Biology subjects

Liu, M.-F.

Publications and source records attributed to Liu, M.-F..

6 recordsLinked to original sources

bioRxiv2024

Trait-dependent biogeography offers insights on the dispersal of Meiogyne (Annonaceae) across the Australasia-Pacific region

Meiogyne is a genus of trees and treelets occurring in Indomalaya and Australasia-Pacific, an unusually wide distribution across Australasia and Western Pacific compared to the rest of the family Annonaceae. Previous chloroplast phylogenies of the genus offered poor resolution and support for many internal nodes. Here, a molecular phylogeny was reconstructed based on seven chloroplast and 11 nuclear markers of 33 Meiogyne taxa (ca. 70% sampling). The combined dataset generated a well resolved and supported phylogeny. Estimation of divergence time was calibrated with two fossils using uncorrelated lognormal relaxed clock model. Trait-dependent and trait-independent biogeographical models in BioGeoBEARS were compared using AICc weight and likelihood ratio test. The results suggest that narrow monocarp width and fruit colour associated with bird dispersal are correlated with increased macroevolutionary dispersal. Under the best-fitting monocarp width-dependent DEC model, a single colonisation event from Sunda to Sahul during the middle to late Miocene and two dispersal events from New Guinea and Australia into the Pacific during the late Miocene to early Pliocene were detected. BayesTraits analysis strongly supports a correlation between narrow fruits and avian fruit colours. This study reveals that Meiogyne lineages with narrow fruitlets and fruit colour associated to bird dispersal (black, red & orange) are associated with increased macroevolutionary dispersal. Bird dispersal and the associated traits may be important drivers for macroevolutionary dispersal for plants with fleshy fruits in Australasia-Pacific.

evolutionary biology↗

bioRxiv2024

Fungus-infected Meiogyne flowers offer a brood site for beetle pollinators in a tripartite nursery pollination system

Fungi are widely known for their pathological impact on flowers, but some play a beneficial role in pollination. We report a case of tripartite pollination system in the flowering plant Meiogyne hainanensis (Annonaceae) in Hainan, China. The flowers emit a fruity scent composed of a mixture of mostly sesquiterpenes and aliphatic esters, attracting the primary beetle pollinators Paraphloeostiba sp. (Staphylinidae) and Mimemodes sp. (Monotomidae). The pollinators utilise the floral chamber as a mating ground and oviposit onto the adaxial corrugations of the inner petals. After the end of anthesis, extensive growth of filamentous fungi was observed to be restricted on these corrugated tissues. Upon hatching, the Paraphloeostiba and Mimemodes larvae consumed the fungal mycelia. ITS2 metabarcoding analysis reveals that the diet of the larvae consists of similar fungal taxa as those found on the inner petals. Both were primarily composed of ascomycete fungi such as Fusarium, Penicillium and Cladosporium species. The flower has an unusually long post-anthetic phase that lasts at least 21 days and up to 2 months, during which the fungus-infested petals remain arboreal, offering suitable microclimate and shelter for the broods. This is the second reported angiosperm genus that exhibits tripartite brood-site pollination in which filamentous fungi are an essential mutualistic partner.

ecology↗

bioRxiv2024

More than fruity scents: floral biology, scent and spectral reflectance of twelve Annonaceae species

PremiseThe family Annonaceae possesses a broad array of floral phenotypes and pollination specialisations, and are important in the plant-pollinator interactions of tropical rainforests. Although there has been considerable effort to assess their interactions with pollinators, attempts to characterise their visual and olfactory communication channels are scarce. MethodsHere, we investigated the pollination biology of 12 Annonaceae species from five genera, viz. Meiogyne, Monoon, Polyalthia, Pseuduvaria, and Uvaria. Furthermore, their floral colour was characterised by reflectance spectroscopy and floral odour chemistry was assessed using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Floral scent was further compared across the whole family using non-metric dimensional scaling plots to identify specialisation in floral odour. ResultsThe Meiogyne species are likely pollinated by small beetles; the Polyalthia and Pseuduvaria species are likely pollinated by beetles and flies; and the Uvaria species is likely pollinated by beetles and bees. Flowers of most species are UV non-reflective, and have various spectral reflectance profile across the remaining visible spectra. Multiple species produce floral odour resembling ripe fruits. The flowers of Meiogyne species and Polyalthia xanthocarpa emitted mostly branched-chain esters, while flowers of Uvaria released mainly straight-chain esters. The Pseuduvaria species instead emitted scent reminiscent of rotten fruits, largely consisting of 2,3-butanediol. The inner petal corrugation in Meiogyne functions as a food reward, and the inner petal growth serves as a nectary gland for Pseuduvaria. ConclusionsOur study identifies the visual and olfactory cues of multiple Annonaceae species and provides insights into how Annonaceae flowers attract different guilds of pollinators.

ecology↗

bioRxiv2024

Aerial litter mimicry: a novel form of floral deception mediated by a monoterpene synthase

O_LIFloral mimics deceive their pollinators by developing visual and olfactory resemblance to their models. Our knowledge on the diversity of models is expanding rapidly. We report a system in which the flowers exhibit phenotypes similar to aerial litter and deceives an aerial litter specialist beetle to achieve pollination. C_LIO_LIWe assessed the floral phenology and the effective pollinators of an Australian understorey treelet, Meiogyne heteropetala (Annonaceae). The similarities of morphology, colour and odour between the flowers and co-occurring aerial litter were investigated. The terpene synthase involved in floral scent emission was identified by expression patterns and product profile. The behavioural responses of the pollinator to various odours were assessed using bioassays. C_LIO_LIThe erotylid beetle Loberus sharpi is the most likely effective pollinator of M. heteropetala, and its eggs were found on the petals of M. heteropetala. Loberus sharpi was exclusively found in aerial litter and M. heteropetala flowers. The morphology and spectral reflectance of the flowers overlap with aerial litter. The floral scent was dominated by monoterpenes, especially 1,8-cineole. The cineole synthase MhCINS was the only highly expressed floral terpene synthase and possessed a highly similar product profile to the floral scent composition. NMDS showed that the volatile composition of M. heteropetala flowers is distinct from other congeners and highly similar to aerial litter, indicating advergence to aerial litter. Visual and odour resemblance, coupled with the deposition of eggs on the flowers, provides evidence that the beetles were deceived into pollinating the flowers. Behavioural experiments showed that the pollinator was attracted to both aerial litter and M. heteropetala flowers. The beetles were also attracted to 1,8-cineole and synthetic mixes of floral odour and MhCINS products. The beetles were unable to distinguish floral scent from MhCINS products, nor from 1,8-cineole, suggesting MhCINS alone sufficed to attract the pollinator olfactorily. The beetles, however, preferred aerial litter over flowers. The beetles likely categorised the flower as a general, but not the most preferred brood substrate. C_LIO_LISynthesis. This study reports the first case of floral mimicry of aerial litter and characterises the biochemical process responsible for olfactory mimicry. C_LI

ecology↗

bioRxiv2023

Climatic and biogeographic processes underlying the diversification of the pantropical and early divergent angiosperm family Annonaceae

AimTropical rainforests harbour the richest biodiversity among terrestrial ecosystems, but few studies have addressed underlying processes of species diversification in these ecosystems. We use the pantropical and early divergent flowering plant family Annonaceae as a model system to investigate how abiotic factors such as climate and biogeographic events contribute to the diversification process and lead to its high diversity across a long evolutionary history. LocationTropics and subtropics TaxonAnnonaceae MethodsA super-matrix was constructed for 835 taxa (34% of Annonaceae species), based on eight chloroplast regions. To understand the patterns of diversification, we reconstructed climatic niche evolution and historical biogeographical events, and tested their association with diversification rates. ResultsThe analysis of temperature-dependent models in Annonaceae lineages provides strong support for the significant influence of global temperature on net diversification and accumulation of species diversity. The pattern of lineage accumulation in the initial radiation is better aligned with the "museum model," followed by later accumulation consistent with the "recent cradle model" from the late Oligocene to the present. The increase in the diversification rate of the family (around 25 Ma) lags behind the accumulation of niche divergences (around 15 Ma). Biogeographic events are related to only two of the five diversification rate shifts detected. While no direct relationship to shifts in the diversification rate was uncovered, shifts in niche evolution appear to be associated with increasingly seasonal environments. Main ConclusionsGlobal temperature plays a crucial role in driving recent rapid diversification in the Annonaceae. Our study challenges the prevailing assumption of the "museum model" alone and proposes instead a transition from the "museum model" to the "recent cradle model" during the diversification history of the family. However, our findings do not support the direct correlation of any particular climatic niche shifts or historical biogeographical events with shifts in diversification rate. Instead, Annonaceae diversification can lead to later niche divergence as a result of increasing interspecific competition arising from species accumulation. The evolutionary direction of niche shifts furthermore provides insight into the future expansion of Annonaceae into temperate regions. Our results highlight the complexity of the diversification process in taxa with long evolutionary histories, indicating that identifying isolated driving factors is simplistic and inadequate for explaining the observed patterns. Further comprehensive analyses of range evolution are necessary to delve deeper into the interplay among key opportunities, key innovation, and species diversification.

evolutionary biology↗

bioRxiv2018

Role of anterograde motor Kif5b in clathrin-coated vesicle uncoating and clathrin-mediated endocytosis

Kif5b-driven anterograde transport and clathrin-mediated endocytosis (CME) are responsible for opposite intracellular trafficking, contributing to plasma membrane homeostasis. However, whether and how the two trafficking processes coordinate remain unclear. Here, we show that Kif5b directly interacts with clathrin heavy chain (CHC) at a region close to that for uncoating catalyst (Hsc70) and preferentially localizes on large clathrin-coated vesicles (CCVs). Uncoating in vitro is decreased for CCVs from the cortex of kif5b conditional knockout (mutant) mouse and facilitated by adding CHC-binding Kif5b fragments, while cell peripheral distribution of CHC or Hsc70 keeps unaffected by Kif5b depletion. Furthermore, cellular entry of vesicular stomatitis virus that internalized into large CCV is inhibited in cells by Kif5b depletion or introducing a dominant-negative Kif5b fragment. These findings showed a new role of Kif5b in CCV uncoating and CME, indicating Kif5b as a molecular knot connecting anterograde transport to CME.

cell biology↗