Mrs. H. (Hanneke) van Leur : "A glucosinolate polyorphism in Barbarea vulgaris"


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17 Mar 2008 16:00

Unit: Wageningen University

Location: Aula, building 362, Gen. Foulkesweg 1, Wageningen

Organisation: Wageningen Universiteit

Promotor: prof.dr. W.H.van der Putten (Functional Biodiversity (Role of Nematodes in Multitrofe Interactions))

Co Promotor: Prof.dr. L.E.M. Vet (Promotor), Dr.ir. N.M. van Dam

Barbarea vulgaris plants produce glucosinolates to defend against natural enemies. We found that Barbarea vulgaris are polymorph for glucosinolates: most plants contain glucobarbarin whereas some plants contain gluconasturtiin. Glucobarbarin has only one OH-group more than gluconasturtiin. Therefore they form different breakdown products which may be of large biological relevance.

By crosses I showed that the glucosinolate type is heritable and regulated by a dominant gene. Metabolomics analyses revealed that the major chemical differences between the chemotypes was due to differences in glucosinolates and not to other compounds.

Plants with mainly glucobarbarin were very resistant to the generalist leaf-eating larvae of the Mamestra brassicae moth. Larvae of the specialist cabbage root fly, however, performed worse on roots of the gluconasturtiin type. A 2-year garden experiment revealed that butterflies of the small cabbage white preferred to oviposit on plants with gluconasturtiin, but flea beetles and gall midges were more abundant on plants with glucobarbarin. Two aphid species and nematodes did not show any preference. So it depends per species which Barbarea vulgaris type is preferred.

Title thesis: "Genetics, chemistry and ecology of a qualitative glucosinolate polymorphism in Barbarea vulgaris"

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