Caffeine in floral nectar enhances a pollinator's memory of reward
- PMID: 23471406
- PMCID: PMC4521368
- DOI: 10.1126/science.1228806
Caffeine in floral nectar enhances a pollinator's memory of reward
Abstract
Plant defense compounds occur in floral nectar, but their ecological role is not well understood. We provide evidence that plant compounds pharmacologically alter pollinator behavior by enhancing their memory of reward. Honeybees rewarded with caffeine, which occurs naturally in nectar of Coffea and Citrus species, were three times as likely to remember a learned floral scent as were honeybees rewarded with sucrose alone. Caffeine potentiated responses of mushroom body neurons involved in olfactory learning and memory by acting as an adenosine receptor antagonist. Caffeine concentrations in nectar did not exceed the bees' bitter taste threshold, implying that pollinators impose selection for nectar that is pharmacologically active but not repellent. By using a drug to enhance memories of reward, plants secure pollinator fidelity and improve reproductive success.
Figures
Comment in
-
Neuroscience. Caffeine boosts bees' memories.Science. 2013 Mar 8;339(6124):1157-9. doi: 10.1126/science.1234411. Science. 2013. PMID: 23471393 No abstract available.
Similar articles
-
Neuroscience. Caffeine boosts bees' memories.Science. 2013 Mar 8;339(6124):1157-9. doi: 10.1126/science.1234411. Science. 2013. PMID: 23471393 No abstract available.
-
Bumble bees show an induced preference for flowers when primed with caffeinated nectar and a target floral odor.Curr Biol. 2021 Sep 27;31(18):4127-4131.e4. doi: 10.1016/j.cub.2021.06.068. Epub 2021 Jul 28. Curr Biol. 2021. PMID: 34324835
-
Caffeinated forage tricks honeybees into increasing foraging and recruitment behaviors.Curr Biol. 2015 Nov 2;25(21):2815-2818. doi: 10.1016/j.cub.2015.08.052. Epub 2015 Oct 17. Curr Biol. 2015. PMID: 26480843
-
The neuroecology of a pollinator's buffet: olfactory preferences and learning in insect pollinators.Integr Comp Biol. 2011 Nov;51(5):781-93. doi: 10.1093/icb/icr094. Epub 2011 Jul 29. Integr Comp Biol. 2011. PMID: 21803792 Review.
-
Floral Phytochemistry: Impact of Volatile Organic Compounds and Nectar Secondary Metabolites on Pollinator Behavior and Health.Chem Biodivers. 2023 Apr;20(4):e202201139. doi: 10.1002/cbdv.202201139. Epub 2023 Mar 28. Chem Biodivers. 2023. PMID: 36976451 Review.
Cited by
-
Applications of ancestral sequence reconstruction for understanding the evolution of plant specialized metabolism.Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci. 2024 Nov 18;379(1914):20230348. doi: 10.1098/rstb.2023.0348. Epub 2024 Sep 30. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci. 2024. PMID: 39343033 Free PMC article. Review.
-
Evolution of the biochemistry underpinning purine alkaloid metabolism in plants.Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci. 2024 Nov 18;379(1914):20230366. doi: 10.1098/rstb.2023.0366. Epub 2024 Sep 30. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci. 2024. PMID: 39343019 Review.
-
Acute exposure to caffeine improves foraging in an invasive ant.iScience. 2024 May 23;27(6):109935. doi: 10.1016/j.isci.2024.109935. eCollection 2024 Jun 21. iScience. 2024. PMID: 39055608 Free PMC article.
-
Sodium-enriched nectar shapes plant-pollinator interactions in a subalpine meadow.Ecol Evol. 2024 Jul 16;14(7):e70026. doi: 10.1002/ece3.70026. eCollection 2024 Jul. Ecol Evol. 2024. PMID: 39015879 Free PMC article.
-
Microbial Symbiont-Based Detoxification of Different Phytotoxins and Synthetic Toxic Chemicals in Insect Pests and Pollinators.J Xenobiot. 2024 Jun 4;14(2):753-771. doi: 10.3390/jox14020043. J Xenobiot. 2024. PMID: 38921652 Free PMC article. Review.
References
-
- Harborne JB. Introduction to ecological biochemistry. 4th ed Academic Press; London: 1993. p. 318.
-
- Hollingsworth RG, Armstrong JW, Campbell E. Pest control: Caffeine as a repellent for slugs and snails. Nature. 2002 Jun 27;417:915. - PubMed
-
- Okamoto M, Kita T, Okuda H, Tanaka T, Nakashima T. Effects of Aging on Acute Toxicity of Nicotine in Rats. Pharmacol Toxicol. 1994 Jul;75:1. - PubMed
-
- Rudolph T, Knudsen K. A case of fatal caffeine poisoning. Acta Anaesth Scand. 2010 Apr;54:521. - PubMed
Publication types
MeSH terms
Substances
Grants and funding
LinkOut - more resources
Full Text Sources
Other Literature Sources
Medical
