Title: | The pathogen causing Dutch elm disease makes host trees attract insect vectors |
Author(s): | McLeod G; Gries R; von Reuss SH; Rahe JE; McIntosh R; Konig WA; Gries G; |
Address: | "Simon Fraser University Department of Biological Sciences Burnaby, BC, Canada V5A 1S6" |
ISSN/ISBN: | 0962-8452 (Print) 1471-2954 (Electronic) 0962-8452 (Linking) |
Abstract: | "Dutch elm disease is caused by the fungal pathogen Ophiostoma novo-ulmi which is transmitted by the native elm bark beetle, Hylurgopinus rufipes. We have found that four semiochemicals (the monoterpene (-)-beta-pinene and the sesquiterpenes (-)-alpha-cubebene, (+)-spiroaxa-5,7-diene and (+)-delta-cadinene) from diseased American elms, Ulmus americana, synergistically attract H. rufipes, and that sesquiterpene emission is upregulated in elm trees inoculated with O. novo-ulmi. The fungus thus manipulates host trees to enhance their apparency to foraging beetles, a strategy that increases the probability of transportation of the pathogen to new hosts" |
Keywords: | "Animals *Ascomycota Bicyclic Monoterpenes Bridged Bicyclo Compounds/*metabolism Chemotactic Factors/*metabolism Chromatography, Gas Coleoptera/microbiology/*physiology Insect Vectors/microbiology/*physiology Monoterpenes/*metabolism Plant Diseases/*microb;" |
Notes: | "MedlineMcLeod, Geoff Gries, Regine von Reuss, Stephan H Rahe, James E McIntosh, Rory Konig, Wilfried A Gries, Gerhard eng Comparative Study Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't England 2005/11/08 Proc Biol Sci. 2005 Dec 7; 272(1580):2499-503. doi: 10.1098/rspb.2005.3202" |