Biotransformation of secondary compounds by Lepidoptera

• Grant number: 18/14378-9
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: September 01, 2018
• End date: January 13, 2019
• Field of knowledge: Physical Sciences and Mathematics - Chemistry - Organic Chemistry
• Agreement: NSF - Dimensions of Biodiversity and BIOTA
• Principal Investigator: Massuo Jorge Kato
• Grantee: Lucas Sousa Beltrão da Silva
• 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

The species Piperaceae have large taxonomic diversity (~ 4 thousand species), high diversity of secondary metabolites (amides, chromenes, meroterpenos, lignoids and polyketides), as well as great diversity of associated arthropods (Lepidoptera, Coleoptera and Hemiptera). The application of quantitative methods of sampling of these species and their association with insects along latitudes, altitude and climates gradients, as well as the use of metabolomic methods and tools of population genomics will allow to test correlations between chemistry and specificity of the relations. Biotransformation data in the course of insect digestion as well as sequestration may be correlated with levels of specificity.