Title: | A role for volatiles in intra- and inter-plant interactions in birch |
Author(s): | Giron-Calva PS; Li T; Koski TM; Klemola T; Laaksonen T; Huttunen L; Blande JD; |
Address: | "Department of Environmental Science, University of Eastern Finland, P.O. Box 1627, 70211, Kuopio, Finland" |
DOI: | 10.1007/s10886-014-0514-1 |
ISSN/ISBN: | 1573-1561 (Electronic) 0098-0331 (Linking) |
Abstract: | "One of the first observations that plants might utilize cues released by damaged neighbors under natural conditions was made in birch forests in 1985. However, the mechanisms underlying the observations were not determined, and birch (Betula spp.) has been neglected as a study system for inter-plant interaction ever since. Volatiles released by vegetative plant parts in response to herbivore damage play important roles as signals in plant-to-plant interactions in a range of woody and herbaceous plant species, and also have been shown to mediate signaling between branches of the same plant that have limited vascular connection. We established greenhouse experiments to assess: 1) whether exposure to plant volatiles from herbivore-damaged birches primes defense responses in undamaged neighbors; and 2) whether defenses also are primed in undamaged parts of the same plants with limited vascular connection. We observed a priming of defense responses, which were manifested in an augmented emission of terpenes and aromatic compounds in undamaged conspecific neighbors, and also an augmented emission of green leaf volatiles in systemic branches. Our work provides strong evidence of inter-plant signaling by volatiles, and an intra-plant systemic response in birch. However, the responses are specific, with emissions of different groups of plant volatiles typifying the primed response. This work complements and extends the previous work conducted with a natural population of birches" |
Keywords: | Animals Betula/*physiology *Herbivory Larva/physiology Moths/growth & development/*physiology Volatile Organic Compounds/*metabolism; |
Notes: | "MedlineGiron-Calva, P Sarai Li, Tao Koski, Tuuli-Marjaana Klemola, Tero Laaksonen, Toni Huttunen, Liisa Blande, James D eng Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't 2014/10/30 J Chem Ecol. 2014 Dec; 40(11-12):1203-11. doi: 10.1007/s10886-014-0514-1. Epub 2014 Oct 29" |