Macroalgal Chemical Defenses and Their Roles in Structuring Temperate Marine Communities

Jormalainen, Veijo; Honkanen, Tuija

doi:10.1007/978-3-540-74181-7_3

Cited by 76 publications

(64 citation statements)

References 181 publications

(179 reference statements)

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“…The extreme densities in grazer abundance, with detrimental consequences for F. vesiculosus populations, observed in the Baltic are not known for the Skagerrak. Fucus vesiculosus produces polyphenolic secondary metabolites, phlorotannins, which can act as feeding deterrents against a number of herbivore species, including crustaceans (Targett and Arnold 1998, Amsler and Fairhead 2006, Jormalainen and Honkanen 2008. Phlorotannin production in F. vesiculosus and other fucoids is costly and show heritable genetic variation (Pavia et al 1999b, Jormalainen and Honkanen 2004, Jormalainen and Ramsay 2009, Johannesson et al 2012, thereby providing potential for defense evolution in response to changes in herbivore selection pressure.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Increased resistance towards generalist herbivory in the new range of a habitat‐forming seaweed

et al. 2012

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Abstract. Interactions between plants and their biotic environment can drastically change during rangeexpansion and result in rapid adaptive evolution of plant traits. According to the influential evolution of increased competitive ability (EICA) hypothesis escape from specialist natural enemies will lead to a reduction in defense levels, but the way in which generalist consumers in the new ranges affect the evolution of plant defenses remains poorly understood. We conducted a four month controlled environment experiment to examine if the high densities of the generalist herbivore Idotea baltica in the Baltic Sea have selected for increased grazer-resistance in Fucus vesiculosus, a North Atlantic seaweed that has expanded into large parts of the brackish Baltic Sea. Genetic analysis using microsatellites showed that the sampled populations are genetically distinct, which strongly suggests that traits under divergent selection may readily diverge and populations evolve local adaptations. Feeding trials and measurements of defense metabolites, i.e., phlorotannins, showed that F. vesiculosus from the Baltic Sea was least preferred and contained more than 50% higher constitutive levels of phlorotannins than conspecifics in the North Sea (Skagerrak), while algae from the Ö resund, one of the sounds connecting the Baltic Sea to the Skagerrak, had intermediate resistance levels both in terms of grazer preference and phlorotannin levels. These results suggest that the higher grazing pressure on F. vesiculosus expanded into the Baltic Sea has resulted in the evolution of increased resistance towards generalist grazing.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Increased resistance towards generalist herbivory in the new range of a habitat‐forming seaweed

et al. 2012

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“…Herbivores can inXuence the structure of benthic algal communities through the consumption of large amounts of algal biomass (Lubchenco and Gaines 1981;Carpenter 1986;Vinueza et al 2006;Jormalainen and Honkanen 2008). In response to this herbivore pressure, macroalgae have developed diVerent strategies, one of which is the defense of tissues in ways that makes them less palatable for potential consumers (reviewed in DuVy and Hay 1990;Cronin 2001).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The most widely accepted hypothesis, the optimal defense theory (ODT), predicts that chemical compounds for defense are allocated within the algae in a way that optimizes the overall Wtness of the organism (Cronin 2001;Pavia and Toth 2008). Thus, algal parts with high Wtness values that are susceptible to grazers should be most intensely defended, resulting in a within-plant variation in defense allocation (reviewed in Jormalainen and Honkanen 2008).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Species-specific defense strategies of vegetative versus reproductive blades of the Pacific kelps Lessonia nigrescens and Macrocystis integrifolia

et al. 2008

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Chemical defense is assumed to be costly and therefore algae should allocate defense investments in a way to reduce costs and optimize their overall Wtness. Thus, lifetime expectation of particular tissues and their contribution to the Wtness of the alga may aVect defense allocation. Two brown algae common to the SE PaciWc coasts, Lessonia nigrescens Bory and Macrocystis integrifolia Bory, feature important ontogenetic diVerences in the development of reproductive structures; in L. nigrescens blade tissues pass from a vegetative stage to a reproductive stage, while in M. integrifolia reproductive and vegetative functions are spatially separated on diVerent blades. We hypothesized that vegetative blades of L. nigrescens with important future functions are more (or equally) defended than reproductive blades, whereas in M. integrifolia defense should be mainly allocated to reproductive blades (sporophylls), which are considered to make a higher contribution to Wtness. Herein, within-plant variation in susceptibility of reproductive and vegetative tissues to herbivory and in allocation of phlorotannins (phenolics) and N-compounds was compared. The results show that phlorotannin and N-concentrations were higher in reproductive blade tissues for both investigated algae. However, preferences by amphipod grazers (Parhyalella penai) for either tissue type diVered between the two algal species. Fresh reproductive tissue of L. nigrescens was more consumed than vegetative tissue, while the reverse was found in M. integrifolia, thus conWrming the original hypothesis. This suggests that future Wtness function might indeed be a useful predictor of anti-herbivore defense in large, perennial kelps. Results from feeding assays with artiWcial pellets that were made with air-dried material and extract-treated Ulva powder indicated that defenses in live algae are probably not based on chemicals that can be extracted or remain intact after airdrying and grinding up algal tissues. Instead, anti-herbivore defense against amphipod mesograzers seems to depend on structural traits of living algae.

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“…Apparently, the UV screening capacity of the coumarins remains even after massive excretion indicating that algae allocate considerably energy to these compounds (Pérez-Rodríguez et al, 2001). Phlorotannins (polymers of phloroglucinol; 1,3,5-trihydroxybenzen; Ragan & Glombitza, 1986), are phenolic compounds found exclusively in brown algae and play a series of roles as secondary metabolites, mainly as anti-herbivory defense (Targett & Arnold, 1998;Jormalainen & Honkanen, 2008) and antifouling activity (Wikström & Pavia, 2004). Phlorotannins form up to 25% of dry weight (Ragan & Glombitza, 1986) and are present as soluble and cell wall-bound fractions.…”

Section: Phenolic Compoundsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Stress proteins and auxiliary anti stress compounds in intertidal macroalgae

Cruces

Huovinen

Gómez

2012

lajar

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ABSTRACT. Intertidal macroalgae are exposed to strong variation in the physical environment and thus, diverse anti-stress mechanisms are displayed by these organisms. Stress proteins (also called heat shock proteins, HSPs) have been invoked as potential protective mechanism, especially during stressful action of temperature and solar radiation. Therefore, macroalgae have not normally been used as model organisms in studies of these molecules. The present study compiles the existing information from intertidal species in the context of major factors that have been reported to induce them, e.g. temperature, enhanced solar radiation, contaminants, etc. Additionally, in order to address the question whether the expression of these proteins operates in intertidal macroalgae complementarily with other protective mechanisms, a case study of induction of HSPs after exposure to UV radiation and high temperature in two upper littoral species, Ulva sp. and Porphyra columbina, from southern Chile is presented. In parallel, two well-known responses to stress, photoinhibition of photochemical reactions (F v /F m ) and ROS scavenging were measured. The results indicated that, although stress proteins were detected in a time span between 3 and 24 h, the responses were not correlated with photochemical and antioxidative response. Overall, the study outlines a potential role of stress proteins in ecophysiological responses developed to cope mainly with high temperature and UV radiation. However, other rapid metabolic adjustments (e.g. high thermo-tolerance of photosynthesis and efficient ROS scavenging), together with other biomolecules (mycosporines, phenols, polyamines, etc.) and morphofunctional adaptations to the intertidal life (e.g. small size, high area/volume ratio) are also important. Keywords: stress proteins, intertidal macroalgae, photosynthesis, ROS, UV radiation, photoprotection. Proteínas de estrés y compuestos anti-estrés auxiliares en algas marinas intermarealesRESUMEN. Las macroalgas marinas intermareales están expuestas a extrema variación en las condiciones ambientales y por ello desarrollan una serie de mecanismos anti-estrés. Las proteínas de estrés (HSPs) han sido consideradas como potenciales agentes protectores en respuesta a condiciones estresantes, especialmente durante la acción de elevada temperatura y alta radiación solar. Considerando que las macroalgas marinas no han sido usadas comúnmente como modelos de estudio para analizar estas moléculas, el presente trabajo compila la información existente sobre la inducción de proteínas de estrés en algas intermareales en el contexto de los principales factores hasta ahora reportados como inductores, e.g. temperatura, alta radiación solar, contaminantes, etc. Adicionalmente, mediante un estudio de caso usando dos especies del intermareal superior, Ulva sp. y Porphyra columbina colectadas en el sur de Chile, se examina si la inducción de proteínas de estrés ocurre de forma complementaria con otras respuestas anti-stress. Para ello, dos mecanismos bien conocid...

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Macroalgal Chemical Defenses and Their Roles in Structuring Temperate Marine Communities

Cited by 76 publications

References 181 publications

Increased resistance towards generalist herbivory in the new range of a habitat‐forming seaweed

Increased resistance towards generalist herbivory in the new range of a habitat‐forming seaweed

Species-specific defense strategies of vegetative versus reproductive blades of the Pacific kelps Lessonia nigrescens and Macrocystis integrifolia

Stress proteins and auxiliary anti stress compounds in intertidal macroalgae

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