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Advances in Carnivorous and Parasitic Plants
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Advances in Carnivorous and Parasitic Plants

A special issue of Plants (ISSN 2223-7747). This special issue belongs to the section "Plant Systems and Synthetic Biology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 November 2022) | Viewed by 12063

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Urszula Krasuska

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Guest Editor
Department of Plant Physiology, Institute of Biology, Warsaw University of Life Sciences–SGGW, Nowoursynowska 159, 02-776 Warsaw, Poland
Interests: reactive nitrogen and oxygen species mode of action in plants; physiology of seed dormancy; seed germination and seed ageing; phytotoxic action of nonproteinogenic amino acids; physiology of carnivorous plants
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Paweł Staszek

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Guest Editor
Department of Plant Physiology, Institute of Biology, Warsaw University of Life Sciences–SGGW, Nowoursynowska 159, 02-776 Warsaw, Poland
Interests: metabolism and toxicity of nonproteinogenic amino acids; nitric oxide action in plants; nitro-oxidative post-translational protein modifications; allelopathy; molecular action of reactive oxygen species; oxidative and nitrosative stress in plants; carnivorous plants
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Katarzyna Ciacka

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Guest Editor
Department of Plant Physiology, Institute of Biology, Warsaw University of Life Sciences–SGGW, Nowoursynowska 159, 02-776 Warsaw, Poland
Interests: physiology of seeds; molecular mechanism of seed germination; polyamines metabolism; metabolism of reactive oxygen and nitrogen species
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Carnivorous plants (“the most wonderful plants in the world”) and parasitic plants are intriguing organisms. Carnivorous plants attract their prey, kill it and digest it. Some do not even have chloroplasts, and absorb carbon from their digested victims. Carnivory, as a specific adaptation of plants, is a response to environmental conditions of poor nutrient availability. Assimilatory organs, leaves, were transformed into traps (e.g., pitcher traps, snap-traps). Trap formation was linked to the development of specific attractants: altered leaf colour, UV patterns, volatile compound emission, and sweet nectar production. Part of the research on carnivorous plants concerns the mode of action of plant hunting strategies. Additionally, many studies describe the chemical composition of digestive fluid produced by carnivorous traps. Some of these compounds (e.g., flavonoids or naphthoquinones) could have potential medical applications. Pitcher-shaped traps create unique environments inhabited by microorganisms, producing enzymes of industrial interest. However, the full composition of digestive fluid is still unknown. The mechanisms of attracting and killing prey also await a full description.      

Parasitic plants also obtain nutrients (partial or total) from the host (another plant). The plant–plant connection is achieved by the haustorium, a specialized organ of parasitic plants that penetrates the host tissues. These plants, depending on whether they can survive without the host, are categorized as obligate or facultative parasites. Moreover, they can be divided into hemiparasites (photosynthetically active) or holoparasites (photoassimilates absorbed from the host). Parasitic plants pose a threat to agriculture and biodiversity. Thus, it is especially important to understand their physiology in detail.

The forthcoming Special Issue on “Advances in carnivorous and parasitic plants” in Plants brings together original research articles, short communications and reviews concerning the physiology and biochemistry of carnivorous and parasitic plants. It provides a snapshot of current knowledge on their geographical occurrence, overall biology and interactions with other organisms (including animals). Additionally, this Special Issue will focus on studies concerning the development of methods for the specific analysis of compounds involved in carnivory or parasitism.

Dr. Urszula Krasuska
Dr. Paweł Staszek
Dr. Katarzyna Ciacka
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Plants is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • Carnivorous plants
  • Pitcher plants
  • Foliar absorption of nutrients
  • Parasitic plants
  • Host–parasite interaction
  • Plant heterotrophy

Published Papers (6 papers)

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Research

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28 pages, 3348 KiB  
Article
Protein Profiling of Psittacanthus calyculatus during Mesquite Infection
by Montserrat Aguilar-Venegas, Elizabeth Quintana-Rodríguez, Víctor Aguilar-Hernández, Claudia Marina López-García, Efraín Conejo-Dávila, Ligia Brito-Argáez, Víctor M. Loyola-Vargas, Julio Vega-Arreguín and Domancar Orona-Tamayo
Plants 2023, 12(3), 464; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants12030464 - 19 Jan 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2257
Abstract
Psittacanthus calyculatus is a hemiparasite mistletoe that represents an ecological problem due to the impacts caused to various tree species of ecological and commercial interest. Although the life cycle for the Psittacanthus genus is well established in the literature, the development stages and [...] Read more.
Psittacanthus calyculatus is a hemiparasite mistletoe that represents an ecological problem due to the impacts caused to various tree species of ecological and commercial interest. Although the life cycle for the Psittacanthus genus is well established in the literature, the development stages and molecular mechanism implicated in P. calyculatus host infection are poorly understood. In this study, we used a manageable infestation of P. laevigata with P. calyculatus to clearly trace the infection, which allowed us to describe five phenological infective stages of mistletoe on host tree branches: mature seed (T1), holdfast formation (T2), haustorium activation (T3), haustorium penetration (T4), and haustorium connection (T5) with the host tree. Proteomic analyses revealed proteins with a different accumulation and cellular processes in infective stages. Activities of the cell wall-degrading enzymes cellulase and β-1,4-glucosidase were primarily active in haustorium development (T3), while xylanase, endo-glucanase, and peptidase were highly active in the haustorium penetration (T4) and xylem connection (T5). Patterns of auxins and cytokinin showed spatial concentrations in infective stages and moreover were involved in haustorium development. These results are the first evidence of proteins, cell wall-degrading enzymes, and phytohormones that are involved in early infection for the Psittacanthus genus, and thus represent a general infection mechanism for other mistletoe species. These results could help to understand the molecular dialogue in the establishment of P. calyculatus parasitism. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Carnivorous and Parasitic Plants)
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17 pages, 2533 KiB  
Article
Quantification of Protein Uptake by Endocytosis in Carnivorous Nepenthales
by Caroline Ivesic, Stefanie Krammer, Marianne Koller-Peroutka, Aicha Laarouchi, Daniela Gruber, Ingeborg Lang, Irene K. Lichtscheidl and Wolfram Adlassnig
Plants 2023, 12(2), 341; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants12020341 - 11 Jan 2023
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1489
Abstract
Carnivorous plants adsorb prey-derived nutrients partly by endocytosis. This study quantifies endocytosis in Drosophyllum lusitanicum, Drosera capensis, Drosera roseana, Dionaea muscipula and Nepenthes × ventrata. Traps were exposed to 1% fluorescent-labeled albumin (FITC-BSA), and uptake was quantified repeatedly for 64 h. Formation of [...] Read more.
Carnivorous plants adsorb prey-derived nutrients partly by endocytosis. This study quantifies endocytosis in Drosophyllum lusitanicum, Drosera capensis, Drosera roseana, Dionaea muscipula and Nepenthes × ventrata. Traps were exposed to 1% fluorescent-labeled albumin (FITC-BSA), and uptake was quantified repeatedly for 64 h. Formation of vesicles started after ≤1 h in adhesive traps, but only after 16 h in species with temporary stomach (D. muscipula and N. × ventrata). In general, there are similarities in the observed species, especially in the beginning stages of endocytosis. Nonetheless, further intracellular processing of endocytotic vesicles seems to be widely different between species. Endocytotic vesicle size increased significantly over time in all species except in D. capensis. Fluorescence intensity of the endocytotic vesicles increased in all species except D. muscipula. After 64 h, estimates for FITC-BSA absorption per gland ranged from 5.9 ± 6.3 ng in D. roseana to 47.8 ± 44.3 ng in N. × ventrata, demonstrating that endocytosis substantially contributes to the adsorption of prey-derived nutrients. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Carnivorous and Parasitic Plants)
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11 pages, 2056 KiB  
Article
Phenotypic Diversity in Pre- and Post-Attachment Resistance to Striga hermonthica in a Core Collection of Rice Germplasms
by Hiroaki Samejima and Yukihiro Sugimoto
Plants 2023, 12(1), 19; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants12010019 - 20 Dec 2022
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1126
Abstract
In sub-Saharan Africa, upland rice cultivation is expanding into rainfed areas endemic to the root parasitic weed Striga hermonthica. We evaluated the Striga resistance of 69 accessions from the World Rice Core Collection (WRC) to estimate the phenotypic diversity within the Oryza [...] Read more.
In sub-Saharan Africa, upland rice cultivation is expanding into rainfed areas endemic to the root parasitic weed Striga hermonthica. We evaluated the Striga resistance of 69 accessions from the World Rice Core Collection (WRC) to estimate the phenotypic diversity within the Oryza sativa species. Pre-attachment resistance was screened based on the germination-inducing activities of the root exudates, while post-attachment resistance was screened through rhizotron evaluation. The 69 WRC accessions showed a wide variation in both pre- and post-attachment resistance. Root exudates of one accession induced 0.04% germination, and those of some accessions displayed >80% germination. In the evaluation of post-attachment resistance, the successful parasitism percentages ranged from 1.3% to 60.7%. The results of these resistance evaluations were subjected to cluster analysis, which recognized five groups: group I of 27 accessions, with high pre- and post-attachment resistance; group II of 12 accessions, with high post-attachment resistance but moderate pre-attachment resistance; group III of 4 accessions, with low pre-attachment resistance; group IV of 13 accessions, with low post-attachment resistance; and group V of 13 accessions, with low pre- and post-attachment resistance. The wide variation found in the WRC accessions will help to elucidate the genetic factors underpinning pre- and post-attachment resistance. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Carnivorous and Parasitic Plants)
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13 pages, 2420 KiB  
Article
ROS and RNS Alterations in the Digestive Fluid of Nepenthes × ventrata Trap at Different Developmental Stages
by Agnieszka Wal, Pawel Staszek, Barbara Pakula, Magdalena Paradowska and Urszula Krasuska
Plants 2022, 11(23), 3304; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants11233304 - 29 Nov 2022
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1469
Abstract
The carnivorous pitcher plant, Nepenthes × ventrata (Hort. ex Fleming = N. ventricosa Blanco × N. alata Blanco), produces passive traps containing digestive fluid. Although reactive oxygen species (ROS) in the fluid were detected in some pitcher plants, the participation of reactive nitrogen [...] Read more.
The carnivorous pitcher plant, Nepenthes × ventrata (Hort. ex Fleming = N. ventricosa Blanco × N. alata Blanco), produces passive traps containing digestive fluid. Although reactive oxygen species (ROS) in the fluid were detected in some pitcher plants, the participation of reactive nitrogen species (RNS) in the digestion process has not yet been examined. The aim of this work was to investigate the production of superoxide anion (O2•−), nitric oxide (NO) and peroxynitrite (ONOO−) levels in the digestive fluid of traps throughout organ development. We revealed the ROS and RNS occurrence in the digestive fluid, linked to the ROS-scavenging capacity and total phenolics content. In digestive fluid from the fed traps, NO emission was higher than in the fluid from the developed unfed pitcher. The concentration of nitrite (NO2−) decreased in the fluid from the fed traps in comparison to the unfed ones, pointing at NO2− as the key source of NO. The enhanced emission of NO was associated with lowered content of ONOO− in the fluid, probably due to lower production of O2•−. At the same time, despite a decline in total phenolics, the maximum ROS scavenging capacity was detected. In addition, ROS and RNS were noted even in closed traps, suggesting their involvement not only in digestion per se but also their action as signaling agents in trap ontogeny. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Carnivorous and Parasitic Plants)
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11 pages, 4043 KiB  
Article
Snatching Sundews—Analysis of Tentacle Movement in Two Species of Drosera in Terms of Response Rate, Response Time, and Speed of Movement
by Caroline Ivesic, Wolfram Adlassnig, Marianne Koller-Peroutka, Linda Kress and Ingeborg Lang
Plants 2022, 11(23), 3212; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants11233212 - 23 Nov 2022
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2137
Abstract
Drosera, Droseraceae, catch prey with sticky tentacles. Both Australian Drosera allantostigma and widespread D. rotundifolia show three types of anatomically different tentacles: short, peripheral, and snap-tentacles. The latter two are capable of fast movement. This motion was analysed after mechanical, chemical, and [...] Read more.
Drosera, Droseraceae, catch prey with sticky tentacles. Both Australian Drosera allantostigma and widespread D. rotundifolia show three types of anatomically different tentacles: short, peripheral, and snap-tentacles. The latter two are capable of fast movement. This motion was analysed after mechanical, chemical, and electrical stimulation with respect to response rate, response time, and angular velocity of bending. Compared to D. rotundifolia, D. allantostigma responds more frequently and faster; the tentacles bend with higher angular velocity. Snap-tentacles have a lower response rate, shorter response time, and faster angular velocity. The response rates for chemical and electrical stimuli are similar, and higher than the rates for mechanical stimulus. The response time is not dependent on stimulus type. The higher motility in D. allantostigma indicates increased dependence on mechanical prey capture, and a reduced role of adhesive mucilage. The same tentacle types are present in both species and show similar motility patterns. The lower response rate of snap-tentacles might be a safety measure against accidental triggering, since the motion of snap-tentacles is irreversible and tissue destructive. Furthermore, tentacles seem to discern stimuli and respond specifically. The established model of stereotypical tentacle movement may not fully explain these observations. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Carnivorous and Parasitic Plants)
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Review

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12 pages, 461 KiB  
Review
Omics Approaches in Uncovering Molecular Evolution and Physiology of Botanical Carnivory
by Anis Baharin, Tiew-Yik Ting and Hoe-Han Goh
Plants 2023, 12(2), 408; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants12020408 - 15 Jan 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2216
Abstract
Systems biology has been increasingly applied with multiple omics for a holistic comprehension of complex biological systems beyond the reductionist approach that focuses on individual molecules. Different high-throughput omics approaches, including genomics, transcriptomics, metagenomics, proteomics, and metabolomics have been implemented to study the [...] Read more.
Systems biology has been increasingly applied with multiple omics for a holistic comprehension of complex biological systems beyond the reductionist approach that focuses on individual molecules. Different high-throughput omics approaches, including genomics, transcriptomics, metagenomics, proteomics, and metabolomics have been implemented to study the molecular mechanisms of botanical carnivory. This covers almost all orders of carnivorous plants, namely Caryophyllales, Ericales, Lamiales, and Oxalidales, except Poales. Studies using single-omics or integrated multi-omics elucidate the compositional changes in nucleic acids, proteins, and metabolites. The omics studies on carnivorous plants have led to insights into the carnivory origin and evolution, such as prey capture and digestion as well as the physiological adaptations of trap organ formation. Our understandings of botanical carnivory are further enhanced by the discoveries of digestive enzymes and transporter proteins that aid in efficient nutrient sequestration alongside dynamic molecular responses to prey. Metagenomics studies revealed the mutualistic relationships between microbes and carnivorous plants. Lastly, in silico analysis accelerated the functional characterization of new molecules from carnivorous plants. These studies have provided invaluable molecular data for systems understanding of carnivorous plants. More studies are needed to cover the diverse species with convergent evolution of botanical carnivory. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Carnivorous and Parasitic Plants)
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