Journal article
Preferences of Specialist and Generalist Mammalian Herbivores for Mixtures Versus Individual Plant Secondary Metabolites
Journal of chemical ecology, Vol.45(1), pp.74-85
01/2019
Handle:
https://hdl.handle.net/2376/104119
PMCID: PMC6724197
PMID: 30397901
Abstract
Herbivores that forage on chemically defended plants consume complex mixtures of plant secondary metabolites (PSMs). However, the mechanisms by which herbivores tolerate mixtures of PSMs are relatively poorly understood. As such, it remains difficult to predict how PSMs, singly or as complex mixtures, influence diet selection by herbivores. Although relative rates of detoxification of PSMs have been used to explain tolerance of PSMs by dietary specialist herbivores, few studies have used the rate of detoxification of individual PSMs to understand dietary preferences of individual herbivores for individual versus mixtures of PSMs. We coupled in vivo experiments using captive feeding trials with in vitro experiments using enzymatic detoxification assays to evaluate the dietary preferences and detoxification capacities of pygmy rabbits (Brachylagus idahoensis), dietary specialists on sagebrush (Artemisia spp.), and mountain cottontails (Sylvilagus nuttallii), dietary generalists. We compared preference for five single PSMs in sagebrush compared to a mixture containing those same five PSMs. We hypothesized that relative preference for individual PSMs would coincide with faster detoxification capacity for those PSMs by specialists and generalists. Pygmy rabbits generally showed little preference among individual PSMs compared to mixed PSMs, whereas mountain cottontails exhibited stronger preferences. Pygmy rabbits had faster detoxification capacities for all PSMs and consumed higher concentrations of individual PSMs versus a mixture than cottontails. However, detoxification capacity for an individual PSM did not generally coincide with preferences or avoidance of individual PSMs by either species. Cottontails avoided, but pygmy rabbits preferred, camphor, the PSM with the slowest detoxification rate by both species. Both species avoided β-pinene despite it having one of the fastest detoxification rate. Taken together our in vivo and in vitro results add to existing evidence that detoxification capacity is higher in dietary specialist than generalist herbivores. However, results also suggest that alternative mechanisms such as absorption and the pharmacological action of individual or mixtures of PSMs may play a role in determining preference of PSMs within herbivore species.
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Details
- Title
- Preferences of Specialist and Generalist Mammalian Herbivores for Mixtures Versus Individual Plant Secondary Metabolites
- Creators
- Jordan D Nobler - Boise State University, 1910 W. University Dr, Boise, ID, 83725, USA. jnobler@gmail.comMeghan J Camp - Washington State University, PO Box 64, Pullman, WA, 99164, USAMiranda M Crowell - University of Nevada, Reno, 1664 N. Virginia St, Reno, NV, 89557, USALisa A Shipley - Washington State University, PO Box 64, Pullman, WA, 99164, USACarolyn Dadabay - College of Idaho, 2112 Cleveland Blvd, Caldwell, ID, 83605, USAJanet L Rachlow - University of Idaho, 875 Perimeter Dr, Moscow, ID, 83844, USALauren James - College of Idaho, 2112 Cleveland Blvd, Caldwell, ID, 83605, USAJennifer S Forbey - Boise State University, 1910 W. University Dr, Boise, ID, 83725, USA
- Publication Details
- Journal of chemical ecology, Vol.45(1), pp.74-85
- Academic Unit
- Environment, School of the (CAHNRS)
- Publisher
- United States
- Grant note
- DEB-1146194 / National Science Foundation DEB-1146368 / National Science Foundation P20 GM109095 / NIGMS NIH HHS P20GM103408 / Foundation for the National Institutes of Health L09AC16253 / U.S. Bureau of Land Management P20GM109095 / Foundation for the National Institutes of Health Hatch Project 1005876 / National Institute of Food and Agriculture #L16AC00137 / U.S. Bureau of Land Management P20 GM103408 / NIGMS NIH HHS DEB-1146166 / National Science Foundation IOS-1258217 / National Science Foundation OIA-1826801 / National Science Foundation L09AC15391 / U.S. Bureau of Land Management
- Identifiers
- 99900546860301842
- Language
- English
- Resource Type
- Journal article