Biogeography shaped the metabolome of the genus Espeletia: a phytochemical perspective on an Andean adaptive radiation

Author(s)

Padilla-Gonzalez, Guillermo F. ; Diazgranados, Mauricio ; Da Costa, Fernando B.

• Document type: Journal article
• Source: SCIENTIFIC REPORTS; v. 7, AUG 18 2017.
• Web of Science Citations: 11

Abstract

The paramo ecosystem has the highest rate of diversification across plant lineages on earth, of which the genus Espeletia (Asteraceae) is a prime example. The current distribution and molecular phylogeny of Espeletia suggest the influence of Andean geography and past climatic fluctuations on the diversification of this genus. However, molecular markers have failed to reveal subtle biogeographical trends in Espeletia diversification, and metabolomic evidence for allopatric segregation in plants has never been reported. Here, we present for the first time a metabolomics approach based on liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry for revealing subtle biogeographical trends in Espeletia diversification. We demonstrate that Espeletia lineages can be distinguished by means of different metabolic fingerprints correlated to the country of origin on a global scale and to the paramo massif on a regional scale. Distinctive patterns in the accumulation of secondary metabolites according to the main diversification centers of Espeletia are also identified and a comprehensive phytochemical characterization is reported. These findings demonstrate that a variation in the metabolic fingerprints of Espeletia lineages followed the biogeography of this genus, suggesting that our untargeted metabolomics approach can be potentially used as a model to understand the biogeographic history of additional plant groups in the paramo ecosystem. (AU)

• FAPESP's process: 14/17702-0 - Metabolomics and evolution of chemical characters in the subtribe Espeletiinae (Asteraceae)
• Grantee: Guillermo Federico Padilla Gonzalez
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate
• FAPESP's process: 14/26866-7 - Metabolomics, enzymatic targets and in silico tools in the search of bioactive compounds from plants
• Grantee: Fernando Batista da Costa
• Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants
• FAPESP's process: 10/51454-3 - Morphoanatomical, metabolomic and molecular studies as subsidies to the systematic of Asteraceae species and access to their pharmacological potential
• Grantee: Beatriz Appezzato da Glória
• Support Opportunities: Research Projects - Thematic Grants