| Title: | On-line detection of root-induced volatiles in Brassica nigra plants infested with Delia radicum L. root fly larvae |
| Author(s): | Crespo E; Hordijk CA; de Graaf RM; Samudrala D; Cristescu SM; Harren FJ; van Dam NM; |
| Address: | "Life Science Trace Gas Facility, Institute of Molecules and Materials (IMM), Radboud University Nijmegen, Nijmegen, The Netherlands" |
| DOI: | 10.1016/j.phytochem.2012.08.013 |
| ISSN/ISBN: | 1873-3700 (Electronic) 0031-9422 (Linking) |
| Abstract: | "Plants emit various volatile organic compounds (VOCs) upon herbivore attack. These VOC emissions often show temporal dynamics which may influence the behavior of natural enemies using these volatiles as cues. This study analyzes on-line VOC emissions by roots of Brassica nigra plants under attack by cabbage root fly larvae, Delia radicum. Root emitted VOCs were detected using Proton-Transfer-Reaction Mass Spectrometry (PTR-MS) and Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS). These analyses showed that several sulfur containing compounds, such as methanethiol, dimethyl sulfide (DMS), dimethyl disulfide (DMDS), dimethyl trisulfide (DMTS) and glucosinolate breakdown products, such as thiocyanates (TC) and isothiocyanates (ITC), were emitted by the roots in response to infestation. The emissions were subdivided into early responses, emerging within 1-6 h after infestation, and late responses, evolving only after 6-12 h. The marker for rapid responses was detected at m/z 60. The ion detected at m/z 60 was identified as thiocyanic acid, which is also a prominent fragment in some TC or ITC spectra. The emission of m/z 60 stopped when the larvae had pupated, which makes it an excellent indicator for actively feeding larvae. Methanethiol, DMS and DMDS levels increased much later in infested roots, indicating that activation of enzymes or genes involved in the production of these compounds may be required. Earlier studies have shown that both early and late responses can play a role in tritrophic interactions associated with Brassica species. Moreover, the identification of these root induced responses will help to design non-invasive analytical procedures to assess root infestations" |
| Keywords: | "Adaptation, Physiological Animals Diptera Feeding Behavior Larva Mustard Plant/*chemistry Plant Roots/*chemistry Volatile Organic Compounds/*analysis;" |
| Notes: | "MedlineCrespo, Elena Hordijk, Cornelis A de Graaf, Rob M Samudrala, Devasena Cristescu, Simona M Harren, Frans J M van Dam, Nicole M eng Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't England 2012/09/22 Phytochemistry. 2012 Dec; 84:68-77. doi: 10.1016/j.phytochem.2012.08.013. Epub 2012 Sep 17" |
