Biotransformation of secondary metabolites by Lepidoptera

• Grant number: 15/11986-0
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: August 01, 2015
• End date: July 31, 2016
• Field of knowledge: Physical Sciences and Mathematics - Chemistry - Organic Chemistry
• Agreement: NSF - Dimensions of Biodiversity and BIOTA
• Principal Investigator: Massuo Jorge Kato
• Grantee: Giancarlo Di Sessa
• Host Institution: Instituto de Química (IQ). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil
• Associated research grant: 14/50316-7 - Dimensions US-Biota São Paulo: Chemically mediated multi-trophic interaction diversity across tropical gradients, AP.BTA.TEM

Abstract

Most named species are involved in chemically mediated plant-insect-parasitoid interactions that have profound effects on diversity, community structure, primary productivity, and ecosystem services. We will examine relationships between metabolomic, genomic, taxonomic, and interaction diversity of trophic interactions by quantifying and comparing these dimensions of biodiversity along a latitudinal gradient and elevational gradients in Brazil and Argentina. Our focus will be on Piper (Piperaceae) and associated herbivores and natural enemies of those herbivores. This plant genus is characterized by extremely high phytochemical and taxonomic diversity, as are the associated arthropods. The proposed work will add unique sites, data, and hypothesis tests to the largest standardized latitudinal gradient database for plant-insect-parasitoid food webs, and thus provide an opportunity to examine the influence of functional aspects of food webs (e.g., connectance and specialization) on regional taxonomic diversity. Uniform application of quantitative sampling along elevational gradients, newly developed metabolomics methods, population genomics tools, and a large scale experiment will make possible tests of novel hypotheses about relationships between plant chemistry, specialization, climate, and different dimensions of diversity and will represent the first such among-site food web comparisons. (AU)