TY - JOUR
T1 - Parasites on parasites
T2 - Hyper-, epi-, and autoparasitism among flowering plants
AU - Krasylenko, Yuliya
AU - Těšitel, Jakub
AU - Ceccantini, Gregorio
AU - Oliveira-da-Silva, Mariana
AU - Dvořák, Václav
AU - Steele, Daniel
AU - Sosnovsky, Yevhen
AU - Piwowarczyk, Renata
AU - Watson, David
AU - Teixeira-Costa, Luiza
N1 - Funding Information:
We thank staff of the Field Museum Herbarium and Harvard University Herbaria for allowing the use of photographed specimens in Fig. 2C and Fig. 2D and E , respectively. We also acknowledge the anonymous reviewers for their comments, which helped us expand on the discussion of the hyperparasitic phenomenon. Y.K. was supported by the European Regional Developmental Fund (project no. CZ.02.1.01/0.0/0.0/16_019/0000827). G.C. was supported by the São Paulo Research Foundation (FAPESP, grant 2012/22833‐1). J.T. was supported by Czech Science Foundation (project no. 19‐28491X). Y.S. was supported by Ivan Franko National University of Lviv (grant no. N/113‐2003). R.P. was supported by the National Geographic Society (project no. GEFNE 192‐16) and the Jan Kochanowski University (project no. SMGR.20.208‐615). D.S. was supported by the University of California–Davis, Department of Plant Sciences research assistantship and the NSF funded Parasitic Plant Genome Project (IOS‐1238057). L.T.C. was supported by a Harvard University Herbaria Research Fellowship. The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2021 Botanical Society of America
Copyright:
Copyright 2021 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.
Includes bibliographical references
PY - 2021
Y1 - 2021
N2 - All organisms engage in parasitic relations, as either parasites or hosts. Some species may even play both roles simultaneously. Among flowering plants, the most widespread form of parasitism is characterized by the development of an intrusive organ called the haustorium, which absorbs water and nutrients from the host. Despite this functionally unifying feature of parasitic plants, haustoria are not homologous structures; they have evolved 12 times independently. These plants represent ca. 1% of all extant flowering species and show a wide diversity of life histories. A great variety of plants may also serve as hosts, including other parasitic plants. This phenomenon of parasitic exploitation of another parasite, broadly known as hyper- or epiparasitism, is well described among bacteria, fungi, and animals, but remains poorly understood among plants. Here, we review empirical evidence of plant hyperparasitism, including variations of self-parasitism, discuss the diversity and ecological importance of these interactions, and suggest possible evolutionary mechanisms. Hyperparasitism may provide benefits in terms of improved nutrition and enhanced host–parasite compatibility if partners are related. Different forms of self-parasitism may facilitate nutrient sharing among and within parasitic plant individuals, while also offering potential for the evolution of hyperparasitism. Cases of hyperparasitic interactions between parasitic plants may affect the ecology of individual species and modulate their ecosystem impacts. Parasitic plant phenology and disperser feeding behavior are considered to play a major role in the occurrence of hyperparasitism, especially among mistletoes. There is also potential for hyperparasites to act as biological control agents of invasive primary parasitic host species.
AB - All organisms engage in parasitic relations, as either parasites or hosts. Some species may even play both roles simultaneously. Among flowering plants, the most widespread form of parasitism is characterized by the development of an intrusive organ called the haustorium, which absorbs water and nutrients from the host. Despite this functionally unifying feature of parasitic plants, haustoria are not homologous structures; they have evolved 12 times independently. These plants represent ca. 1% of all extant flowering species and show a wide diversity of life histories. A great variety of plants may also serve as hosts, including other parasitic plants. This phenomenon of parasitic exploitation of another parasite, broadly known as hyper- or epiparasitism, is well described among bacteria, fungi, and animals, but remains poorly understood among plants. Here, we review empirical evidence of plant hyperparasitism, including variations of self-parasitism, discuss the diversity and ecological importance of these interactions, and suggest possible evolutionary mechanisms. Hyperparasitism may provide benefits in terms of improved nutrition and enhanced host–parasite compatibility if partners are related. Different forms of self-parasitism may facilitate nutrient sharing among and within parasitic plant individuals, while also offering potential for the evolution of hyperparasitism. Cases of hyperparasitic interactions between parasitic plants may affect the ecology of individual species and modulate their ecosystem impacts. Parasitic plant phenology and disperser feeding behavior are considered to play a major role in the occurrence of hyperparasitism, especially among mistletoes. There is also potential for hyperparasites to act as biological control agents of invasive primary parasitic host species.
KW - Cassytha
KW - Cuscuta
KW - double parasitism
KW - haustorium
KW - mistletoes
KW - Orobanchaceae
KW - Santalales
KW - self-parasitism
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85099110956&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=85099110956&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1002/ajb2.1590
DO - 10.1002/ajb2.1590
M3 - Article
C2 - 33403666
AN - SCOPUS:85099110956
VL - 108
SP - 8
EP - 21
JO - American Journal of Botany
JF - American Journal of Botany
SN - 0002-9122
IS - 1
ER -