近日,，PNAS刊登的一項研究報告"Underground leaves of Philcoxia trap and digest nematodes"說，一種巴西植物使用它的粘性地下葉片捕捉并消化線蟲,。
RafaelSilvaOliveira及其同事提出了一種假說，即Philcoxiaminensis這種植物可能是食肉的,，因為它的形態(tài)和習(xí)性類似于其他食肉植物,。這種植物僅見于巴西Cerrado地區(qū)的光照良好的低營養(yǎng)土壤，而且它的許多微小的粘性葉片位于它生長的淺層白沙表層的下面,。為了確定Philcoxiaminensis是不是食肉的,，這組科研人員分析了它是否能夠消化和吸收來自它的粘性地下葉片捕捉的許多線蟲的營養(yǎng)，這是一種此前未被描述過的捕捉策略。
這組作者為這種植物提供了用氮的穩(wěn)定同位素氮15（15N）標記的線蟲,。被提供了線蟲的葉片含有了顯著數(shù)量的氮15,，這表明這種植物消化并吸收了這些線蟲。Philcoxiaminensis的葉片擁有類似于其他食肉植物的磷酸酶的活性,，這提示這些線蟲是直接由這種植物消化的,，而不是被微生物分解的。這組作者報告說,，Philcoxiaminensis通過它的專門的地下葉片捕捉,、用酶消化并吸吸收來自線蟲的氮。這組作者說,，這些發(fā)現(xiàn)表明了在嚴峻環(huán)境下生長的植物如何進化出獲得營養(yǎng)的多樣化的機制,。（生物谷Bioon.com）
doi:10.1073/pnas.1114199109
PMC:
PMID:
Underground leaves of Philcoxia trap and digest nematodes
Caio G. Pereiraa, Daniela P. Almenarab, Carlos E. Winterb, Peter W. Fritschc, Hans Lambersd, and Rafael S. Oliveiraa,d,1
The recently described genus Philcoxia comprises three species restricted to well lit and low-nutrient soils in the Brazilian Cerrado. The morphological and habitat similarities of Philcoxia to those of some carnivorous plants, along with recent observations of nematodes over its subterranean leaves, prompted the suggestion that the genus is carnivorous. Here we report compelling evidence of carnivory in Philcoxia of the Plantaginaceae, a family in which no carnivorous members are otherwise known. We also document both a unique capturing strategy for carnivorous plants and a case of a plant that traps and digests nematodes with underground adhesive leaves. Our findings illustrate how much can still be discovered about the origin, distribution, and frequency of the carnivorous syndrome in angiosperms and, more generally, about the diversity of nutrient-acquisition mechanisms that have evolved in plants growing in severely nutrient-impoverished environments such as the Brazilian Cerrado, one of the world's 34 biodiversity hotspots.
