Abstract Detail

Symbioses: Plant, Animal, and Microbe Interactions

Rønsted, Nina [1], Symonds, Matthew [2], Birkholm, Trine [3], Brøgger Christensen, Søren [3], Meerow, Alan [4], Molander, Marianne [3], Mølgaard, Per [3], Petersen, Gitte [5], Rasmussen, Nina [3], van Staden, Johannes [6], Stafford, Gary I. [5], Jäger, Anna K. [3].

Can phylogeny predict chemical diversity and potential medicinal activity of plants? A case study of amaryllidaceae.

During evolution, plants and other organisms have developed a diversity of chemical defences, leading to the evolution of various groups of specialized metabolites selected for their endogenous biological function. A correlation between phylogeny and biosynthetic pathways could offer a predictive approach enabling more efficient selection of plants for the development of traditional medicine and lead discovery. However, this relationship has rarely been rigorously tested and the potential predictive power is consequently unknown. We produced a phylogenetic hypothesis for the medicinally important plant subfamily Amaryllidoideae (Amaryllidaceae) based on parsimony and Bayesian analysis of nuclear, plastid, and mitochondrial DNA sequences of over 100 species. We tested if alkaloid diversity and activity in bioassays related to the central nervous system are significantly correlated with phylogeny and found evidence for a significant phylogenetic signal in these traits, although the effect is not strong. Several genera are non-monophyletic emphasizing the importance of using phylogeny for interpretation of character distribution. Alkaloid diversity and in vitro inhibition of acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and binding to the serotonin reuptake transporter (SERT) are significantly correlated with phylogeny. This has implications for the use of phylogenies to interpret chemical evolution and biosynthetic pathways, to select candidate taxa for lead discovery, and to make recommendations for policies regarding traditional use and conservation priorities.

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1 - Natural History Museum of Denmark, Sølvgade 83, Copenhagen , DK-1307, Denmark
2 - Deakin University, Centre for Integrative Ecology, School of Life and Environmental Sciences, 221 Burwood Highway, Burwood, Victoria, 3125, Australia
3 - University of Copenhagen, Natural Products Research, Universitetsparken 2, Copenhagen, 2100, Denmark
4 - USDA-ARS-SHRS, UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE, 13601 Old Cutler Road, Miami, FL, 33158, USA
5 - Natural History Museum of Denmark, Sølvgade 83, Copenhagen, 1307, Denmark
6 - University of KwaZulu-Natal Pietermaritzburg, Centre for Plant Growth and Development , Private Bag X01, Scottsville, 3201, South Africa

Keywords:
Amaryllidaceae
phylogeny
Prediction
Phylogenetic diversity
Lead discovery.

Presentation Type: Oral Paper:Papers for Topics
Session: 8
Location: Prince of Wales/Riverside Hilton
Date: Monday, July 29th, 2013
Time: 9:30 AM
Number: 8006
Abstract ID:274
Candidate for Awards:None