Department of Environmental and Biological Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, 70211 Kuopio, Finland.
Department of Technical Physics, University of Eastern Finland, 70211 Kuopio, Finland.
Science. 2024 Sep 13;385(6714):1225-1230. doi: 10.1126/science.ado6779. Epub 2024 Sep 12.
Biogenic secondary organic aerosols (SOAs) can be formed from the oxidation of plant volatiles in the atmosphere. Herbivore-induced plant volatiles (HIPVs) can elicit plant defenses, but whether such ecological functions persist after they form SOAs was previously unknown. Here we show that Scots pine seedlings damaged by large pine weevils feeding on their roots release HIPVs that trigger defenses in neighboring conspecific plants. The biological activity persisted after HIPVs had been oxidized to form SOAs, which was indicated by receivers displaying enhanced photosynthesis, primed volatile defenses, and reduced weevil damage. The elemental composition and quantity of SOAs likely determines their biological functions. This work demonstrates that plant-derived SOAs can mediate interactions between plants, highlighting their ecological significance in ecosystems.
生物成因的二次有机气溶胶（SOAs）可以在大气中通过植物挥发物的氧化形成。食草动物诱导的植物挥发物（HIPVs）可以引发植物防御，但在它们形成 SOAs 后，这种生态功能是否仍然存在，以前是未知的。在这里，我们表明，被松突圆蚧取食根部的大松象鼻虫损害的欧洲赤松幼苗会释放 HIPVs，从而引发邻近同种植物的防御。在 HIPVs 被氧化形成 SOAs 后，生物活性仍然存在，这一点可以从接收者表现出增强的光合作用、引发挥发性防御和减少象鼻虫损害得到证实。SOAs 的元素组成和数量可能决定了它们的生物功能。这项工作表明，植物衍生的 SOAs 可以介导植物之间的相互作用，突出了它们在生态系统中的生态意义。
