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Ant and Mite Diversity Drives Toxin Variation in the Little Devil Poison Frog
Jenna R McGugan1, Gary D Byrd2, Alexandre B Roland1
1Center for Systems Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, 02138, USA.
Journal of Chemical Ecology
|June 20, 2016
Summary
Poison frog toxins vary geographically due to differences in their arthropod prey. This study links specific frog alkaloids to distinct ant and mite species consumed by Oophaga sylvatica.
Area of Science:
- Chemical Ecology
- Herpetology
- Evolutionary Biology
Background:
- Poison frogs acquire chemical defenses from their arthropod diet.
- The precise contribution of arthropod diversity to poison frog toxin variation is not fully understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between arthropod prey diversity and skin alkaloid profiles in the Little Devil poison frog (Oophaga sylvatica).
- To identify the specific arthropod sources of toxins found in O. sylvatica.
Main Methods:
- Characterized skin alkaloid profiles using gas chromatography/mass spectrometry.
- Identified prey items from stomach contents using cytochrome oxidase 1 sequencing.
- Chemically profiled consumed ants and mites using liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry.
Main Results:
- Identified four main classes of alkaloids in O. sylvatica skin: histrionicotoxins, indolizidines, decahydroquinolines, and lehmizidines.
- Frog alkaloid composition varied geographically, correlating with population distribution.
- Consumed arthropod communities and their chemical profiles clustered by frog population.
- Traced four specific frog alkaloids to their arthropod prey, including indolizidines and lehmizidines.
Conclusions:
- Toxin variability in O. sylvatica is directly influenced by the chemical diversity of their arthropod prey.
- Geographical variation in frog toxins reflects regional differences in prey availability and chemistry.
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