Secondary metabolite and inorganic contents in<Emphasis Type="Italic"> Cystodytes</Emphasis> sp. (Ascidiacea): temporal patterns and association with reproduction and growth |
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Authors: | Susanna López-Legentil Nataly Bontemps-Subielos Xavier Turon Bernard Banaigs |
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Institution: | (1) Department of Animal Biology (Invertebrates), Faculty of Biology, University of Barcelona, 645, Diagonal Ave., 08028 Barcelona, Spain;(2) Laboratoire de Chimie des Biomolécules et de l’Environnement, University of Perpignan, 52, Paul Alduy Ave., 66860 Perpignan, France;(3) Present address: Centre for Marine Science, University of North Carolina at Wilmington, 5600 Marvin K. Moss Lane, Wilmington, NC 28409, USA |
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Abstract: | Temporal variation is one of the least known components of defence production in marine organisms. Here we examined whether
there is a predictable temporal pattern in the production of chemical and structural defences by a marine invertebrate. To
assess the seasonal variation in chemical defence, we measured ascididemin, the main pyridoacridine alkaloid in the blue Mediterranean
morph of the ascidian Cystodytes sp. Structural defence variability was assessed on the basis of colony ash content, as it contains mainly spicules. Ascididemin
concentration and the colony ash content displayed an annual cycle, reaching a minimum in spring and peaking in summer. Cross-correlation
analyses with existing data on growth and reproduction suggested a significant trade-off between investment in reproduction
and the other biological parameters considered (growth, inorganic content and ascididemin concentration). Our results suggest
that optimization of resource allocation, probably influenced by biotic interactions and physical factors, shaped the temporal
trends observed in secondary metabolite concentration and inorganic content. |
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