Root volatiles in plant-plant interactions II: Root volatiles alter root chemistry and plant-herbivore interactions of neighboring plants

Huang, Wei; Gfeller, Valentin Johannes; Erb, Matthias (2019). Root volatiles in plant-plant interactions II: Root volatiles alter root chemistry and plant-herbivore interactions of neighboring plants. Plant, Cell & Environment, 42(6), pp. 1964-1973. Blackwell Science 10.1111/pce.13534

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Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) emitted by plant roots can influence the germination and growth of neighboring plants. However, little is known about the effects of root VOCs on plant‐herbivore interactions of neighboring plants. The spotted knapweed (Centaurea stoebe) constitutively releases high amounts of sesquiterpenes into the rhizosphere. Here, we examine the impact of C. stoebe root VOCs on primary and secondary metabolites of sympatric Taraxacum officinale plants and the resulting plant‐mediated effects on a generalist root herbivore, the white grub Melolontha melolontha. We show that exposure of T. officinale to C. stoebe root VOCs does not affect the accumulation of defensive secondary metabolites, but modulates carbohydrate and total protein levels in T. officinale roots. Furthermore, VOC exposure increases M. melolontha growth on T. officinale plants. Exposure of T. officinale to a major C. stoebe root VOC, the sesquiterpene (E)‐β‐caryophyllene, partially mimics the effect of the full root VOC blend on M. melolontha growth. Thus, releasing root VOCs can modify plant‐herbivore interactions of neighboring plants. The release of VOCs to increase the susceptibility of other plants may be a form of plant offense.

Item Type:

Journal Article (Original Article)

Division/Institute:

08 Faculty of Science > Department of Biology > Institute of Plant Sciences (IPS)
08 Faculty of Science > Department of Biology > Institute of Plant Sciences (IPS) > Biotic Interactions

UniBE Contributor:

Huang, Wei, Gfeller, Valentin Johannes, Erb, Matthias

Subjects:

500 Science > 580 Plants (Botany)

ISSN:

0140-7791

Publisher:

Blackwell Science

Language:

English

Submitter:

Peter Alfred von Ballmoos-Haas

Date Deposited:

12 Apr 2019 16:58

Last Modified:

05 Dec 2022 15:26

Publisher DOI:

10.1111/pce.13534

PubMed ID:

30754075

Uncontrolled Keywords:

Belowground herbivory, volatile priming, associational effects, neighborhood effects, plant-herbivore interactions, plant-plant interactions

BORIS DOI:

10.7892/boris.126773

URI:

https://boris.unibe.ch/id/eprint/126773

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