Combined –omics framework reveals how ant symbionts benefit the Neotropical ant-plant Tococa quadrialata at different levels
Andrea T. Müller,
Michael Reichelt,
Eric G. Cosio,
Norma Salinas,
Alex Nina,
Ding Wang,
Heiko Moossen,
Heike Geilmann,
Jonathan Gershenzon,
Tobias G. Köllner,
Axel Mithöfer
Affiliations
Andrea T. Müller
Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, Research Group Plant Defense Physiology, 07745 Jena, Germany; Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, Department of Biochemistry, 07745 Jena, Germany; Pontifical Catholic University of Peru, Institute for Nature Earth and Energy (INTE-PUCP), San Miguel, 15088 Lima, Peru
Michael Reichelt
Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, Department of Biochemistry, 07745 Jena, Germany
Eric G. Cosio
Pontifical Catholic University of Peru, Institute for Nature Earth and Energy (INTE-PUCP), San Miguel, 15088 Lima, Peru
Norma Salinas
Pontifical Catholic University of Peru, Institute for Nature Earth and Energy (INTE-PUCP), San Miguel, 15088 Lima, Peru
Alex Nina
Pontifical Catholic University of Peru, Institute for Nature Earth and Energy (INTE-PUCP), San Miguel, 15088 Lima, Peru
Ding Wang
Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, Research Group Plant Defense Physiology, 07745 Jena, Germany
Heiko Moossen
Max Planck Institute for Biogeochemistry, Stable Isotope Laboratory (BGC-IsoLab), 07745 Jena, Germany
Heike Geilmann
Max Planck Institute for Biogeochemistry, Stable Isotope Laboratory (BGC-IsoLab), 07745 Jena, Germany
Jonathan Gershenzon
Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, Department of Biochemistry, 07745 Jena, Germany
Tobias G. Köllner
Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, Department of Natural Product Biosynthesis, 07745 Jena, Germany
Axel Mithöfer
Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, Research Group Plant Defense Physiology, 07745 Jena, Germany; Corresponding author
Summary: Ant-plant defensive mutualism is a widely studied phenomenon, where ants protect their host plants (myrmecophytes) against herbivores in return for the provision of nesting sites and food. However, few studies addressed the influence of ant colonization and herbivory on the plant’s metabolism. We chose the Amazonian plant Tococa quadrialata, living in association with Azteca cf. tonduzi ants for an ant-exclusion study to reveal the chemistry behind this symbiosis. We found that colonized plants did not only benefit from protection but also from increased amino acid and nitrogen content, enabling better performance even in an herbivore-free environment. In contrast, ant-deprived T. quadrialata plants accumulated more ellagitannins, a major class of constitutive defense compounds. Moreover, herbivory-induced jasmonate-mediated defense responses, including the upregulation of signaling and defense genes and the emission of volatiles irrespective of colonization status. Altogether, we show how ant-colonization can influence the general and defense-related metabolism and performance of myrmecophytes.
