Biology subjects

Dussarrat, T.

Publications and source records attributed to Dussarrat, T..

9 recordsLinked to original sources

bioRxiv2026

Evolutionary history and polyploidization lead to rapid shifts in chemodiversity of Hypericum

Polyploidization can profoundly affect plant metabolite biosynthesis, yet its influence on chemodiversity remains poorly understood, despite the central role of chemodiversity in mediating plant interactions with the environment. The coexistence of facultative apomictic and sexual reproductive systems across ploidy levels in Hypericum provides an excellent model for investigating the evolution of chemodiversity following polyploidization. We analyzed ploidy levels and leaf metabolic fingerprints across selected populations of three Hypericum taxa, H. maculatum, H. perforatum subsp. perforatum and H. perforatum subsp. veronense. Polyploidization was common across all three taxa. Leaf metabolic fingerprints were more pronouncedly differentiated by the ploidy level of the mother plant (F0) than that of the offspring (F1). Although unique metabolic features emerged in plants of most ploidy levels, diploid plants exhibited fewer metabolic features than polyploid plants. Higher Shannon diversity, functional Hill diversity, and intensities of features belonging to specific chemical families were associated with higher F0 ploidy levels in H. perforatum subsp. perforatum, but not in H. maculatum and H. perforatum subsp. veronense. Our findings demonstrate that polyploidization can lead to rapid shifts in chemodiversity across generations in Hypericum. The fast divergence in chemodiversity associated with polyploidization in H. perforatum may contribute to its remarkable invasive potential.

plant biology↗

bioRxiv2026

Aphids capture plant inter- and intraspecific chemodiversity

The role of chemodiversity in plant-insect interactions is widely recognised. However, our understanding of the extent to which chemodiversity connects both partners remains limited. Here, we investigated how aphid chemistry is linked to their plant diet and whether aphids capture plant inter- and intraspecific chemodiversity. Up to 93% of aphid chemical features were detected in plants. Untargeted metabolomics of aphids feeding on diets composed of distinct species or chemotypes within species unveiled the aphid capacity to capture inter- and intraspecific chemodiversity. Multiple chemodiversity indices and metabolic features significantly tracked diet variation and plant chemotypes were reflected in aphid metabolites. These features included phenolics and amino acids, likely ingested with the phloem sap, and fatty acids and terpenoids, potentially captured from the leaf surface. Overall, these findings expand our knowledge of the aphid plant-derived chemical repertoire and highlight that plant chemodiversity can be transmitted, supporting the need for chemodiversity preservation programs.

ecology↗

bioRxiv2026

Impacts of different types of florivores on flower metabolomes in the field

O_LIHerbivory is a major biotic stress for plants, triggering the induction and modulation of diverse specialized metabolites. Such induction responses are well studied for leaves and have been shown to depend on the herbivore feeding mode. Little is known about changes in flower metabolites and chemodiversity due to florivory type. Moreover, we lack an understanding of the intraspecific variation in such responses and whether these are spatially structured. C_LIO_LIThe aromatic plant Tanacetum vulgare, which shows high intraspecific chemodiversity in terpene profiles, was used to examine chemotype-specific metabolic responses of flower heads to infestation by the inflorescence-infesting aphid Macrosiphoniella tanacetaria or the flower-feeding beetle Olibrus spp. under field conditions. At peak flowering, each plant received both florivory treatments on separate stems, leaving one stem herbivore-free as a control. After four days, flower heads were harvested to analyze terpenes (GC-MS) and metabolic fingerprints (LC-MS). C_LIO_LIWe found stem-specific floral metabolic responses, with florivory altering specific chemical families and their chemodiversity. Levels of a few terpenes decreased following infestation, while none increased. Untargeted analyses revealed that aphid infestation had a lower effect on flower chemistry than beetle infestation, with aphid infestation mainly causing decreases and beetle infestation predominantly leading to increases in some metabolite intensities, but little overlap across treatments and chemotypes. C_LIO_LIOur results demonstrate that floral metabolic responses to florivory are spatially structured, florivore type-specific and shaped by plant chemotype. These findings highlight that the interplay between vascular organization, insect feeding mode, and intraspecific chemodiversity governs how flowers adjust their chemical defenses. C_LI One-sentence summaryTanacetum vulgare showed chemotype-specific responses to florivory by aphids (Macrosiphoniella tanacetaria) and beetles (Olibrus spp.), with aphids causing decreased and beetles increased levels of metabolic features within the same plant individuals, with little overlap in significant features across chemotypes.

plant biology↗

bioRxiv2026

Common, species-specific, and accession-specific responses of foliar phytohormones and morphological traits to drought and herbivory

BackgroundPlants are exposed to various environmental challenges. With ongoing climate change, droughts and insect outbreaks are expected to become more frequent. Thus, a better understanding is needed of how different plant species respond to such single and combined challenges. This study investigated common versus species-specific responses to environmental challenges in three perennial plant species of different growth forms and whether responses differ intraspecifically among accessions. Clones of different accessions of the herbaceous species Tanacetum vulgare, the woody vine Solanum dulcamara, and the tree Populus nigra were subjected to similar control, herbivory, drought, and combined (drought and herbivory) treatments for the same periods. After the exposure, concentrations of foliar phytohormones and various morphological traits were measured. ResultsAcross all species, several foliar phytohormones and one of ten morphological traits responded consistently to the environmental challenges. Jasmonoyl-isoleucine was induced by herbivory and the combined treatment, abscisic acid (ABA) by drought and the combined treatment, and indole acetic acid by the combined treatment in all species. Root mass remained unchanged in all species. However, structural equation models (SEMs) revealed a shared regulatory pathway across species in which ABA connected treatment and root mass, indicating a common hormonal response potentially linking challenges to growth responses. Despite these common patterns, species-specific responses were pronounced. In P. nigra, a unique induction of salicylic acid was found under the combined treatment, while aboveground mass and root-shoot ratio remained unaffected by any treatment, in contrast to the other two species. Species-specific SEMs further indicated distinct phytohormone-mediated pathways underlying morphological variation. Phenotypic plasticity reflected these species-specific patterns, with none of the phytohormones or morphological traits exhibiting uniform plasticity across species. Intraspecific variation further shaped responses, as phytohormone and morphological trait plasticity depended on accession, indicating substantial accession-specific plant responses. ConclusionsOur results indicate that some responses to comparable challenges may be conserved across species, while others are species-specific. The combined treatment elicited the most pronounced responses, and such complex responses may become more frequent under current global change. Our study highlights that comprehensive understanding of plant responses requires systematic comparisons at both interspecific and intraspecific scales.

ecology↗

bioRxiv2026

Paleometabolomics reveals impacts of abiotic factors on rodent midden metabolism over the last 50,000 years.

Metabolomics and paleoecology combined can reveal how past ecosystems worked, helping us predict future changes more accurately. Pioneering studies are needed to shed light on the potential of the so-called paleometabolomics and to standardise its application. Here, we deployed an untargeted metabolomic workflow on a timeline (200 to 49,600 cal yr BP) of rodent middens that efficiently and reproducibly captured rodent midden metabolic diversity, recovering 79% of the richness detected in 15 contemporary plant species. We found that midden chemical diversity and metabolites were influenced by the midden composition, age, and environment. Variation at the metabolite level in middens could fit age, past temperature and precipitation levels with an R{superscript 2} > 88% and their plant composition. Compounds and families responding to climate variation included lipids (e.g. glycerophospholipids) and other metabolites linked to redox status such as phenolics (e.g. flavonoids, lignans). The responses of significant midden chemical indices and compounds to abiotic pressures were supported by their response in plants collected near the midden sites to temperature and soil water content across an elevation gradient. Overall, our results not only showcase paleometabolomics as a powerful tool to reconstruct past ecosystem dynamics and metabolic evolutionary trajectories, but also to uncover relevant chemical families that could serve as trackers of past -and potentially future- climate fluctuations.

ecology↗

bioRxiv2026

Metabolism and chemical diversity evolve in response to pollinator availability

Phytochemistry is a core player in shaping plant-pollinator networks and pollination services. Yet, little is known about the dynamic evolution of phytochemical traits in response to limited pollinator access, especially concerning chemical diversity. We combined an evolutionary experiment manipulating pollinator access with predictive metabolomics to uncover evolutionary changes in phytochemical traits of Brassica rapa. Our results unveiled chemical changes in both leaf and flower chemistry. Moreover, plants under selection by limited pollinator access showed a decreased chemical richness and diversity and a modulated primary and specialised metabolism, which could be used to predict pollinator access with 88% accuracy. Chemical indices and metabolites responding to pollinator access were associated with variation in flowering time and performance of outcrossing flowers. Our findings provide key insights into the influence of pollinator access on plant chemistry and indicate a risk of pollinator decline and losses of chemical diversity for plant-pollinator network structure and ecosystem dynamics.

ecology↗

bioRxiv2023

Convergent and divergent responses of the rhizosphere chemistry and bacterial communities to a stress gradient in the Atacama Desert.

Plants can modulate their rhizosphere chemistry, thereby influencing microbe communities. Although our understanding of rhizosphere chemistry is growing, knowledge of its responses to abiotic constraints is limited, especially in realistic ecological contexts. Here, we combined predictive metabolomics with bacterial sequencing data to investigate whether rhizosphere chemistry responded to environmental constraints and shaped bacterial communities across an elevation gradient in the Atacama Desert. We found that metabolic adjustments of rhizosphere chemistry predicted the environment of four plant species independently of year, identifying important rhizosphere metabolic biomarkers. Inter-species predictions unveiled significant biochemical convergences. Subsequently, we linked metabolic predictors to variation in the abundance of operational taxonomic units (OTUs). Chemical response influenced distinct and common bacterial families between species and vegetation belts. The annotation of chemical markers and correlated bacterial families highlighted critical biological processes such as nitrogen starvation, metal pollution and plant development and defence. Overall, this study demonstrates a unique metabolic set likely involved in improving plant resilience to harsh edaphic conditions. Besides, the results emphasise the need to integrate ecology with plant metabolome and microbiome approaches to explore plant-soil interactions and better predict their responses to climate change and consequences for ecosystem dynamics.

ecology↗

bioRxiv2023

Phylogenetically diverse wild plant species use common biochemical strategies to thrive in the Atacama Desert

The best ideotypes are under mounting pressure due to increased aridity in many parts of the world. Understanding the conserved molecular mechanisms that evolve in wild plant species adapted to harsh environments is crucial in developing new strategies for sustainable agriculture. Yet our knowledge of such mechanisms in wild species is scant, particularly in extreme environments. We performed metabolic pathway reconstruction using transcriptome information from 32 Atacama plant species and phylogenetically related plant species that do not live in Atacama (Sister species). We analyzed pathway and reaction enrichment to understand the biochemical commonalities and differences of wild Atacama plant species. To gain insights into the mechanisms that ensure plant survival, we compared expressed gene isoform numbers and gene expression patterns between the annotated biochemical reactions from 32 Atacama and Sister species. We found significant biochemical convergences in primary and secondary metabolism characterized by reactions enriched in at least 50% of the Atacama species across major plant phylogenetic lineages. Analysis of the annotation indicated potential advantages against drought, salinity, high solar irradiance, and nitrogen starvation. These findings suggest that the adaptation in the Atacama Desert may result in part from shared genetic legacies governing the expression of key metabolic pathways to face harsh environmental conditions. Enriched reactions corresponded to ubiquitous compounds common to extreme and agronomic species and were congruent with our previous metabolomic analyses in these Atacama species. Hence, genes underlying these adaptive traits offer promising candidates for improving abiotic stress resilience in crop species.

plant biology↗

bioRxiv2023

Influences of chemotype and parental genotype on metabolic fingerprints of tansy plants uncovered by predictive metabolomics.

Intraspecific plant chemodiversity shapes plant-environment interactions. Within species, chemotypes can be defined according to variation in dominant specialised metabolites belonging to certain classes. Different ecological functions could be assigned to these distinct chemotypes. However, the roles of other metabolic variations and the parental genotype of the chemotypes remain poorly explored. Here, we first compared the capacity of terpenoid profiles and metabolic fingerprints to distinguish five chemotypes of common tansy (Tanacetum vulgare) and depict satellite metabolic differences. Metabolic fingerprints captured higher satellite variation while preserving the ability to define chemotypes. These satellite differences might influence plant performance and interactions with the environment. Next, to characterise the influence of the maternal genotype on chemodiversity, we performed variation partitioning and generalised linear modelling. Our findings revealed that maternal genotype was a higher source of chemical variation than chemotype. Predictive metabolomics unveiled 184 markers predicting maternal genotype with 89% accuracy. These markers included, among others, phenolics, whose functions in plant-environment interactions are well established. Hence, these findings place parental genotype at the forefront of intraspecific chemodiversity. We thus recommend considering this factor when comparing the ecology of various chemotypes. Besides, the combined inclusion of inherited and satellite metabolic variation in computational models may help connecting chemodiversity and evolutionary principles.

ecology↗