liquids, floral nectar (FN) and extrafloral nectar (EFN), by which plants can make use of the animal partner’s mobility for pollen transportation and attract predatory animals for indirect defense. Both FN and EFN contain considerable amount of proteins which play important roles in nectar biosynthesis process and protection. Hemerocallis citrina (HC) can secrete both FN and EFN on flower during the same developmental stage. Our objective was to compare the HC FN and EFN proteome to understand the difference between their biosynthesis and ecological function. FN was collected from adult HC flowers and concentrated by ultrafiltering. EFN was collected from young HC flower buds and concentrated by ultrafiltering. Proteins were digested with trypsin then analyzed by LC-MS/MS. HSPs are the main protein identified in HC FN but their function in floral nectar is still largely unknown. PR proteins are the main protein identified in HC EFN with antimicrobial activity. Our data provide a good characterization of a monocot nectar proteome. These data, may be useful in understanding the generation process and ecological function of floral and extrafloral nectar.
2023-03-11 | PXD025892 | Pride
Project description:ITS2 metabarcoding of insect body pollen
Project description:Many flowering plants attract pollinators by offering a reward of floral nectar. Remarkably, the molecular events involved in the development of nectaries, the organs that produce nectar, as well as the synthesis and secretion of nectar itself, are poorly understood. We previously identified a mutant, cwinv4-1, for the gene CELL WALL INVERTASE 4 that failed to produde nectar. This study was undertaken to understand transcriptional changes that occur in cwinv4-1 mature lateral nectaries.
Project description:Floral Nectaries Many plants secrete a rich floral nectar to entice visitation by insect and avian pollinators. In turn, these pollinators transfer pollen between flowers increasing plant fecundity. The nectary is the floral organ that secretes nectar into the base of the flower. The size and abundance of the ornamental tobacco nectaries (Nicotiana sp.) will permit us to isolate up to several grams of nectaries at each stage to obtain the necessary amounts of RNA for probe preparation. Our primary goals to understand the biochemistry the nectary, so that we can manipulate nectary function to increase pollinator visitation. We have previously conducted an EST study and have identified 13596 cDNAs from three different stages of nectary development (Stage 6, immature, presecretory nectaries; Stage 12, mature nectaries at floral anthesis; and nectaries, 44 hours after fertilization. In our efforts to evaluate the transcriptional program for the Nicotiana nectary we are proposing to evaluate nectary mRNAs by hybridization with the potato microarrays. We have preliminary evidence that wholesale transcriptional reprogramming (60% of the transcriptome) occurs during nectary maturation and again following fertilization. Our goal is to understand these processes at a biochemical level so that we can begin manipulating nectary function to improve nectar quality and quantity thereby increasing the attractiveness of flowers to insect pollinators. Such improvements have the potential to result in increases in insect visitation, seedset, and ultimately yield for insect pollinated crops. We are also making significant efforts to understand the restructuring of the nectary during its lifecycle. Many changes occur during nectary development and the observed transcriptional reprogramming makes sense the when these many changes are accounted for. Keywords: Loop design 30 hybs total
Project description:The black nectar of Melianthus flowers is thought to serve as a visual attractant to pollinators, but the chemical identity and synthesis of the black pigment are unknown. Here we report that the black nectar contains a natural analog of iron-gall ink, which humans have used since medieval times. Specifically, dark black nectar at anthesis contains high levels of ellagic acid and iron; synthetic solutions of ellagic acid and iron(III) recapitulate the black color of the nectar. Conversely, lightly colored nectars before and after anthesis contain significantly lower levels of ellagic acid and iron, but higher levels of gallic acid. We then explored the possibility of post-secretory synthesis of ellagic acid from gallic acid. Indeed, Melianthus nectar contains a peroxidase that oxidizes gallic acid to form ellagic acid. Reactions containing the nectar peroxidase, gallic acid, hydrogen peroxide, and iron can fully recreate the black color of the nectar. Visual modeling indicates that the black color is both visible and conspicuous to birds within the context of the flower. In summary, the black nectar of Melianthus is derived from an ellagic acid-Fe complex analogous to iron-gall ink and is likely involved in the attraction of passerine bird pollinators.
Project description:Many flowering plants attract pollinators by offering a reward of floral nectar. Remarkably, the molecular events involved in the development of nectaries, the organs that produce nectar, as well as the synthesis and secretion of nectar itself, are poorly understood. Indeed, to date, no genes have been shown to directly affect the de novo production or quality of floral nectar. To address this gap in knowledge, the ATH1 Affymetrix GeneChip array was used to systematically investigate the Arabidopsis nectary transcriptome to identify genes and pathways potentially involved in nectar production. In this study, we identified a large number of genes differentially expressed between secretory lateral nectaries and non-secretory median nectary tissues, as well as between mature lateral nectaries (post-anthessis) and immature lateral nectary tissue (pre-anthesis).
Project description:Nectaries are the glands responsible for nectar secretion. In the tree Acacia cornigera, extrafloral nectaries produce nectar primarily consumed by mutualistic ant colonies. To understand the genetic programming underlying nectar production, and in particular the connection of the jasmonic acid pathway with the mutualistic ants, extrafloral nectaries tissue was collected at ten time points and conditions, with RNA being isolated and subjected to Illumina RNA-seq analysis.