Idiosyncratic responses of seagrass phenolic production following sea urchin grazing

Steele, LaTina; Valentine, John F.

doi:10.3354/meps09921

Cited by 30 publications

(16 citation statements)

References 58 publications

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“…in vitro (Buchsbaum et al 1990, Vergeer et al 1995, Vergeer & Develi 1997). In contrast, a potentially non-adaptive pseudo-induction of phenolics in another seagrass species, turtlegrass Thalassia testudinum, is hypothesized to occur when shoots cannot move photosynthates down the leaf past the site of infection (Steele & Valentine 2012, Trevathan-Tackett et al 2015. This causes carbohydrates to accumulate above the sites of the Labyrinthula spp.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Plant characteristics associated with widespread variation in eelgrass wasting disease

Groner¹,

Burge²,

Kim³

et al. 2016

Dis. Aquat. Org.

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Seagrasses are ecosystem engineers of essential marine habitat. Their populations are rapidly declining worldwide. One potential cause of seagrass population declines is wasting disease, which is caused by opportunistic pathogens in the genus Labyrinthula. While infection with these pathogens is common in seagrasses, theory suggests that disease only occurs when environmental stressors cause immunosuppression of the host. Recent evidence suggests that host factors may also contribute to disease caused by opportunistic pathogens. In order to quantify patterns of disease, identify risk factors, and investigate responses to infection, we surveyed shoot density, shoot length, epiphyte load, production of plant defenses (phenols), and wasting disease prevalence in eelgrass Zostera marina across 11 sites in the central Salish Sea (Washington state, USA), a region where both wasting disease and eelgrass declines have been documented. Wasting disease was diagnosed by the presence of necrotic lesions, and Labyrinthula cells were identified with histology. Disease prevalence among sites varied from 6 to 79%. The probability of a shoot being diseased was higher in longer shoots, in patches of higher shoot density, and in shoots with higher levels of biofouling from epiphytes. Phenolic concentration was higher in diseased leaves. We hypothesize that this results from the induction of phenols during infection. Additional research is needed to evaluate whether phenols are an adaptive defense against Labyrinthula infection. The high site-level variation in disease prevalence emphasizes the potential for wasting disease to be causing some of the observed decline in eelgrass beds.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Plant characteristics associated with widespread variation in eelgrass wasting disease

Groner¹,

Burge²,

Kim³

et al. 2016

Dis. Aquat. Org.

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“…A negative relation between grazing pressure and phenols was found [135]; indeed, tannins are known to reduce palatability and increase the toxicity to herbivores [10]. The increase of phenols in response to grazing was also explained as a defense mechanism against infection, since grazing provides an opening for pathogenic organisms [136]. Moreover, Dumay et al [42] observed that in P. oceanica the number of the tannin cells changed in response to herbivores.…”

Section: Ecological Role Of Phenolic Compoundsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Ecological Function of Phenolic Compounds from Mediterranean Fucoid Algae and Seagrasses: An Overview on the Genus Cystoseira sensu lato and Posidonia oceanica (L.) Delile

Mannino

Micheli

2020

JMSE

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Biodiversity is undergoing rapid and worrying changes, partially driven by anthropogenic activities. Human impacts and climate change (e.g., increasing temperature and ocean acidification), which act at different spatial scales, represent the most serious threats to biodiversity and ecosystem structure and function. In the Mediterranean Sea, complex systems such as fucoid algae and seagrasses, characterized by a high associated biodiversity, are regularly exposed to natural and anthropogenic pressures. These systems, particularly sensitive to a variety of stressors, evolved several physiological and biochemical traits as a response to the different pressures which they are subjected to. For instance, they produce a huge quantity of secondary metabolites such as phenolic compounds, to adapt to different environmental stressors and to defend themselves from biological pressures. These natural products are receiving increasing attention due to their possible applications in a wide range of industrial sectors. In this paper we provide an overview on the ecological role of phenolic compounds from the genus Cystoseira sensu lato and Posidonia oceanica (L.) Delile, also highlighting their potential use as ecological biomarkers.

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“…This is because generalizations about herbivory in aquatic systems have to be based on relatively few data (e.g., Morrison and Hay ; Fornoff and Gross). Thus, far, induced defense has been reported in two recent studies of marine angiosperms (Steele and Valentine ; Darnell and Heck ) and in a limited number of earlier studies of freshwater angiosperms (Jeffries ; Bolser et al. ; Lemoine et al.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 95%

Induced responses to grazing by an insect herbivore (Acentria ephemerella) in an immature macrophyte (Myriophyllum spicatum): an isotopic study

Rothhaupt

Fornoff

Yohannes

2015

Ecology and Evolution

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While the mechanisms by which adult terrestrial plants deploy constitutive and induced responses to grazing pressure are well known, the means by which young aquatic plants defend themselves from herbivory are little studied. This study addresses nitrogen transport in the aquatic angiosperm Myriophyllum spicatum in response to herbivore exposure. Nitrogen tracers were used to monitor nitrogen uptake and reallocation in young plants in response to grazing by the generalist insect herbivore Acentria ephemerella. Total nitrogen content (N%) and patterns of nitrogen uptake and allocation (δ15N) were assessed in various plant tissues after 24 and 48 h. Following 24 h exposure to herbivore damage (Experiment 1), nitrogen content of plant apices was significantly elevated. This rapid early reaction may be an adaptation allowing the grazer to be sated as fast as possible, or indicate the accumulation of nitrogenous defense chemicals. After 48 h (Experiment 2), plants' tips showed depletion in nitrogen levels of ca. 60‰ in stem sections vulnerable to grazing. In addition, nitrogen uptake by grazed and grazing-prone upper plant parts was reduced and nutrient allocation into the relatively secure lower parts increased. The results point to three conclusions: (1) exposure to an insect herbivore induces a similar response in immature M. spicatum as previously observed in mature terrestrial species, namely a rapid (within 48 h) reduction in the nutritional value (N%) of vulnerable tissues, (2) high grazing intensity (100% of growing tips affected) did not limit the ability of young plants to induce resistance; and (3) young plants exposed to herbivory exhibit different patterns of nutrient allocation in vulnerable and secure tissues. These results provide evidence of induced defense and resource reallocation in immature aquatic macrophytes which is in line with the responses shown for mature aquatic macrophytes and terrestrial plants.

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Idiosyncratic responses of seagrass phenolic production following sea urchin grazing

Cited by 30 publications

References 58 publications

Plant characteristics associated with widespread variation in eelgrass wasting disease

Plant characteristics associated with widespread variation in eelgrass wasting disease

Ecological Function of Phenolic Compounds from Mediterranean Fucoid Algae and Seagrasses: An Overview on the Genus Cystoseira sensu lato and Posidonia oceanica (L.) Delile

Induced responses to grazing by an insect herbivore (Acentria ephemerella) in an immature macrophyte (Myriophyllum spicatum): an isotopic study

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