Plant volatiles and the environment

Abstract

Volatile organic compounds emitted by plants represent the largest part of biogenic volatile organic compounds (BVOCs) released into our atmosphere. Plant volatiles are formed through many biochemical pathways, constitutively and after stress induction. In recent years, our understanding of the functions of these molecules has made constant and rapid progress. From being considered in the past as a mere waste of carbon, BVOCs have now emerged as an essential element of an invisible language that is perceived and exploited by the plants' enemies, the enemies of plant enemies, and neighbouring plants. In addition, BVOCs have important functions in protecting plants from abiotic stresses. Recent advances in our understanding of the role of BVOC in direct and indirect defences are driving further attention to these emissions. This special issue gathers some of the latest and most original research that further expands our knowledge of BVOC. BVOC emissions and functions in (1) unexplored terrestrial (including the soil) and marine environments, (2) in changing climate conditions, and (3) under anthropic pressures, or (4) in complex trophic communities are comprehensively reviewed. Stepping up from scientific awareness, the presented information shows that the manipulation and exploitation of BVOC is a realistic and promising strategy for agricultural applications and biotechnological exploitations.

Manipulating two olfactory cues causes a biological control beetle to shift to non‐target plant species

“…; Dicke & Baldwin ; Bruce & Pickett ; Loreto et al . ). The contribution of beetles’ olfactory (preingestive) preferences to host shifting remains unclear, although likely important, given the role of olfaction in host selection.…”

Petunia hybrida PDR2 is involved in herbivore defense by controlling steroidal contents in trichomes

“…A plethora of secondary metabolites, among them multiple alkaloids, terpenes, polyketides and phenolics, are believed to have evolved primarily as means of defense and many of them are trichome specific (Wang et al ; Yazaki ; Schilmiller et al ; Slocombe et al ; Loreto et al ; Kang et al ). Terpenes constitute the largest group of secondary metabolites with over 25 000 known structures that include toxins and deterrents against bacteria, fungi and animals (Gershenzon & Dudareva ).…”

Isoprene Responses and Functions in Plants Challenged by Environmental Pressures Associated to Climate Change

“…It was hypothesized that isoprene biosynthesis (Iso s ) evolved as an ancestral mechanism in plants adapted to high water availability, to cope with transient and recurrent oxidative stresses during their water-to-land transition (Vickers et al, 2009; Loreto et al, 2014). Consistently the tight association between Iso e and species hygrophily suggests that Iso e may be a favorable trait to cope with occasional exposure to stresses in mesic environments (Harrison et al, 2013; Monson et al, 2013; Loreto et al, 2014). Instead, xeric evergreen species inhabiting harsher environments, which require constitutive emissions over a longer time-scale level, generally produce compounds less volatile than isoprene, such as monoterpenes and sesquiterpenes (Loreto and Fineschi, 2015).…”

“…C iso has also been widely shown to positively correlate with the unbalance between the ETR and A N (Morfopoulos et al, 2014). In fact, ETR/ A N often increases as drought become more severe, especially when A N is constrained by diffusional limitations (at stomatal or mesophyll level) rather than by biochemical limitations, as observed in fast-growing mesophytes, which are usually strong isoprene emitters (Loreto et al, 2014; Haworth et al, 2016). In contrast, there is a poor correlation between Iso e and g s ( Figure 1C ).…”