title: The mono - and sesquiterpene content of aphid-induced galls on Pistacia palaestina is not a simple reflection of their composition in intact leaves.
abstract: Pistacia palaestina Boiss. (Anacardiaceae), a sibling species of P. terebinthus also known as turpentine tree or terebinth tree, is common in the Levant region. The aphid Baizongia pistaciae L. manipulates the leaves of the plant to form large galls, which provide both food and protection for its developing offspring. We analyzed the levels and composition of mono-and sesquiterpenes in both leaves and galls of ten naturally growing trees. Our results show that monoterpene hydrocarbons are the main constituents of P. palaestina leaves and galls, but terpene levels and composition vary among trees. Despite this inter-tree variation, terpene levels and compositions in galls from different trees resemble each other more than the patterns displayed by leaves from the same trees. Generally, galls contain 10 to 60 fold higher total terpene amounts than leaves, especially of the monoterpenes α-pinene and limonene. Conversely, the leaves generally accumulate more sesquiterpenes, in particular E-caryophyllene, germacrene D and δ-cadinene, in comparison to galls. Our results clearly show that the terpene pattern in the galls is not a simple reflection of that of the leaves and suggest that aphids have a strong impact on the metabolism of their host plant, possibly for their own defense.
authors.affiliation: Department of Evolutionary & Environmental Biology, University of Haifa, Mount Carmel, Haifa, 3498838, Israel.
authors.forename: Karin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Rand
authors.forename: Einat
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Bar
authors.forename: Matan
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ben-Ari
authors.forename: Efraim
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Lewinsohn
authors.forename: Moshe
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Inbar
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001042:Aphids; D000081008:Bicyclic Monoterpenes; D053138:Cyclohexenes / Q000032:analysis; D007557:Israel; D000077222:Limonene; D039821:Monoterpenes / Q000032:analysis; D027927:Pistacia / Q000737:chemistry*; D018515:Plant Leaves / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism; D000081223:Polycyclic Sesquiterpenes; D012717:Sesquiterpenes / Q000032:analysis* / Q000737:chemistry; D045788:Sesquiterpenes, Germacrane / Q000032:analysis; D013729:Terpenes / Q000032:analysis
chemical_list: D000081008:Bicyclic Monoterpenes; D053138:Cyclohexenes; D039821:Monoterpenes; D000081223:Polycyclic Sesquiterpenes; D012717:Sesquiterpenes; D045788:Sesquiterpenes, Germacrane; D013729:Terpenes; D000077222:Limonene; C024714:caryophyllene; C005451:alpha-pinene; C027259:germacrene D