Plant Ecophysiology, Institute of Environmental Biology, Utrecht University, 3584 CH, Utrecht, the Netherlands.
Laboratory of Entomology, Wageningen University, PO Box 8031, 6700 EH, Wageningen, the Netherlands.
New Phytol. 2013 Nov;200(3):861-874. doi: 10.1111/nph.12407. Epub 2013 Jul 12.
The effects of plant competition for light on the emission of plant volatile organic compounds (VOCs) were studied by investigating how different light qualities that occur in dense vegetation affect the emission of constitutive and methyl-jasmonate-induced VOCs. Arabidopsis thaliana Columbia (Col-0) plants and Pieris brassicae caterpillars were used as a biological system to study the effects of light quality manipulations on VOC emissions and attraction of herbivores. VOCs were analysed using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry and the effects of light quality, notably the red : far red light ratio (R : FR), on expression of genes associated with VOC production were studied using reverse transcriptase-quantitative PCR. The emissions of both constitutive and methyl-jasmonate-induced green leaf volatiles and terpenoids were partially suppressed under low R : FR and severe shading conditions. Accordingly, the VOC-based preference of neonates of the specialist lepidopteran herbivore P. brassicae was significantly affected by the R : FR ratio. We conclude that VOC-mediated interactions among plants and between plants and organisms at higher trophic levels probably depend on light alterations caused by nearby vegetation. Studies on plant-plant and plant-insect interactions through VOCs should take into account the light quality within dense stands when extrapolating to natural and agricultural field conditions.
植物对光的竞争对植物挥发性有机化合物（VOC）排放的影响，通过研究在密集植被中发生的不同光质如何影响组成型和茉莉酸甲酯诱导的 VOC 的排放来研究。拟南芥哥伦比亚（Col-0）植物和粉蝶毛虫被用作生物系统，研究光质处理对 VOC 排放和食草动物吸引力的影响。使用气相色谱-质谱法分析 VOC，并使用逆转录定量 PCR 研究光质，特别是红：远红光比（R：FR）对与 VOC 产生相关的基因表达的影响。在低 R：FR 和严重遮荫条件下，组成型和茉莉酸甲酯诱导的绿叶挥发物和萜烯的排放部分受到抑制。因此，专食性鳞翅目食草动物粉蝶毛虫的幼虫对 VOC 的偏好受到 R：FR 比值的显著影响。我们得出结论，植物之间以及植物与更高营养级生物之间的 VOC 介导的相互作用可能取决于附近植被引起的光变化。通过 VOC 进行的植物-植物和植物-昆虫相互作用的研究应考虑到密集林分中的光质，以便将结果外推到自然和农业田间条件。
