Dataset Information

Spatial and evolutionary predictability of phytochemical diversity.

ABSTRACT: To cope with environmental challenges, plants produce a wide diversity of phytochemicals, which are also the source of numerous medicines. Despite decades of research in chemical ecology, we still lack an understanding of the organization of plant chemical diversity across species and ecosystems. To address this challenge, we hypothesized that molecular diversity is not only related to species diversity, but also constrained by trophic, climatic, and topographical factors. We screened the metabolome of 416 vascular plant species encompassing the entire alpine elevation range and four alpine bioclimatic regions in order to characterize their phytochemical diversity. We show that by coupling phylogenetic information, topographic, edaphic, and climatic variables, we predict phytochemical diversity, and its inherent composition, of plant communities throughout landscape. Spatial mapping of phytochemical diversity further revealed that plant assemblages found in low to midelevation habitats, with more alkaline soils, possessed greater phytochemical diversity, whereas alpine habitats possessed higher phytochemical endemism. Altogether, we present a general tool that can be used for predicting hotspots of phytochemical diversity in the landscape, independently of plant species taxonomic identity. Such an approach offers promising perspectives in both drug discovery programs and conservation efforts worldwide.

SUBMITTER: Defossez E

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7826413 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Spatial and evolutionary predictability of phytochemical diversity.

Defossez Emmanuel E Pitteloud Camille C Descombes Patrice P Glauser Gaétan G Allard Pierre-Marie PM Walker Tom W N TWN Fernandez-Conradi Pilar P Wolfender Jean-Luc JL Pellissier Loïc L Rasmann Sergio S

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 20210101 3

To cope with environmental challenges, plants produce a wide diversity of phytochemicals, which are also the source of numerous medicines. Despite decades of research in chemical ecology, we still lack an understanding of the organization of plant chemical diversity across species and ecosystems. To address this challenge, we hypothesized that molecular diversity is not only related to species diversity, but also constrained by trophic, climatic, and topographical factors. We screened the metabo ...[more]

PMID: 33431671

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Dataset Information

Spatial and evolutionary predictability of phytochemical diversity.

Publications

Spatial and evolutionary predictability of phytochemical diversity.

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