Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) Emitted by Ilex paraguariensis Plants are Affected by the Herbivory of the Lepidopteran Thelosia camina and the Coleopteran Hedypathes betulinus

Abstract

The profile of volatiles emitted by Ilex paraguariensis, leaves of which are used to produce a popular South American tea, were identified and compared among treatments. Headspace collections were performed for 24-72 hours for control, mechanical damage (MD), herbivory by larvae of Thelosia camina (TC), and by adults of Hedypathes betulinus (HB). Based on gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and gas chromatography-Fourier transform infrared (GC-FTIR) analyses, 20 compounds were identified, totaling about 7, 5, 20, and 25 µg/plant/treatment (control, MD, TC and HB, respectively). Statistical analyses revealed that control and MD treatments are different from TC and HB herbivory treatments. Furthermore, HB herbivory was distinctive from the other treatments at 24 h in that HB feeding induced a distinctive pattern of emission of terpenes. Major compounds per treatments were decanal for control and DM, 4,8-dimethylnona-1,3,7-triene (DMNT) and 2-undecanone for TC, and DMNT and (E)-β-ocimene for HB.

Terpene Synthase Genes in Quercus robur – Gene Characterization, Expression and Resulting Terpenes Due to Cockchafer Feeding

“…Similarly, 1,2,3-trimethylbenzene was abundant in approximately 2-fold higher amounts in the soil of infested “BB1” compared to controls. This result is consistent with increased emission rates of this volatile from tropical plants infested by leaf herbivores (Martins et al, 2017). In good agreement with our results, these authors also observed higher release of the aldehydes nonanal and decanal, which therefore also seem to be involved in biotic stress defense.…”

“…There is not much information on these compounds in the literature, although emission of some of them has been reported for other plants. Isopropyl myristate, trimethylbenzene, and heptadecane, for example, are emitted by several plant species, but their functions are not known yet (Thompson and Gornall, 1995; Weissteiner, 2010; Yang et al, 2014; Martins et al, 2017). According to the electrophysiological studies of Eilers et al (2012), the common cockchafer is not able to perceive β-pinene so that lower emission of this compound cannot be related to the interaction with this herbivore, supposing that the forest cockchafer used in the present study has similar capabilities.…”

“…Among the compounds abundant in higher amounts in the soil of infested trees were also some terpenes (Supplementary Table S7). Increased emission of terpenes has often been observed in herbivore-infested plants (Unsicker et al, 2009; Dudareva et al, 2013; Martins et al, 2017). Terpene release is assumed to protect the roots by their antimicrobial and antiherbivore properties.…”

Biochemical and Molecular Investigation of the Effect of Saponins and Terpenoids Derived from Leaves of Ilex aquifolium on Lipid Metabolism of Obese Zucker Rats

“…In a study by Marquez et al [ 11 ], they observed that geranyl acetate (9.38 µg g −1 ), linalool (4.78 µg g −1 ) and isomers ( E , E )- and ( E , Z )-2,4-heptadienal (3.60 and 1.21 µg g −1 ) were the most abundant in Yerba mate leaves. Conversely, Martins et al [ 12 ] conducted a study on the volatile compounds released in relation to mechanical damage and herbivore exposure. In the control group, which was I. paraguariensis , the main volatile compounds reported were decanal, nonanal, and limonene.…”

Plant–Plant Communication: Is There a Role for Volatile Damage-Associated Molecular Patterns?

“…From the 2000s onwards, more and more DIVs comprising methyl jasmonate (MeJA) in sagebrush (Preston et al, 2001), linalool and linalool oxide in damaged wheat (Triticum aestivum) (Piesik et al, 2006), acetaldehyde, methanol, isoprene, and additional C 6 compounds in common reed (Loreto et al, 2006), the essential oils pulgeone and menthone in the medicinal plant Minthostachys mollis (Banchio et al, 2005), as well as C 8 VOCs in the model liverwort species Marchantia polymorpha (Kihara et al, 2014), were identified and further investigated. In addition to DIVs found in agriculturally relevant species such as cotton (Gossypium hirsutum), Brussel sprouts (Brassica oleracea), and sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas) (Röse and Tumlinson, 2005;Connor et al, 2007;Meents et al, 2019), more recent studies included traditional medicinal plants and trees (Fontana et al, 2009;Martins et al, 2017;Kanagendran et al, 2018;Portillo-Estrada and Niinemets, 2018). Although the inclusion of a wider array of species highlights common DIV constituents, the potential as a functional DAMP yet remains to be verified for the majority of them.…”