Plant phenotypic plasticity in the phytobiome: a volatile issue.
Plants live in a diverse and dynamic phytobiome, consisting of a microbiome as well as a macrobiome. They respond to arthropod herbivory with the emission of herbivore-induced plant volatiles (HIPV) that are public information and can be used by any member of the phytobiome. Other members of the phytobiome, which do not directly participate in the interaction, may both modulate the induction of HIPV in the plant, as well as respond to the volatiles. The use of HIPV by individual phytobiome members may have beneficial as well as detrimental consequences for the plant. The collective result of phytobiome-modulated HIPV emission on the responses of phytobiome members and the resulting phytobiome dynamics will determine whether and under which circumstances HIPV emission has a net benefit to the plant or not. Only when we understand HIPV emission in the total phytobiome context can we understand the evolutionary consequences of HIPV emission by plants.
Laboratory of Entomology, Wageningen University, Droevendaalsesteeg 1, 6708PB Wageningen, The Netherlands. Electronic address: marcel.dicke@wur.nl.
Marcel
M
Dicke
D000818:Animals; D001181:Arthropods / Q000472:pathogenicity; D060434:Herbivory / Q000502:physiology*; D010944:Plants / Q000469:parasitology*; D055549:Volatile Organic Compounds / Q000378:metabolism
D055549:Volatile Organic Compounds