A comparison of inducible, ontogenetic, and interspecific sources of variation in the foliar metabolome in tropical trees

• DOI: 10.7717/peerj.7536
• Publication Date: 2019-09-20T08:17:30Z
• Authors: Brian E. Sedio; Armando Durant Ar...; Juan Camilo Rojas...; Chloé Debyser; Cristopher A. Boya P; S. Joseph Wright
• Keywords: Metabolome; Jasmonic acid; Chemical defense; Chemical Ecology

Plant interactions with other organisms are mediated by chemistry, yet chemistry varies among conspecific and within individual plants. The foliar metabolome—the suite of small-molecule metabolites found in the leaf—changes during leaf ontogeny is influenced signaling molecule jasmonic acid. Species differences secondary thought to play an important ecological role limiting host ranges herbivores pathogens, hence facilitating competitive coexistence plant species species-rich communities such as tropical forests. Yet it remains unclear how inducible ontogenetic variation compare interspecific variation, particularly trees. Here, we take advantage novel methods assemble mass spectra all compounds extracts into molecular networks that quantify their chemical structural similarity order among-species tree genera. We ask (i) whether young mature leaves differ chemically, (ii) acid-inducible differs between leaves, (iii) exceeds intraspecific for four from hyperdiverse observed significant effects acid treatment three eight combinations stage evaluated. Three also exhibited large metabolomic stage. profound effect on metabolome suggests a qualitative turnover ontogeny. quantified metabolomes 45 congeners focal species. Chemical was much greater than genera, even when within-species comparisons included differed age treatment. Despite species, congeneric may be sufficient partition niche space respect defense.