10.5061/DRYAD.4QRFJ6Q6C
Thitz, Paula
0000-0001-5843-9284
University of Eastern Finland
Mehtätalo, Lauri
0000-0002-8128-0598
University of Eastern Finland
Välimäki, Panu
University of Oulu
Randriamanana, Tendry
University of Eastern Finland
Lännenpää, Mika
University of Eastern Finland
Hagerman, Ann E.
Miami University
Andersson, Tommi
University of Turku
Julkunen-Tiitto, Riitta
University of Eastern Finland
Nyman, Tommi
Norwegian Institute of Bioeconomy Research
Data for: Phytochemical shift from condensed tannins to flavonoids in
transgenic Betula pendula decreases consumption and growth but improves
growth efficiency of Epirrita autumnata larvae
Dryad
dataset
2019
Betula pendula
Epirrita autumnata
dihydroflavonol reductase (DFR)
anthocyanidin synthase (ANS)
anthocyanidin reductase (ANR)
E. autumnata larvae
RNA interference (RNAi)
Academy of Finland
https://ror.org/05k73zm37
267360
Finnish Cultural Foundation
https://ror.org/027xav248
Jenny ja Antti Wihurin Rahasto
https://ror.org/01gpyzq83
Tiina ja Antti Herlinin säätiö
https://ror.org/04cm3mz39
Niemi-säätiö
https://ror.org/03n320c25
2019-12-19T00:00:00Z
2019-12-19T00:00:00Z
en
https://doi.org/10.1007/s10886-019-01134-9
1022473 bytes
3
CC0 1.0 Universal (CC0 1.0) Public Domain Dedication
Despite active research, antiherbivore activity of specific plant
phenolics remains largely unresolved. We constructed silver birch (Betula
pendula) lines with modified phenolic metabolism to study the effects of
foliar flavonoids and condensed tannins on consumption and growth of
larvae of a generalist herbivore, the autumnal moth (Epirrita autumnata).
We conducted a feeding experiment using birch lines in which expression of
dihydroflavonol reductase (DFR), anthocyanidin synthase (ANS) or
anthocyanidin reductase (ANR) had been decreased by RNA interference.
Modification-specific effects on plant phenolics, nutrients and phenotype,
and on larval consumption and growth were analyzed using uni- and
multivariate methods. Inhibiting DFR expression increased the
concentration of flavonoids at the expense of condensed tannins, and
silencing DFR and ANR decreased leaf and plant size. E. autumnata larvae
consumed on average 82% less of DFRi plants than of unmodified controls,
suggesting that flavonoids or glandular trichomes deter larval feeding.
However, larval growth efficiency was highest on low-tannin DFRi plants,
indicating that condensed tannins (or their monomers) are physiologically
more harmful than non-tannin flavonoids for E. autumnata larvae. Our
results show that genetic manipulation of the flavonoid pathway in plants
can effectively be used to produce altered phenolic profiles required for
elucidating the roles of low-molecular weight phenolics and condensed
tannins in plant–herbivore relationships, and suggest that phenolic
secondary metabolites participate in regulation of plant growth.
RNA interference (RNAi) of DFR, ANS and ANR was used to create Betula
pendula constructs with altered phenylpropanoid pathway. Preweighted
late-instar Epirrita autumnata were allowed to feed on intact Betula
pendula plants for 48 hours in growth chambers, after which their
consumption (leaf area lost from plants) and final weight was recorded,
and plant samples were taken for chemical and morphological analyses,
after each chamber experiment including the unmodified control and 3-4
RNAi replicate lines per construct.
This data is collected from three feeding experiments conducted in growth
chambers in eastern Finland. It includes plant chemical and morphological
parameters and larval parameters (variables described in scripts). The
subset of plant-larva pairs, scripts and parameter estimates related to
analyses in https://doi.org/10.1007/s10886-019-01134-9 are also provided.