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Potential allelopathic effects of the tropical legume Sesbania virgata on the alien Leucaena leucocephala related to seed carbohydrate metabolism

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Abstract

Allelopathy has been considered a key mechanism to explain the invasiveness of some species. It is well known that invasive plants can affect native plants by producing novel allelochemicals but some exotic plant species may be also sensitive to allelochemicals released by native species, providing a tool to reduce growth and impacts of invasive exotic species. Here, using growth chamber experiments we tested the mutual potential allelopathic effects of Sesbania virgata (a native dominant species) and the alien Leucaena leucocephala seeds. S. virgata was unaffected by seed leachates of L. leucocephala, indicating that, under lab conditions, this legume presents resistance to the phytotoxic compounds produced by seeds of this alien species. In contrast, germination and seedling growth of L. leucocephala were strongly affected by the phytochemicals produced by seeds of S. virgata. A delay in endospermic mobilization of storage carbohydrates (raffinose-family oligosaccharides and galactomannan) was observed in the alien species. These potential allelopathic effects could not be attributed sole to the presence neither of the phytoxic catechin nor of ABA in seed leachates of S. virgata. Our findings indicate that the in vitro behavior of S. virgata is consistent with its aggressiveness in natural environment and suggest sesbanimide as a potential candidate as implicated in the noxious effects of S. virgata on the alien species.

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Acknowledgements

We thank Dr. Luciano Freschi from University of São Paulo for the quantification of abscisic acid, Dr. Nelson Augusto dos Santos Junior for help with statistical analysis and critical review of the manuscript, and Dr. Maria Angela Machado de Carvalho for language revision and valuable suggestions. Thanks are due to Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa de São Paulo—FAPESP for the fellowship to Daiane S.B. Mignoni (Proc 2013/03978-1) and for the financial support (Proc 2012/16332-0). Marcia R. Braga also thanks the Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico-CNPq for the researcher fellowship and research grant (501965/2010-6).

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  1. Department of Plant Physiology and Biochemistry, Institute of Botany, Av. Miguel Estéfano 3687, São Paulo, SP, 04301-902, Brazil

    Daiane Salete Broch Mignoni, Kelly Simões & Marcia Regina Braga

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  1. Daiane Salete Broch Mignoni
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Mignoni, D.S.B., Simões, K. & Braga, M.R. Potential allelopathic effects of the tropical legume Sesbania virgata on the alien Leucaena leucocephala related to seed carbohydrate metabolism. Biol Invasions 20, 165–180 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10530-017-1524-z

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