title: Domestication in Murtilla (Ugni molinae) Reduced Defensive Flavonol Levels but Increased Resistance Against a Native Herbivorous Insect.
abstract: Plant domestication can have negative consequences for defensive traits against herbivores, potentially reducing the levels of chemical defenses in plants and consequently their resistance against herbivores. We characterized and quantified the defensive flavonols from multiple cultivated ecotypes with wild ancestors of murtilla, Ugni molinae Turcz, an endemic plant from Chile, at different times of the year, and examined their effects on a native insect herbivore, Chilesia rudis Butler (Lepidoptera: Arctiidae). We hypothesized that domestication results in a decrease in flavonol levels in U. molinae plants, and that this negatively affected C. rudis performance and preference. Ethanolic extracts were made from leaves, stems, and fruit of murtilla plants for flavonol analysis. Flavonols identified were kaempferol, quercetin, rutin, and quercetin 3-D-β-glucoside, the last two being the most abundant. More interestingly, we showed differences in flavonol composition between wild and cultivated U. molinae that persisted for most of the year. Relative amounts of all four flavonols were higher in wild U. molinae leaves; however, no differences were found in the stem and fruit between wild and cultivated plants. In choice and no-choice assays, C. rudis larvae gained more mass on, and consumed more leaf material of, wild as compared with cultivated U. molinae plants. Moreover, when applied to leaves, larvae ate more leaf material with increasing concentrations of each flavonol compound. Our study demonstrates that domestication in U. molinae reduced the amount of flavonols in leaves as well as the performance and preference of C. rudis, indicating that these compounds stimulate feeding of C. rudis.
authors: Laboratorio de Química Ecológica, Departamento de Ciencias Químicas y Recursos Naturales, Universidad de La Frontera, Av. Francisco Salazar 01145, Casilla 54-D, Temuco, Chile. Doctorado en Ciencias de Recursos Naturales, Universidad de La Frontera, Av. Francisco Salazar 01145, Temuco, Chile.
authors: Manuel
authors: M
authors: Chacón-Fuentes
authors: Laboratorio de Química Ecológica, Departamento de Ciencias Químicas y Recursos Naturales, Universidad de La Frontera, Av. Francisco Salazar 01145, Casilla 54-D, Temuco, Chile.
authors: Leonardo
authors: L
authors: Parra
authors: Phillip E. Marucci Center for Blueberry and Cranberry Research and Extension, Rutgers-The State University of New Jersey, 125A Lake Oswego Rd., Chatsworth, NJ 08019.
authors: Cesar
authors: C
authors: Rodriguez-Saona
authors: Instituto de Investigaciones Agropecuarias, Centro Regional de Investigación Carillanca, Temuco, Chile.
authors: Ivette
authors: I
authors: Seguel
authors: Laboratorio de Ecología Química, Instituto de Investigaciones Agropecuarias, CRI-Quilamapu, Av. Vicente Mendez 515, Casilla 426, Chillán, Chile.
authors: Ricardo
authors: R
authors: Ceballos
authors: Laboratorio de Química Ecológica, Departamento de Ciencias Químicas y Recursos Naturales, Universidad de La Frontera, Av. Francisco Salazar 01145, Casilla 54-D, Temuco, Chile. andres.quiroz@ufrontera.cl.
authors: Andres
authors: A
authors: Quiroz
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D044948:Flavonols / Q000378:metabolism*; D020387:Food Chain; D060434:Herbivory; D007814:Larva / Q000502:physiology; D009036:Moths / Q000254:growth & development / Q000502:physiology*; D027822:Myrtaceae / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000235:genetics; D000069600:Plant Breeding; D018515:Plant Leaves / Q000737:chemistry; D012621:Seasons
chemical_list: D044948:Flavonols
keywords: Chilesia rudis; HPLC; choice assay; domestication; nochoice assay