Host alkaloids differentially affect developmental stability and wing vein canalization in cactophilic Drosophila buzzatii

PADRÓ, J; CARREIRA, VP; CORIO, C; HASSON, E; SOTO, IM

JOURNAL OF EVOLUTIONARY BIOLOGY

WILEY-BLACKWELL PUBLISHING, INC

Lugar: Londres; Año: 2014 vol. 27 p. 2781 - 2797

1010-061X

Host shifts cause drastic consequences on fitness in cactophilic species of  Drosophila.  It has  been  argued  that  changes  in  the  nutritional  values  accompanying  host  shifts  may elicited these fitness responses, but they may alsoreflect the presence of potentially toxic secondary  compounds  that  affect  resource  quality.  Recent  studies  reported  that  alkaloids  extracted from the columnar cactus  Trichocereus terscheckiiare toxic for the developing larvae of  D. buzzatii. In the present study we tested the effect of artificial diets including increasing doses of host alkaloids on developmentalstability and wing morphology in  D. buzzatii.  We  found  that  alkaloids  disrupt  normal  wing  venation  patterning  and  affect viability,  wing  size  and  fluctuating  asymmetry  suggesting  the  involvement  of  stress-response  mechanisms.  Theoretical  implications  are  discussed  in  the  context  of  developmental stability, stress, fitness and their  relationship with robustness, canalization and phenotypic plasticity.