DNA cytosine methylation is a widespread epigenetic mechanism in eukaryotes, and plant genomes commonly are densely methylated. Genomic can be associated with functional consequences such as mutational events, genomic instability or altered gene expression, but little known on interspecific variation global plants. In this paper, we compare estimates obtained by HPLC use phylogenetically-informed analytical approach to test for significance of evolutionary signatures trait across 54...

Variation in nectar chemistry among plants, flowers, or individual nectaries of a given species has been only rarely explored, yet it is an essential aspect to our understanding how pollinator-mediated selection might act on traits. This paper describes variation sugar composition population the perennial herb Helleborus foetidus (Ranunculaceae) and dissects into components due flowers same plant, flower. The proportions sucrose, glucose, fructose single-nectary samples collected at two...

Methylation of DNA cytosines affects whether transposons are silenced and genes expressed, is a major epigenetic mechanism whereby plants respond to environmental change. Analyses methylation-sensitive amplification polymorphism (MS-AFLP or MSAP) have been often used assess methyl-cytosine changes in response stress treatments and, more recently, ecological studies wild plant populations. MSAP technique does not require sequenced reference genome provides many anonymous loci randomly...

PREMISE OF THE STUDY: Coflowering plants are at risk for receiving pollen from heterospecifics as well conspecifics, yet evidence shows wide variation in the degree that heterospecific transfer occurs. Evaluation of patterns and correlates among‐ within‐species (HP) receipt is key to understanding its importance floral evolution species coexistence; however, rarity deeply sampled multispecies comparisons has precluded such an evaluation. METHODS: We evaluated HP load size diversity 19 across...

Pollen transfer via animals is necessary for reproduction by ~80 % of flowering plants, and most these plants live in multispecies communities where they can share pollinators. While diffuse plant-pollinator interactions are increasingly recognized as the rule rather than exception, their fitness consequences cannot be deduced from flower visitation alone, so other proxies, functionally closer to seed production amenable use a broad variety diverse communities, necessary.We conceptually...

Phenotypic variation determines the capacity of plants to adapt changing environments and colonize new habitats. Deciphering mechanisms contributing plant phenotypic their effects on ecological interactions evolutionary dynamics is thus central all biological disciplines. In past few decades, research epigenetics showing that (1) epigenetic related some marks drive major changes in plants; (2) epigenomes are highly diverse, dynamic, can respond rapidly a variety biotic abiotic stimuli; (3)...

The long-known, widely documented inverse relationship between body size and environmental temperature ("temperature-size rule") has recently led to predictions of decline following current climatic warming ("size shrinking effect"). For keystone pollinators such as wild bees, in response can have significant effects on pollination processes but there is still little direct evidence the phenomenon because adequate tests require controlling for confounding factors linked climate change (e.g.,...

In gynodioecious species, male‐steriles (termed “females” hereafter) usually exhibit some reproductive advantage over hermaphrodites that allow them to compensate for the loss of male function. This compensation can result from higher fecundity, vegetative outperformance, and/or lower inbreeding depression. this study we compared and parameters female hermaphrodite Daphne laureola individuals in two southeastern Spanish populations estimated magnitude depression up seedling emergence stage...

Current evidence suggests that plants in biodiversity hotspots suffer more from pollen limitation of reproduction than those lower diversity regions, primarily due to the response self-incompatible species. Species may thus be at risk limited and subsequent population decline. Should these species have restricted ranges (i.e. endemics a certain region), within highly diverse regions pose an important threat global plant biodiversity. We further dissect pattern by exploring whether...

Summary Understanding how pollination affects plant reproductive success and changes in service affect populations, communities ecosystems is of increasing concern. Yet supplemental hand‐pollination traditionally used to assess pollen limitation prohibitive for large‐scale comparative work. Moreover, it does not differentiate between quality quantity aspects limitation, may suffer from confounds post‐pollination processes such as resource availability fill seeds. Here, we highlight tubes the...

Insufficient pollination is a function of quantity and quality pollen receipt, the relative contribution each to limitation may vary with intrinsic plant traits extrinsic ecological properties. Community-level studies are essential evaluate variation across species in under common conditions. This study examined whether endemic more limited by or than non-endemic co-flowering three endemic-rich communities located biodiversity hotspots different continents (Andalusia, California Yucatan)....

• Premise of the study: Few studies have examined how epigenetic modifications DNA may influence individual plant phenotypes and ecological processes in wild populations. We investigated natural variation global cytosine methylation its phenotypic correlates perennial herb Helleborus foetidus . Methods: focused specifically on differences size‐ fecundity‐related traits used HPLC to quantify percentage total cytosines genome young full‐grown leaves that were methylated. Key results: About one...

Abstract The ecological dynamics of co‐flowering communities are largely mediated by pollinators. However, current understanding pollinator‐mediated interactions primarily relies on how plants influence attraction shared pollinators, and much less is known about plant–plant that occur via heterospecific pollen (HP) transfer. Invaded in particular can be highly affected the transfer alien pollen, but strength, drivers fitness consequences these at a community scale not well understood. Here...

Nectar-dwelling yeasts modulate the ecology and evolution of interactions between plants pollinators. This paper evaluates hypothesis that can reshape intrinsic individual differences in nectar traits. We address question, Do local genotypes yeast specialist Metschnikowia reukaufii have ability obfuscating variation among Helleborus foetidus sugar concentration ? An array paired plant-yeast mimicking a natural field situation was created laboratory by inoculating from different plant...

1 Herbivory by noctuid moth larvae (Lepidoptera, Noctuidae) on plants of Daphne laureola L. (Thymelaeaceae) was studied under natural conditions in a south-eastern Spanish montane habitat. The main objective the study to determine how size and architectural features correlated with herbivory level (mean percentage leaf area removed end larval growth season) herbivore load number caterpillars recorded per day) both among within plants. 2 A significant correlation found between individual...

The interactions between pairs of native and alien plants via shared use pollinators have been widely studied. Community level studies however, are necessary in order to fully understand the factors mechanisms that facilitate successful plant invasion, but these still scarce. Specifically, few community considered how differences invasion (alien flower abundance), degree floral trait similarity invasive species, mediate effects on plant-pollinator communities. Here, we evaluated role species...

In the present paper we describe isolation and characterization of four novel genes parasitic protozoan Leishmania infantum. These are organized as two independent gene clusters, they related by nucleotide sequence to eukaryotic encoding acidic ribosomal proteins. Each cluster contains tandemly linked coding for identical proteins coded clusters (called LiP LiP') highly divergent in sequence, showing characteristic features P-proteins from P2 group. spite conservation regions each cluster,...

Species that exhibit among-population variation in breeding system are particularly suitable to study the importance of ecological context for stability and evolution gender polymorphism. Geographical sex ratio Daphne laureola (Thymelaeaceae) was examined their association with environmental conditions, plant floral display sizes, pollination environment a broad geographic scale analysed.

Sub-individual variation in traits of homologous structures has multiple ecological consequences for individuals and populations. Assessing the evolutionary significance such effects requires an improved knowledge mechanisms underlying within-plant phenotypic heterogeneity. The hypothesis that continuous some can be associated with epigenetic mosaicism was examined. Fifteen long-lived, evergreen Mediterranean shrub Lavandula latifolia were studied. Five widely spaced 'modules', each...