a better understanding of the factors that affect marine biological invasions, and to
the development of effective and knowledge-based strategies to face these relevant
threats to local biodiversity.
In this article, we focused our attention on the bioactive molecules that two
invasive macrophytes, C. cylindracea and H. stipulacea, brought with them when
they invaded the Mediterranean Sea. Although little is known about the natural
function of those compounds, we have shown that a great deal of information on
their biological activities of interest in biotechnology and pharmacology is already
available in the literature. Nevertheless, we believe that it is crucially important
to understand how such actions relate to the roles played by the compounds in
nature. Natural substances have evolved as important adaptations for the organisms
producing them in their native environments, and these activities may well be closely
related to the properties that make them so interesting for possible applications in
human health and biotechnology. They evolved to give protection to their producers
from predators, parasites, and pathogens and to act as weapons against competitors,
as the result of diffuse coevolutionary processes. However, when those molecules
invade a new environment, they will start to interact with native species who had
never encountered them before. What should we expect from this? Can they
contribute to the success of the invaders? Do they represent threats to native species
and drivers of community change?
Our overview of the variety of biological activities that characterize some of the
compounds isolated from C. cylindracea and H. stipulacea suggests that these
molecules can actually act as drivers of changes in the Mediterranean by especially
providing the invaders with tools for outcompeting and replacing native species,
within rapid coevolutionary processes. Indeed, there is reason to hope for a greater
synergy between chemical ecology and invasion biology when approaching the
complex issues raised by invasive species.
References
1. Slade EM, Kirwan L, Bell T, Philipson CD, Lewis OT, Roslin T (2017) The importance of
species identity and interactions for multifunctionality depends on how ecosystem functions are
valued. Ecology 98:2626–2639. https://doi.org/10.1002/ecy.1954
2. Meinwald J, Eisner T (2008) Chemical ecology in retrospect and prospect. Proc Natl Acad Sci
105:4539–4540. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.0800649105
3. Zimmer RK, Zimmer CA (2008) Dynamic scaling in chemical ecology. J Chem Ecol
34:822–836. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10886-008-9486-3
4. Eisner T, Meinwald J (1995) Chemical ecology. Proc Natl Acad Sci 92:1. https://doi.org/
10.1073/pnas.92.1.1
5. Peñuelas J, Llusià J (2004) Plant VOC emissions: making use of the unavoidable. Trends Ecol
Evol 19:402–404. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tree.2004.06.002
6. Penuelas J, Llusia J, Estiarte M (1995) Terpenoids: a plant language. Trends Ecol Evol 10:289.
https://doi.org/10.1016/0169-5347(95)90025-X
7. Giordano G, Carbone M, Ciavatta ML, Silvano E, Gavagnin M, Garson MJ, Cheney KL,
Mudianta IW, Russo GF, Villani G, Magliozzi L, Polese G, Zidorn C, Cutignano A, Fontana A,
Ghiselin MT, Mollo E (2017) Volatile secondary metabolites as aposematic olfactory signals
6 Molecular Interactions as Drivers of Changes in Marine Ecosystems
129
the development of effective and knowledge-based strategies to face these relevant
threats to local biodiversity.
In this article, we focused our attention on the bioactive molecules that two
invasive macrophytes, C. cylindracea and H. stipulacea, brought with them when
they invaded the Mediterranean Sea. Although little is known about the natural
function of those compounds, we have shown that a great deal of information on
their biological activities of interest in biotechnology and pharmacology is already
available in the literature. Nevertheless, we believe that it is crucially important
to understand how such actions relate to the roles played by the compounds in
nature. Natural substances have evolved as important adaptations for the organisms
producing them in their native environments, and these activities may well be closely
related to the properties that make them so interesting for possible applications in
human health and biotechnology. They evolved to give protection to their producers
from predators, parasites, and pathogens and to act as weapons against competitors,
as the result of diffuse coevolutionary processes. However, when those molecules
invade a new environment, they will start to interact with native species who had
never encountered them before. What should we expect from this? Can they
contribute to the success of the invaders? Do they represent threats to native species
and drivers of community change?
Our overview of the variety of biological activities that characterize some of the
compounds isolated from C. cylindracea and H. stipulacea suggests that these
molecules can actually act as drivers of changes in the Mediterranean by especially
providing the invaders with tools for outcompeting and replacing native species,
within rapid coevolutionary processes. Indeed, there is reason to hope for a greater
synergy between chemical ecology and invasion biology when approaching the
complex issues raised by invasive species.
References
1. Slade EM, Kirwan L, Bell T, Philipson CD, Lewis OT, Roslin T (2017) The importance of
species identity and interactions for multifunctionality depends on how ecosystem functions are
valued. Ecology 98:2626–2639. https://doi.org/10.1002/ecy.1954
2. Meinwald J, Eisner T (2008) Chemical ecology in retrospect and prospect. Proc Natl Acad Sci
105:4539–4540. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.0800649105
3. Zimmer RK, Zimmer CA (2008) Dynamic scaling in chemical ecology. J Chem Ecol
34:822–836. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10886-008-9486-3
4. Eisner T, Meinwald J (1995) Chemical ecology. Proc Natl Acad Sci 92:1. https://doi.org/
10.1073/pnas.92.1.1
5. Peñuelas J, Llusià J (2004) Plant VOC emissions: making use of the unavoidable. Trends Ecol
Evol 19:402–404. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tree.2004.06.002
6. Penuelas J, Llusia J, Estiarte M (1995) Terpenoids: a plant language. Trends Ecol Evol 10:289.
https://doi.org/10.1016/0169-5347(95)90025-X
7. Giordano G, Carbone M, Ciavatta ML, Silvano E, Gavagnin M, Garson MJ, Cheney KL,
Mudianta IW, Russo GF, Villani G, Magliozzi L, Polese G, Zidorn C, Cutignano A, Fontana A,
Ghiselin MT, Mollo E (2017) Volatile secondary metabolites as aposematic olfactory signals
6 Molecular Interactions as Drivers of Changes in Marine Ecosystems
129