Poikilohydria, polyols, and homeoviscosity: lichen metabolomic remodeling across environmental gradients
- Author:
- Pérez-Rodrigo M., Moya P., Arenzana C., Garrido-Benavent I., Barreno E., Mark K., Peksa O., Westberg M., Carrasco P. & Marco F.
- Year:
- 2026
- Journal:
- Frontiers in Plant Science
- Pages:
- 17: 1792494 [14 p.]
- Url:
- doi: 10.3389/fpls.2026.1792494
Introduction: Lichens are poikilohydric organisms whose biochemistry is strongly
shaped by environmental conditions, yet their metabolome-wide adaptations
across habitats remain unexplored.
Methods: Here, we established a continent-scale reference for the in-situ
metabolome of the model lichen Ramalina farinacea, from thalli collected
across six European regions during winter and summer, using untargeted GC-MS.
Results: In total, 187 small molecules were annotated, including a compact core
of 12 metabolites shared across all sites and seasons. Notably, the most abundant
and core metabolites have recognized osmoprotective roles. The metabolome
was primarily centered on polyols: arabitol was the predominant metabolite
(49.9% of total relative abundance), followed by ribitol, sucrose, sorbitol, and
mannitol. Multivariate analyses revealed season, region, and climate-similarity
groups as the main drivers of metabolomic dissimilarity. GABA and mannose were
consistent summer markers, while linoleic acid and arabitol emerged as the top
regional and climatic markers, respectively. Glycerol levels increased towards
colder regimes alongside monoglycerides and mono/polyunsaturated fatty acids,
reflecting patterns consistent with homeoviscous adaptation. Hierarchical
clustering resolved coordinated metabolite modules that distinguish cold-
continental from warm-Mediterranean regimes while preserving region-specific
chemical fingerprints. Pathway over-representation analyses converged on
alanine, aspartate, and glutamate metabolism. This and other differential
pathways indicated coupled adjustments in carbon handling and
stress physiology.
Discussion: This is the first continent-scale characterization of low-molecular-
weight metabolomic variation in a lichen, revealing environmentally linked
metabolic remodeling beyond the traditionally studied secondary metabolites
and defining new chemoenvironmental markers as the metabolic basis of
poikilohydric resilience in lichens.
Keywords: arabitol, GABA, GC-MS, glycerol, lichen metabolomics, linoleic acid, mannose.
- Id:
- 39441
- Submitter:
- zpalice
- Post_time:
- Monday, 11 May 2026 09:00

