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Physical Review. E May 2024A range of systems across the social and natural sciences generate data sets consisting of interactions between two distinct categories of items at various instances in...
A range of systems across the social and natural sciences generate data sets consisting of interactions between two distinct categories of items at various instances in time. Online shopping, for example, generates purchasing events of the form (user, product, time of purchase), and mutualistic interactions in plant-pollinator systems generate pollination events of the form (insect, plant, time of pollination). These data sets can be meaningfully modeled as temporal hypergraph snapshots in which multiple items within one category (i.e., online shoppers) share a hyperedge if they interacted with a common item in the other category (i.e., purchased the same product) within a given time window, allowing for the application of hypergraph analysis techniques. However, it is often unclear how to choose the number and duration of these temporal snapshots, which have a strong influence on the final hypergraph representations. Here we propose a principled nonparametric solution to this problem by extracting temporal hypergraph snapshots that optimally capture structural regularities in temporal event data according to the minimum description length principle. We demonstrate our methods on real and synthetic data sets, finding that they can recover planted artificial hypergraph structure in the presence of considerable noise and reveal meaningful activity fluctuations in human mobility data.
Topics: Time Factors; Models, Theoretical; Humans
PubMed: 38907453
DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevE.109.054306 -
Scientific Reports Jun 2024As natural landscapes are modified and converted into simplified agricultural landscapes, the community composition and interactions of organisms persisting in these...
As natural landscapes are modified and converted into simplified agricultural landscapes, the community composition and interactions of organisms persisting in these modified landscapes are altered. While many studies examine the consequences of these changing interactions for crops, few have evaluated the effects on wild plants. Here, we examine how pollinator and herbivore interactions affect reproductive success for wild resident and phytometer plants at sites along a landscape gradient ranging from natural to highly simplified. We tested the direct and indirect effects of landscape composition on plant traits and reproduction mediated by insect interactions. For phytometer plants exposed to herbivores, we found that greater landscape complexity corresponded with elevated herbivore damage, which reduced total flower production but increased individual flower size. Though larger flowers increased pollination, the reduction in flowers ultimately reduced plant reproductive success. Herbivory was also higher in complex landscapes for resident plants, but overall damage was low and therefore did not have a cascading effect on floral display and reproduction. This work highlights that landscape composition directly affects patterns of herbivory with cascading effects on pollination and wild plant reproduction. Further, the absence of an effect on reproduction for resident plants suggests that they may be adapted to their local insect community.
Topics: Herbivory; Flowers; Pollination; Animals; Reproduction; Agriculture; Insecta; Crops, Agricultural
PubMed: 38906942
DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-65352-2 -
Plant Physiology Jun 2024Body axis establishment is one of the earliest patterning events in plant embryogenesis. Asymmetric zygote division is critical for apical-basal axis formation in...
Body axis establishment is one of the earliest patterning events in plant embryogenesis. Asymmetric zygote division is critical for apical-basal axis formation in Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana). However, how the orientation of the cell division plane is regulated and its relation to apical-basal axis establishment and proper position of embryos in grasses remain poorly understood. By characterizing mutants of 3 rice (Oryza sativa) WUSCHEL HOMEOBOX9 (WOX9) genes, whose paralogs in Arabidopsis play essential roles in zygotic asymmetric cell division and cell fate determination, we found 2 kinds of independent embryonic defects: topsy-turvy embryos, in which apical-basal axis twists from being parallel to the longitudinal axis of the seed to being perpendicular; and organ-less embryos. In contrast to their Arabidopsis orthologs, OsWOX9s displayed dynamic distribution during embryo development. Both DWT1/OsWOX9A and DWL2/WOX9C play major roles in the apical-basal axis formation and initiation of stem cells. In addition, DWT1 has a distinct function in regulating the first few embryonic cell divisions to ensure the correct orientation of the embryo in the ovary. In summary, DWT1 acts in 2 steps during rice embryo pattern formation: the initial zygotic division, and with DWL2 to establish the main body axes and stem cell fate 2 to 3 d after pollination.
PubMed: 38905146
DOI: 10.1093/plphys/kiae318 -
Evolutionary Applications Jun 2024Land-use change and habitat fragmentation are threats to biodiversity. The decrease in available habitat, increase in isolation, and mating within populations can lead...
Land-use change and habitat fragmentation are threats to biodiversity. The decrease in available habitat, increase in isolation, and mating within populations can lead to elevated inbreeding, lower genetic diversity, and poor fitness. Here we investigate the genetics of two rare and threatened plant species, and , and we compare them to a widespread congener . We also report the first phylogenetic study of the genus (Apocynaceae), including 10 of the 17 taxa and multiple sampling locations, to understand species relationships. We used a double digest restriction-site associated DNA sequencing (ddRADseq) approach to investigate the genetic diversity and gene flow of each species and to create a maximum likelihood phylogeny. The ddRADseq data was mapped to a reference genome to separate out the chloroplast and nuclear markers for population genetic analysis. Our results show that genetic diversity and inbreeding were low across all three species. The chloroplast and nuclear dataset in were highly structured, whereas they showed no structure for , while lacked structure for nuclear data but not chloroplast. Phylogenetic results revealed that is distinct and sister to , and together they are distantly related to . Our results demonstrated that evolutionary history and contemporary ecological processes largely influences genetic diversity within . Interestingly, we show that in there was significant structure despite being pollinated by large, bodied hawkmoths that are known to be able to carry pollen long distances, suggesting that other factors are contributing to the structure observed among populations. Conservation efforts should focus on protecting all of the populations, as they contain unique genetic diversity, and a protection plan for needs to be established due to its limited distribution.
PubMed: 38903246
DOI: 10.1111/eva.13736 -
Annals of Botany Jun 2024
Strategies of flowering plants to avoid pollen collection by undesirable flower visitors. A commentary on 'High toxin concentration in pollen may deter collection by bees in butterfly-pollinated Rhododendron molle'.
PubMed: 38902985
DOI: 10.1093/aob/mcae088 -
Molecular Plant Jun 2024Xenia, the phenomenon in which the pollen genotype directly affects the phenotypic characteristics of the maternal tissues (i.e., fruit ripening), has applications in...
Xenia, the phenomenon in which the pollen genotype directly affects the phenotypic characteristics of the maternal tissues (i.e., fruit ripening), has applications in crop production and breeding. However, the underlying molecular mechanism has yet to be elucidated. Here, we investigated whether mobile mRNAs from the pollen affect the ripening and quality-related characteristics of the fruit using cross-pollination between distinct Malus domestica (apple) cultivars. We demonstrated that hundreds of mobile mRNAs originating from the seeds are delivered to the fruit. We also found that the movement of one of these mRNAs, ACC oxidase 3 (MdACO3), is coordinated with fruit ripening. Salicylic acid treatment, which can cause plasmodesmal closure, blocks MdACO3 movement, indicating that MdACO3 transcripts may move through plasmodesmata. To assess the role of mobile MdACO3 transcripts in apple fruit, we created MdACO3-GFP-expressing apple seeds using MdACO3-GFP-overexpressing pollen for pollination and showed that MdACO3 transcripts in the transgenic seeds move to the flesh where they regulate fruit ripening. Furthermore, we demonstrated that MdACO3 can be transported from the seeds to fruit in the fleshy-fruited species tomato and strawberry. These results underscore the potential of mobile mRNAs from seeds to influence fruit characteristics, providing an explanation for the xenia phenomenon. Notably, our findings highlight the feasibility of leveraging diverse pollen genomic resources, without resorting to genome editing, to improve fruit quality.
PubMed: 38902921
DOI: 10.1016/j.molp.2024.06.008 -
Journal of Evolutionary Biology Jun 2024Pollinators are thought to be the main drivers of floral evolution. Flowers are also colonized by abundant communities of microbes that can affect the interaction...
Pollinators are thought to be the main drivers of floral evolution. Flowers are also colonized by abundant communities of microbes that can affect the interaction between plants and their pollinators. Very little is known, however, about how flower-colonizing microbes influence floral evolution. Here we performed a six-generation experimental evolution study using fast-cycling Brassica rapa, in which we factorially manipulated the presence of pollinators and flower microbes to determine how pollinators and microbes interact in driving floral evolution. We measured the evolution of six morphological traits, as well as plant mating system and flower attractiveness. Only one of the six traits (flower number) evolved in response to pollinators, while microbes did not drive the evolution of any trait, nor did they interact with pollinators in driving evolution of morphological traits. Moreover, we did not find evidence that pollinators or microbes affected the evolution of flower attractiveness to pollinators. However, we found an interactive effect of pollinators and microbes on the evolution of autonomous selfing, a trait that is expected to evolve in response to pollinator limitation. Overall, we found only weak evidence that microbes mediate floral evolution. However, our ability to detect an interactive effect of pollinators and microbes might have been limited by weak pollinator-mediated selection in our experimental setting. Our results contrast with previous (similar) experimental evolution studies, highlighting the susceptibility of such experiments to drift and to experimental artefacts.
PubMed: 38902913
DOI: 10.1093/jeb/voae078 -
PloS One 2024Pollination biology in the widespread species Impatiens capensis Meerb. has only been studied in America, specifically in zones of the U.S.A. and Canada. In this study,...
Pollination biology in the widespread species Impatiens capensis Meerb. has only been studied in America, specifically in zones of the U.S.A. and Canada. In this study, we investigated the pollination biology of I. capensis using an integrative identification approach using morphological and molecular tools in four populations of Northwest Poland. We also determined and compared the functional characteristics of the pollinators of the introduced species from the study sites and the native ones reported, for the latter collecting information from bibliographic sources. Visitors were identified using standard morphological keys, including identifying and classifying insect mouthparts. Molecular identification was carried out using mitochondrial DNA's cytochrome oxidase subunit I (COI). We morphologically identified 20 species of visitors constituted by 17 pollinators and three nectar robbers. DNA barcoding of 59 individuals proved the identification of 18 species (also 18 BINs). The frequency of pollinator species was primarily made up of representatives of both Hymenoptera (75%) and Diptera (21%). The morphological traits, such as the chewing and sucking mouthparts, small and big body height, and robber and pollinator behavior explained mainly the native and introduced visitors' arrangements that allow pollination success. However, to understand the process comprehensively, further investigation of other causalities in pollination success and understanding the diversity of pollinators in outer native ranges are necessary.
Topics: Pollination; Animals; Impatiens; Introduced Species; Diptera; Poland; DNA Barcoding, Taxonomic; Hymenoptera
PubMed: 38900825
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0302283 -
Brazilian Journal of Microbiology :... Jun 2024Bees are fundamental for maintaining pollination-dependent plant populations, both economically and ecologically. In Brazil, they constitute 66.3% of pollinators,...
Bees are fundamental for maintaining pollination-dependent plant populations, both economically and ecologically. In Brazil, they constitute 66.3% of pollinators, contributing to an annual market value estimated at R$ 43 billion for pollination services. Unfortunately, worldwide bee populations are declining due to parasites and pathogens, more specifically viruses, alongside climate change, habitat loss, and pesticides. In this scenario, extensive research concerning bee diversity, virus diversity and surveillance, is necessary to aid the conservation of native managed pollinators and potential wild alternatives besides mitigating the emergence and spread of viral pathogens. A decrease in pollination can be a point of economic vulnerability in a country like Brazil because of its main dependence on food exports. Here we conducted a study aiming to obtain an overview of circulating viruses in bees within Brazilian territory highlighting the need for further studies to have a more realistic view of bee-infecting viruses in Brazil.
PubMed: 38898364
DOI: 10.1007/s42770-024-01425-8 -
Journal of Comparative Physiology. A,... Jun 2024As pollinators, bees are key to maintaining the biodiversity of angiosperm plants, and for agriculture they provide a billion-dollar ecosystem service. But they also...
As pollinators, bees are key to maintaining the biodiversity of angiosperm plants, and for agriculture they provide a billion-dollar ecosystem service. But they also compete for resources (primarily nectar and pollen), especially the highly social bees that live in perennial colonies. So, how do they organize their daily temporal activities? Here, we present a versatile, low-cost device for the continuous, automatic recording and data analysis of the locomotor activity in the colony-entrance tube of highly eusocial bees. Consisting of an in-house built block containing an infrared detector, the passage of bees in the colony entrance tunnel is registered and automatically recorded in an Arduino environment, together with concomitant recordings of temperature and relative humidity. With a focus on the highly diverse Neotropical stingless bees (Meliponini), we obtained 10-day consecutive recordings for two colonies each of the species Melipona quadrifasciata and Frieseomelitta varia, and also for the honey bee. The Lomb-Scargle periodogram analysis identified a predominant circadian rhythmicity for all three species, but also indications of ultradian rhythms. For M. quadrifasciata, which is comparable in size to the honey bee, we found evidence for a possibly anticipatory activity already before sunrise. As all three species also presented activity at night in the colony entrance tube, this also raises questions about sleep organization in social insects. The cost and versatility of the device and the open-source options for data analysis make this an attractive system for conducting studies on circadian rhythms in social bees under natural conditions, complementing studies on flower visits by these important pollinators.
PubMed: 38898188
DOI: 10.1007/s00359-024-01709-2