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Spatial and evolutionary predictability of phytochemical diversity.

Emmanuel Defossez¹, Camille Pitteloud^2,3, Patrice Descombes³

¹Laboratory of Functional Ecology, Institute of Biology, University of Neuchâtel, CH-2000 Neuchâtel, Switzerland; emmanuel.defossez@unine.ch sergio.rasmann@unine.ch.

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America

|January 12, 2021

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Plants produce diverse phytochemicals, crucial for medicines. This study reveals phytochemical diversity is influenced by environment, not just species, aiding drug discovery and conservation.

Keywords:

alpine habitat chemical ecology diversity hotspots landscape ecology plant secondary metabolites

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Area of Science:

Chemical Ecology
Plant Science
Ecology

Background:

Plants synthesize diverse phytochemicals, vital for medicines, but their ecological organization remains unclear.
Understanding phytochemical diversity across species and ecosystems is crucial for chemical ecology and drug discovery.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the organization of plant phytochemical diversity across species and ecosystems.
To test the hypothesis that molecular diversity is constrained by trophic, climatic, and topographical factors.

Main Methods:

Screened the metabolome of 416 vascular plant species across alpine elevation gradients and bioclimatic regions.
Integrated phylogenetic, topographic, edaphic, and climatic data to predict phytochemical diversity and composition.

Main Results:

Phytochemical diversity and composition of plant communities can be predicted using environmental variables.
Low to mid-elevation habitats with alkaline soils showed higher phytochemical diversity.
Alpine habitats exhibited greater phytochemical endemism.

Conclusions:

A predictive tool for phytochemical diversity hotspots was developed, independent of plant species identity.
This approach has significant implications for drug discovery and conservation strategies.