Plasticity of phenotypic traits refers to an organism’s ability to change in response to environmental stimuli. As a result, the response may alter an organism’s physiological state, morphology, ...behavior, and phenotype. Phenotypic plasticity in cancer cells describes the considerable ability of cancer cells to transform phenotypes through non-genetic molecular signaling activities that promote therapy evasion and tumor metastasis via amplifying cancer heterogeneity. As a result of metastable phenotypic state transitions, cancer cells can tolerate chemotherapy or develop transient adaptive resistance. Therefore, new findings have paved the road in identifying factors and agents that inhibit or suppress phenotypic plasticity. It has also investigated novel multitargeted agents that may promise new effective strategies in cancer treatment. Despite the efficiency of conventional chemotherapeutic agents, drug toxicity, development of resistance, and high-cost limit their use in cancer therapy. Recent research has shown that small molecules derived from natural sources are capable of suppressing cancer by focusing on the plasticity of phenotypic responses. This systematic, comprehensive, and critical review analyzes the current state of knowledge regarding the ability of phytocompounds to target phenotypic plasticity at both preclinical and clinical levels. Current challenges/pitfalls, limitations, and future perspectives are also discussed.
Drought-induced alterations often result in plant acclimation responses, though the extent to which these traits adjust, and their true significance remain species-specific and subject to debate. In ...order to discern which traits exhibit plasticity and essentiality for the species' survival, we studied the morpho-physiological responses of Bauhinia cheilantha seedlings subjected to varying water regimes. We examined modifications in growth patterns, resource allocation and partitioning, morphological traits, organic solute synthesis, relative water content in leaves and roots, and the plasticity index for each trait under different water supply levels. Several traits linked to plant growth were reduced under stress, but those changes were not considered to be plastic. The concentration of organic solutes increased under stress and exhibited a reversible behavior by reducing their levels after re-irrigation. These alterations underscored the significance of such compounds for survival during water deficit periods and the high degree of adaptability. B. cheilantha exhibits morpho-physiological plasticity, as demonstrated by alternating high levels of plasticity in physiological and morphological features, which are associated with moderate drought stress. The study discusses how these changes affect the growth and survival of the species.
Although sunlight is essential for plant growth and development, the relative importance of each spectral region in shaping functional traits is poorly understood, particularly in dynamic light ...environments such as forest ecosystems.
We examined responses of 25 functional traits from groups of 11 shade‐intolerant and 12 understorey shade‐tolerant forb species grown outdoors under five filter treatments differing in spectral transmittance: (a) transmitting c. 95% of solar radiation (280–800 nm); (b) attenuating ultraviolet‐B (UV‐B); (c) attenuating all UV; (d) attenuating all UV and blue light; (e) attenuating all UV, blue and green light.
Our results show that UV‐B radiation mainly affected the biochemical traits but blue light mainly affected the physiological traits irrespective of functional strategy, whereas green light affected both sets of traits. This would suggest that differentiation among suites of functional trait responses proceeds according to light quality. Biomass accumulation was significantly increased by UV‐A radiation (contrasting treatment b vs. c) among shade‐intolerant but decreased by blue light among shade‐tolerant species; green and red light affected whole‐plant morphological development differently according to functional groups. Shade‐tolerant species were more plastic than shade‐intolerant species in response to each spectral region that we examined except for UV‐B radiation.
Synthesis. Our results show that differences in the spectral composition of sunlight can drive functional trait expression irrespective of total irradiance received. The different responses of functional traits between functional groups imply that shade‐tolerant and intolerant species have adapted to utilize spectral cues differently in their respective light environments.
太阳光谱范围内森林植物功能性状的可塑性分异特征
摘要：太阳光对地球植物的重要性，不仅是因为它为地球植物生长和生产的光合过程提供所需能量，而且其光谱分区（从紫外到红光）作为信号来源特异性调节植物形态、生化和生理特征，从而直接或间接驱动陆地生态系统碳氮循环和生物多样性。尽管光生物学在分子遗传和农业园艺上受到了广泛关注，但在自然界，光谱生态学意义还没有得到足够的重视，比如在光环境变化剧烈的温带森林中，太阳光谱分区如何塑造植物功能性状，还不清楚。我们通过同质园控制实验，设置5种光谱处理：（1）透射太阳全光谱辐射（280‐800 nm）；（2）滤除紫外线B（UV‐B）（>315 nm）；（3）滤除所有紫外线（UV‐B /A）（>400 nm）；（4）滤除所有紫外线和蓝光（>500 nm）；（5）滤除所有紫外线，蓝光和绿光（>600 nm）条件下，分析了23种广布型草本植物（11个喜光种和12种林下耐阴种）5种功能类型（生化、生理、形态、结构与生长）的25种性状响应。结果表明：（1）UV‐B辐射主要驱动生化性状，蓝光主要塑造生理性状，而绿光对两种性状均有影响，这些影响与植物的耐阴或喜光习性无关，说明光谱分区是诱导功能性状响应分异的关键因素。（2）在喜光物种中，UV‐A辐射显著促进了生物量累积；但是在耐荫物种中，蓝光反而限制植物的生物量累积。（3）与喜光物种相比，耐荫物种对每个光谱分区（UV‐B除外）均具有较强的可塑性。结论：太阳光谱分区的差异能够显著驱动功能性状的表达，且与接收到的总辐照度无关；两种生态策略不同的功能组植物性状的响应差异，反映了不同植物对各自栖息地光谱信号特征的适应性；性状可塑性的多样性，可能会增加生态位分化或产生物种间竞争权衡，从而促进林下异质光环境中的物种共存。
Our results show that differences in the spectral composition of sunlight can drive functional trait expression irrespective of total irradiance received. The different responses of functional traits between functional groups imply that shade‐tolerant and intolerant species have adapted to utilize spectral cues differently in their respective light environments.
We studied sessile oak (Quercus petraea) growing on six dry sites to understand adaptability responses to drought stress. Pedunculate oak (Quercus robur) on a moderately dry site was tested in ...parallel. We analyzed accessions from mostly dry sites that were less sensitive to soil drought and found that the growth performance ranking was not the same before and after treatment. We used phenological plasticity approaches to study seed development and plant development before and after drought: the treatments included stem length, root length, and collar diameter, as well as dry above- and below-ground biomass performance. Additionally, after drought treatment, osmolytes and root surface were tested in Q. petraea. According to the analyses and results, the ranked sites did not maintain their ranking status, with Q. petraea exhibiting different rates of growth during each developmental stage from seed development until the end of the treatment of plant material. The smallest seeds came from the driest site, which may indicate more adaptability to drought stress. After drought treatment, large differences were found between the dry biomass performance, stem length, root length, and collar diameter of oaks grown on different sites. The osmolality of Q. petraea on most of the dry sites was higher under the reduced treatment than under the optimal treatment, but not significantly. After drought treatment, all accessions – and especially those from the driest site – showed large differences in growth performance between the treatments. The relationship between seed weight and seedling development before and after drought treatment differed according to the developmental stage.
Vacuum infiltration-centrifugation (VIC) is the most reproducible technique for the isolation of apoplast washing fluid (AWF) from leaves, but its effectiveness depends on the ...infiltration-centrifugation conditions and the anatomical and physiological peculiarities of leaves. This study aimed to elaborate an optimal procedure for AWF isolation from the leaves of Tartary buckwheat grown in
and
conditions and reveal the leaf anatomical and physiological traits that could contribute to the effectiveness of AWF isolation. Here, it was demonstrated that leaves of buckwheat plants grown
could be easier infiltrated, were less sensitive to higher forces of centrifugation (900×
and 1500×
), and produced more AWF yield and apoplastic protein content than
leaves at the same forces of centrifugation (600×
and 900×
). The extensive study of the morphological, anatomical, and ultrastructural characteristics of buckwheat leaves grown in different conditions revealed that
leaves exhibited significant plasticity in a number of interconnected morphological, anatomical, and physiological features, generally driven by high RH and low lighting; some of them, such as the reduced thickness and increased permeability of the cuticle of the epidermal cells, large intercellular spaces, increase in the size of stomata and in the area of stomatal pores, higher stomata index, drop in density, and area of calcium oxalate druses, are beneficial to the effectiveness of VIC. The size of stomata pores, which were almost twice as large in
leaves as those in
ones, was the main factor contributing to the isolation of AWF free of chlorophyll contamination. The opening of stomata pores by artificially created humid conditions reduced damage to the
leaves and improved the VIC of them. For
species, this is the first study to develop a VIC technique for AWF isolation from leaves.
We studied interspecific variability in external, cranial, and dental traits in seven species belonging to two closely related arvicoline (Arvicolinae) subgenera, the social voles (Sumeriomys) and ...the grey voles (Microtus). These voles were for long regarded as morphologically cryptic and the species complexity was fully appreciated only after chromosomal and molecular markers were utilized. Specimens we examined displayed clear external differences between the subgenera. Social voles had five plantar pads, relatively shorter tail (22–27% of head and body length), lighter dorsal pelage, whitish grey belly, and monochromatic or indistinctly bicolored tail. Grey voles showed six plantar pads, relatively longer tail (33–44%), dark brown back, grey belly, and sharply bicolored tail. Our results retrieved considerable heterogeneity in cranial and dental morphology. Major cranial differences between the subgenera associated with the interorbital region, the braincase and the tympanic bullae. Genetic (Kimura 2-parameter) distances, which presumably provided a priori correct estimate of the true phylogenetic divergences, explained 42% of morphometric distances between species. Below the level of a subgenus the phylogenetic signal was conserved in grey voles but it dissolved in social voles. The molecular and morphological rates of evolution were obviously decoupled in the latter possibly by selective pressures for a particular phenotype. Climatic variables however explained only 11% of interspecific heterogeneity in cranial shape. The most distinct in terms of morphology and the climatic properties of its habitat was Microtus irani which also occupies the very edge of Microtus distribution. High species richness of social and grey voles combined with heterogeneity of environmental conditions makes the Middle East an ideal region for studying diversity of developmental trajectories in voles at the levels of species and populations.
The seasonal changes in the structure and growth dynamics of a Cymodocea nodosa meadow off the island of Ischia (Tyrrhenian Sea) were studied from July 1988 to August 1989 using leaf and rhizome ...marking methods. High levels of leaf production (3.1 g dw m-2 d-1) significantly related to water temperature regimes, were observed. The number of new leaves per year (16 leaves y-1), the leaf Plastochrone Interval (23 days) and the life span of the single leaves (from 2 to 6 months) were also calculated. Relevant yearly fluctuations of the leaf canopy, representing about 20% of the total meadow biomass, testify the strong seasonal variability of leaf phenological parameters and shoot density (the latter, between 925 +/- 323 and 1925 +/- 267 shoots m-2). On the other hand, a constant and well developed layer of rhizomes and roots is present throughout the year (80% of total biomass), with an annual rhizome elongation of about 30 cm. In spite of the temporal variability of the above-ground compartment (CV=55%), the below-ground portion represents the conservative compartment of the meadow (CV=7%). Nevertheless, the remarkable number of seeds present in this meadow (up to 2112 m-2), does not seem to effect the stability of the system through the sexual reproduction.Original Abstract: Dinamica de la estructura y crecimiento de praderas de Cymodocea nodosa. - Se estudiaron los cambios estacionales de la dinamica de la estructura y crecimiento de las praderas de Cymodocea nodosa fuera de la Isla de Ischia (Mar Tirreno) desde Julio 1988 a Agosto 1989 utilizando metodos de marcaje de hojas y rizomas. Se observaron elevados niveles de produccion de hojas (3.1 g dw m-2 d-1) significativamente relacionados con el regimen de temperatura del agua. Tambien se determino el numero de hojas nuevas por ano (16 hojas y-1) el intervalo de plastocrono de la hoja (23 dias) y el periodo de vida de las hojas (desde 2 a 6 meses). Las persistentes fluctuaciones anuales de la cobertura de hojas, que representan alrededor del 20% del total de la biomasa de la pradera, confirman la fuerte variabilidad estacional de los parametros fenologicos de la hoja y la densidad de los tallos (entre 925 +/- 323 and 1925 +/- 267 tallos m- 2). En cambio, una capa constante y bien desarrollada de rizomas y raices esta presente a lo largo del ano (80% de la biomasa total), con una elongacion anual del rizoma, alrededor de 30 cm. A pesar de la variabilidad temporal del compartimento de la parte superficial (CV = 55%), la porcion de bajo tierra representa el compartimento conservativo de la pradera (CV = 7%). Sin embargo, el extraordinario numero de semillas presentes en la pradera (hasta 2112 m-2) no parece reforzar la estabilidad del sistema a traves de la reproduccion sexual. Aunque patrones similares de crecimiento han sido descritos para praderas de C. nodosa en diferentes areas geograficas y habitats (zonas eutroficas, aguas someras confinadas, estuarios), se pueden encontrar notorias diferencias en los mas elevados y mas bajos valores de tasas de crecimiento. Esta comparacion pone de manifiesto la habilidad de estas especies para crecer en distintos habitats y que el proceso de crecimiento parece estar amplificado por la influencia de las condiciones ambientales. Ademas se han identificado diferencias con P. oceanica, en cuanto tasas de crecimiento y patrones reproductivos con el fin de explicar la dinamica de estos sistemas con vegetacion y su papel en la cuenca Mediterranea. Palabras clave: fanerogama marina, produccion primaria, plasticidad fenotipica, variabilidad ambiental, temperatura del agua.
The population dynamics of a local population of Carabus (Chrysocarabus) auronitens Fabricius, 1792 has been studied in the Westphalian Lowlands on an area of 0.2 ha since 1982. During the activity ...seasons of this species pitfall traps were opened overnight twice a week. Beetles were individually marked and released again after every capture. In summer 1992 the area was closed by a beetle-proof fence - C. auronitens is a spring breeder. During the autumn season, freshly hatched beetles are obligatorily active in foraging, whereas surviving old beetles are dormant from the end of the spring season until the next spring season. The probability of surviving from autumn until spring was mostly around 75%; survival probability from the 1st until the 2nd spring season was about 65%; from the 2nd until the 3rd spring about 60%; from the 3rd until the 4th spring about 55%; from the 4th until the 5th spring season about 40%. The phenotypical plasticity of the generations A '92, A '93 and A '94 is described in terms of the following traits: seasonality (date of hatching, start and end of the spring season), body size, post-ecdysial maturation, weight development during spring and capture rate in the spring seasons. These traits were examined with respect to their influence on individual fitness of viability. The probability of surviving from the autumn until the first spring season was affected in the following way: (1) Time of hatching per se did not influence the survival probability. (2) Early hatching beetles that are small showed an enlarged mortality risk. Concerning the probability of surviving a spring season, it was observed: (3) The individual survival probability was higher, the later a beetle was caught for the first time in a spring season. The relative weight of early appearing females was relatively low at first capture; however, surviving and non-surviving females of this fraction did not differ with respect to their mean relative weight. (4) Females and males frequently caught in a spring season had a reduced chance of surviving; most of these animals belonged to the fraction of late disappearing specimens. On the other hand, late females and males that had been less frequently caught had a high viability fitness. (5) There were distinct, but non-uniform influences of body size upon survival probability: in males, the probability of surviving the 1st spring season was highest in a lower middle class of size; the probability of surviving the 2nd spring season was relatively low in small females and males. The main points of discussion are (1) possible objections to the measurement of viability fitness by capture-recapture data; (2) the heritability of variable phenotypical traits; (3) the question whether the selection-responding polymorphisms detected can contribute to the genetic adaptation of this local population to environmental changes.
Aqueous calcium (Ca) decline is threatening freshwater ecosystems worldwide. There are great concerns about the possible ecological consequences of Ca limitation combined with biological pressures ...like predation. Here we investigated the interactions between Ca restriction and fish predation risk on the phenotypic plasticity in the keystone herbivore Daphnia, together with physiological responses underlying the plastic trait changes. Fish predation risk induced D. pulex to mature earlier and produce more but smaller offspring at adequate Ca. Declining Ca inhibited the expression of defensive traits, with the inhibitive degree showing a linear or threshold-limited dynamic. The presence of predation risk mitigated the negative effect of declining Ca on reducing body size but exacerbated the delay in maturity, indicating a life history trade-off for larger body size rather than the current reproduction in multi-stressed Daphnia. Actin 3-mediated cytoskeleton and AMPK β-mediated energy metabolism were highly correlated with these plastic trait changes. Altered phenotypic plasticity in planktonic animals is expected to trigger many ecological impacts from individual fitness to community structure, thus providing new insights into the mechanisms underlying decreased Ca affecting lake ecosystems.
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•Declining Ca inhibits predation-induced trait expression in Daphnia.•Predation mitigates the reducing effect of declining Ca on body size.•Predation exacerbates the delay in maturity caused by declining Ca.•Daphnia showed life history trade-offs for larger body size rather than reproduction.•Trait responses are correlated with changes in cytoskeleton and energy metabolism.
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