Proffit, Magali
- Department of Plant Protection Biology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
Abstract
Floral scents are important signals for communication between plants and pollinators. Several studies have focused on interspecific variation of these signals, but little is known about intraspecific variation in flower scent, particularly for species with wide geographic distributions. In the highly specific mutualism between Ficus species and their pollinating wasps, chemical mediation is crucial for partner encounter. Several studies show that scents, i.e. blends of volatiles, are species-specific, but no studies address interpopulation variation of scents in fig pollination mutualisms, which often have broad geographic distributions. In this study, using absorption/desorption headspace techniques, we analyzed variation in floral scent composition among three populations of each of two widely distributed Asian Ficus species. We identified more than 100 different volatile organic compounds, predominantly terpenes. In both species, significant differences were found between scent bouquets of East Asian and Indian populations. These differences are discussed in relation to geographical barriers that could disrupt gene exchange between these two areas, thereby isolating Indian populations from those of Eastern Asia. (C) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Keywords
Ficus; Fig wasps; Interpopulation variation; Obligatory mutualism; Specific interaction; Volatile organic compounds; Headspace technique
Published in
Phytochemistry
2011, volume: 72, number: 1, pages: 74-81
Publisher: PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD
SLU Authors
UKÄ Subject classification
Biochemistry
Molecular Biology
Publication identifier
- DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.phytochem.2010.10.012
Permanent link to this page (URI)
https://res.slu.se/id/publ/47360