title: Covariation and phenotypic integration in chemical communication displays: biosynthetic constraints and eco-evolutionary implications.
abstract: Chemical communication is ubiquitous. The identification of conserved structural elements in visual and acoustic communication is well established, but comparable information on chemical communication displays (CCDs) is lacking. We assessed the phenotypic integration of CCDs in a meta-analysis to characterize patterns of covariation in CCDs and identified functional or biosynthetically constrained modules. Poorly integrated plant CCDs (i.e. low covariation between scent compounds) support the notion that plants often utilize one or few key compounds to repel antagonists or to attract pollinators and enemies of herbivores. Animal CCDs (mostly insect pheromones) were usually more integrated than those of plants (i.e. stronger covariation), suggesting that animals communicate via fixed proportions among compounds. Both plant and animal CCDs were composed of modules, which are groups of strongly covarying compounds. Biosynthetic similarity of compounds revealed biosynthetic constraints in the covariation patterns of plant CCDs. We provide a novel perspective on chemical communication and a basis for future investigations on structural properties of CCDs. This will facilitate identifying modules and biosynthetic constraints that may affect the outcome of selection and thus provide a predictive framework for evolutionary trajectories of CCDs in plants and animals.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Salzburg, Hellbrunnerstrasse 34, 5020, Salzburg, Austria.
authors.forename: Robert R
authors.initials: RR
authors.lastname: Junker
authors.affiliation: Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Salzburg, Hellbrunnerstrasse 34, 5020, Salzburg, Austria.
authors.forename: Jonas
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kuppler
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal Ecology, Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW), NL-6700, EH Wageningen, the Netherlands.|Department of Evolutionary Ecology, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales (CSIC), 28006, Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: Luisa
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Amo
authors.affiliation: Department of Environmental and Biological Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, 70211, Kuopio, Finland.
authors.forename: James D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Blande
authors.affiliation: Centre for Ecological Sciences, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, 560012, India.
authors.forename: Renee M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Borges
authors.affiliation: German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv), Halle-Jena-Leipzig/Friedrich-Schiller-Universität Jena, Deutscher Platz 5e, 04103, Leipzig, Germany.
authors.forename: Nicole M
authors.initials: NM
authors.lastname: van Dam
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Entomology, Wageningen University, PO Box 16, 6700 AA, Wageningen, the Netherlands.
authors.forename: Marcel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Dicke
authors.affiliation: Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Salzburg, Hellbrunnerstrasse 34, 5020, Salzburg, Austria.
authors.forename: Stefan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Dötterl
authors.affiliation: Department of Bioscience, Aarhus University, Vejlsøvej 25, 8600, Silkeborg, Denmark.
authors.forename: Bodil K
authors.initials: BK
authors.lastname: Ehlers
authors.affiliation: Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Salzburg, Hellbrunnerstrasse 34, 5020, Salzburg, Austria.|Department of Botany and Biodiversity Research, University of Vienna, 1030, Vienna, Austria.
authors.forename: Florian
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Etl
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, Max-Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, 07745, Jena, Germany.
authors.forename: Jonathan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Gershenzon
authors.affiliation: Department of Crop Production Ecology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Box 7043, S750 07, Uppsala, Sweden.
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Glinwood
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Entomology, Wageningen University, PO Box 16, 6700 AA, Wageningen, the Netherlands.
authors.forename: Rieta
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Gols
authors.affiliation: Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics (IBED), University of Amsterdam, 1090 GE, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.|Department of Entomology, Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, 07745, Jena, Germany.
authors.forename: Astrid T
authors.initials: AT
authors.lastname: Groot
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Ingeniería Genética, CINVESTAV - Irapuato, Irapuato, CP 36821, México.
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Heil
authors.affiliation: Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Salzburg, Hellbrunnerstrasse 34, 5020, Salzburg, Austria.
authors.forename: Mathias
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hoffmeister
authors.affiliation: Department of Environmental and Biological Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, 70211, Kuopio, Finland.
authors.forename: Jarmo K
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: Holopainen
authors.affiliation: Institute for Neurobiology, Ulm University, Helmholtzstr. 10/1, 89081, Ulm, Germany.
authors.forename: Stefan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Jarau
authors.affiliation: Institute for Neurobiology, Ulm University, Helmholtzstr. 10/1, 89081, Ulm, Germany.
authors.forename: Lena
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: John
authors.affiliation: Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 14853, USA.
authors.forename: Andre
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kessler
authors.affiliation: Deptartment of Biology, Lund University, SE 223 62, Lund, Sweden.|Nattaro Labs AB, Medicon Village, 223 81, Lund, Sweden.
authors.forename: Jette T
authors.initials: JT
authors.lastname: Knudsen
authors.affiliation: Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, Research Group Experimental Ecology and Evolution, 07745, Jena, Germany.|Department of Ecology, School of Biology/Chemistry, University of Osnabrück, 49074, Osnabrück, Germany.
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Kost
authors.affiliation: Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Salzburg, Hellbrunnerstrasse 34, 5020, Salzburg, Austria.
authors.forename: Anne-Amélie C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Larue-Kontic
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal Ecology and Tropical Biology, Würzburg University, 97074, Würzburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Sara Diana
authors.initials: SD
authors.lastname: Leonhardt
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Entomology, Wageningen University, PO Box 16, 6700 AA, Wageningen, the Netherlands.
authors.forename: Dani
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Lucas-Barbosa
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, Saint Mary's College, Notre Dame, IN, 46556, USA.
authors.forename: Cassie J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Majetic
authors.affiliation: Institute of Zoology, University of Mainz, 55128, Mainz, Germany.
authors.forename: Florian
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Menzel
authors.affiliation: Plant Ecology and Evolution, Evolutionary Biology Centre, Uppsala University, Uppsala, 75236, Sweden.
authors.forename: Amy L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Parachnowitsch
authors.affiliation: Department of ECOBIO, IRD, 44 Bd de Dunkerque, 13572, Marseille Cedex 02, France.
authors.forename: Rémy S
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: Pasquet
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Entomology, Wageningen University, PO Box 16, 6700 AA, Wageningen, the Netherlands.
authors.forename: Erik H
authors.initials: EH
authors.lastname: Poelman
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 14853, USA.
authors.forename: Robert A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Raguso
authors.affiliation: Institute of Zoology, University of Regensburg, Universitätsstraße 31, 93053, Regensburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Joachim
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ruther
authors.affiliation: Department of Systematic and Evolutionary Botany, University of Zürich, Zollikerstrasse 107, 8008, Zürich, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Florian P
authors.initials: FP
authors.lastname: Schiestl
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal Ecology and Tropical Biology, Würzburg University, 97074, Würzburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Schmitt
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Sciences, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, 24061, USA.
authors.forename: Dorothea
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Tholl
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, Max-Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, 07745, Jena, Germany.
authors.forename: Sybille B
authors.initials: SB
authors.lastname: Unsicker
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Entomology, Wageningen University, PO Box 16, 6700 AA, Wageningen, the Netherlands.
authors.forename: Niels
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Verhulst
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal Ecology, Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW), NL-6700, EH Wageningen, the Netherlands.
authors.forename: Marcel E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Visser
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Entomology, Wageningen University, PO Box 16, 6700 AA, Wageningen, the Netherlands.
authors.forename: Berhane T
authors.initials: BT
authors.lastname: Weldegergis
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, Max-Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, 07745, Jena, Germany.
authors.forename: Tobias G
authors.initials: TG
authors.lastname: Köllner
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D005075:Biological Evolution; D053898:Biosynthetic Pathways; D010641:Phenotype; D055549:Volatile Organic Compounds / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D055549:Volatile Organic Compounds
keywords: biosynthetic constraints; chemical communication; correlation network analysis; floral scents; phenotypic integration; vegetative scents