10.5061/DRYAD.GXD2547HH
de Castro, Erika
0000-0002-4731-3835
University of Cambridge
Musgrove, Jamie
Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute
Bak, Søren
University of Copenhagen
McMillan, Owen
Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute
Jiggins, Chris
University of Cambridge
Phenotypic plasticity in chemical defence allows butterflies to diversify
host use strategies
Dryad
dataset
2020
Heliconius
Passiflora
cyanogenic glucosides
Coevolution
European Research Council
https://ror.org/0472cxd90
Grant number: 339873 (Acronym: SpeciationGenetics)
European Research Council
https://ror.org/0472cxd90
Marie Curie Actions, grant award: 841230 (Acronym: CyanideEvolution)
Danmarks Frie Forskningsfond
https://ror.org/05svhj534
FNU - 1323-00088
2021-08-11T00:00:00Z
2021-08-11T00:00:00Z
en
https://doi.org/10.1101/2020.04.07.030122
2469182619 bytes
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CC0 1.0 Universal (CC0 1.0) Public Domain Dedication
Hostplant specialization is a major force driving ecological niche
partitioning and diversification in insect herbivores. The cyanogenic
defences of Passiflora plants keeps most herbivores at bay, but not larvae
of Heliconius butterflies, which can both sequester and biosynthesize
cyanogenic compounds. Here, we demonstrate that both Heliconius cydno
chioneus, a host plant generalist, and H. melpomene rosina, a specialist,
have remarkable plasticity in their chemical defence. When feeding on
Passiflora species with cyanogenic compounds they can readily sequester,
both species downregulate the biosynthesis of these compounds. In
contrast, when fed on Passiflora plants that do not contain cyanogenic
glucosides that can be sequestered, both species increase biosynthesis.
This biochemical plasticity comes at a significant fitness cost for
specialist like H. m. rosina, as growth rates for this species negatively
correlate with biosynthesis levels, but not for a generalist like H. c.
chioneus. In exchange, H. m rosina has increased performance when
sequestration is possible as on its specialised hostplant. In summary,
phenotypic plasticity in biochemical responses to different host plants
offers these butterflies the ability to widen their range of potential
host within the Passiflora genus, while maintaining their chemical
defences.
This dataset correspond to body measurements (forewing length, body
length, adult weight, and pupal weight) and cyanogen concentrations of H.
cydno chioneus and H. melpomene rosina raised on P. biflora, P.
menispermifolia, P. vitifolia and P. platyloba. The common garden
experiment was conducted at the Smithsonian Tropical Research
Institute (Panama).
LC-MS analyses were carried out as described in Pinheiro de Castro, É. C.,
Zagrobelny, M., Zurano, J. P., Zikan Cardoso, M., Feyereisen, R.,
& Bak, S. (2019). Sequestration and biosynthesis of cyanogenic
glucosides in passion vine butterflies and consequences for the
diversification of their host plants. Ecology and evolution, 9(9),
5079-5093. Each whole butterfly was homogeinized in 1.5 mL methanol
80%. All samples were centrifuged at 10,000 x g for 5 min and the
supernatant filtered (Anapore 0.45 µm, Whatman) to remove insoluble
components. Samples were diluted 50X and injected (3 uL) in a Agilent 1100
Series LC (Agilent Technologies, Germany) hyphenated to a Bruker HCT-Ultra
ion trap mass spectrometer (Bruker Daltonics, Bremen, Germany).
Deidaclin/Tetraphyllin A (RT 5.5 min, [M+Na]+ at m/z 294), linamarin (RT
2.4 min, [M+Na]+ at m/z 310), lotaustralin (RT 5.5 min, [M+Na]+ at m/z
284), prunasin (RT 7.0 min, [M+Na]+ at m/z 317) and amygdalin (RT 6.6 min,
[M+Na]+ at m/z 480) were detected and their RTs compared to authentic
standards (Engler et al. 2000; Jaroszewski et al. 2002; Møller et al.
2016). Tetraphyllin B-sulfate (RT 1.3 min, [M+Na]+ at m/z 390) and
passibiflorin (RT 5.8 min, [M+Na]+ at m/z 456) were identified in the
plant samples by their m/z, fragmentation pattern (MS/MS) and comparison
with data reported in the literature regarding these compounds. Please
utilize the software Compass Dataanalysis from Bruker to open the raw
chemical data (samples, washed and standards). In the excel file
"Cyanogen Datasheet.xlsx", you will find information about the
species/diet treatment corresponded to each sample (1-105) as well as the
cyanogenic glucoside concentrations in the standard curve (ST1-ST7).
README.txt contains a description of all the information in the file
"Cyanogen Datasheet.xlsx". A file with all the data Analysed in
this srudy is also available as .csv (("alldata.csv").