Lecture Notes: Boquila trifoliolata Mimicry Mechanism

Introduction

• Boquila trifoliolata is a woody vine from southern Chile known for complex leaf mimicry.
• Gianoli and Carrasco-Urra discovered the plant could mimic leaves from different host plants.
• Initial hypotheses for its mimicry:
  • Chemical signals from host plants.
  • Horizontal gene transfer between Boquila and host plant.
  • New hypothesis: plant vision through plant ocelli.

Hypotheses and Experiments

• Plant Vision Hypothesis

  • Proposed due to the plant's ability to mimic non-living leaf shapes from artificial plastic plants.
  • Plant ocelli, hypothesized to be light-sensitive cells in plants, may play a role.

• Experiments

  • Artificial vine model used to test mimicry.
  • Boquila plants showed attempts at mimicking the plastic leaves.
  • Observed changes in leaf morphology: area, perimeter, length, width.
  • Mimic leaves had higher aspect ratio but lower rectangularity and form factor.

Results

• Leaf Morphology
  • Control leaves (non-mimic) displayed a variety of three-lobed shapes.
  • Mimic leaves showed less dense vascular networks and altered dimensions.
  • Significant differences found in aspect ratios and form factors between mimic and non-mimic leaves.
• Venation Patterns
  • Mimic leaves exhibited fewer free-ending veinlets.
  • Altered auxin biosynthesis suggested in mimic leaves.

Discussion

• Mimicry began near artificial vine and improved over time.
• Learning and memory processes are implicated in the plant's mimicry.
• Results support plant vision hypothesis over chemical theories.

Outlook and Perspectives

• Current Understanding

  • Previous explanations centered on volatile signaling and gene transfer.
  • New evidence suggests plant ocelli and vision could be key.

• Future Experiments

  • Continuing studies on plant vision and Boquila’s mimicry in controlled environments.
  • Collaboration with Prof. Maximilian Weigend to explore plant sensory abilities further.

Materials and Methods

• Plant Conditions
  • Boquila plants grown in controlled environments with artificial vines.
  • Experiment conducted from September 2019 to October 2020.
• Morphological Analysis
  • Classified leaves by age: young, middle-aged, old.
  • Analyzed geometrical features such as leaf area and perimeter.
• Data Analysis
  • Used statistical methods to compare leaf properties.

Conclusion

• Boquila trifoliolata shows mimicry ability, possibly through a plant vision mechanism.
• Findings challenge previous hypotheses of chemical signal-based mimicry.
• Further research needed to fully understand plant sensory and learning processes.