Heil Martin, Kost Christian
Ecol Lett. 2006 Jul;9(7):813-7. doi: 10.1111/j.1461-0248.2006.00932.x.
Leaf damage induces in many plant species the secretion of extrafloral nectar (EFN) and/or the release of specific odours (volatile organic compounds, VOCs). Both traits attract carnivorous arthropods and function as indirect plant defences by increasing the predation pressure on attacking herbivores. We have conducted field experiments in Mexico and found that plants that had been exposed to VOCs thereafter responded to subsequent leaf damage with an increased EFN secretion. VOCs 'primed' the plants to respond more efficiently once they were attacked themselves. Such priming effects are well known for induced resistance to pathogens, yet this is the first description of VOCs priming EFN secretion, a taxonomically widespread anti-herbivore defence. Plants can use chemical signals in their environment to assess the risk of herbivory and make use of this information to adjust their own defensive strategy accordingly.
叶片损伤会诱导许多植物物种分泌花外蜜（EFN）和/或释放特定气味（挥发性有机化合物，VOCs）。这两种特性都会吸引食肉节肢动物，并通过增加对攻击食草动物的捕食压力来发挥间接的植物防御作用。我们在墨西哥进行了田间实验，发现此后接触过VOCs的植物在随后叶片受损时会增加EFN分泌。VOCs使植物在自身受到攻击时能更有效地做出反应。这种引发效应在诱导对病原体的抗性方面是众所周知的，但这是首次描述VOCs引发EFN分泌，这是一种分类学上广泛存在的抗食草动物防御机制。植物可以利用其环境中的化学信号来评估食草动物的风险，并利用这些信息相应地调整自身的防御策略。
