Glycoalkaloids of Solanaceous Fruits: Significance as Mediators of Interactions among Fruiting Plants and Their Frugivores

茄果的配糖生物碱：作为结果植物与其食果动物之间相互作用的介体的意义

• 批准号: 9207920
• 负责人: Douglas Levey
• 金额: $ 18.38万
• 依托单位: University of Florida
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Continuing grant
• 财政年份: 1992
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 1992-09-01 至 1996-08-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=9207920&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Glycoalkaloids; Solanaceous; Fruits; Significance; Mediators

This proposal examines why some common fruits, such as deadly nightshade, are poisonous to consumers. These fruits may be selectively toxic to those consumers that would normally damage the fruits or seeds. By isolating toxins (glycoalkaloids) form fruits in the Solanaceae and offering them in small quantities to different animals, this research will test this hypothesis and several alternatives. The work will help explain patterns and maintenance of biodiversity through an integrative approach to plant-animal interactions. The applied significance of the research is two-fold: (1) Since many species of Solanaceae are important food crops (e.g., potatoes, tomatoes), an understanding of what makes other Solanaceae poisonous will aid in reducing their toxicity and may lead to the development of new food crops; (2) several Solanaceae are troublesome agricultural weeds whose toxic fruits often contaminate crops, and this research is a first step in finding ways of countering this toxicity. By discovering more about the ecology of these weeds, we can better control their spread.

该提案研究了为什么一些常见的水果（例如致命的夜幕）对消费者有毒。 这些水果可能对通常会损害水果或种子的消费者有选择性地有毒。 通过分离毒素（糖基虫类）在茄科中形成果实，并将它们少量地提供给不同动物，这项研究将检验该假设和几种替代方法。 这项工作将有助于通过植物 - 动物相互作用的综合方法来解释生物多样性的模式和维护。 该研究的应用重要性是两个方面：（1）由于许多种类的茄科是重要的食品作物（例如，土豆，西红柿），因此了解使其他茄科有毒的理解将有助于降低其毒性并可能导致新食物作物的发展； （2）几种茄科是麻烦的农业杂草，它们的有毒果实经常污染作物，这项研究是寻找抵抗这种毒性的方法的第一步。 通过发现有关这些杂草生态学的更多信息，我们可以更好地控制它们的传播。