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Science 10 February 2006:
Vol. 311. no. 5762, pp. 812 - 815
DOI: 10.1126/science.1118446
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Review

Volatile Signaling in Plant-Plant Interactions: "Talking Trees" in the Genomics Era

Ian T. Baldwin,1* Rayko Halitschke,2 Anja Paschold,1 Caroline C. von Dahl,1 Catherine A. Preston3

Plants may "eavesdrop" on volatile organic compounds (VOCs) released by herbivore-attacked neighbors to activate defenses before being attacked themselves. Transcriptome and signal cascade analyses of VOC-exposed plants suggest that plants eavesdrop to prime direct and indirect defenses and to hone competitive abilities. Advances in research on VOC biosynthesis and perception have facilitated the production of plants that are genetically "deaf" to particular VOCs or "mute" in elements of their volatile vocabulary. Such plants, together with advances in VOC analytical instrumentation, will allow researchers to determine whether fluency enhances the fitness of plants in natural communities.

1 Department of Molecular Ecology, Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, Hans Knöll Strasse 8, Jena 07745, Germany.
2 Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Cornell University, E443 Corson Hall, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA.
3 Biotechnology Regulatory Services, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, 4700 River Road, Riverdale, MD 20737, USA.

* To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: baldwin{at}ice.mpg.de

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THIS ARTICLE HAS BEEN CITED BY OTHER ARTICLES:
Influence of Green Leaf Herbivory by Manduca sexta on Floral Volatile Emission by Nicotiana suaveolens.
U. Effmert, C. Dinse, and B. Piechulla (2008)
Plant Physiology 146, 1996-2007
   Abstract »    Full Text »    PDF »
Plant Defense Priming against Herbivores: Getting Ready for a Different Battle.
C. J. Frost, M. C. Mescher, J. E. Carlson, and C. M. De Moraes (2008)
Plant Physiology 146, 818-824
   Full Text »    PDF »
Neuroecology, Chemical Defense, and the Keystone Species Concept.
R. K. Zimmer and R. P. Ferrer (2007)
Biol. Bull. 213, 208-225
   Abstract »    Full Text »    PDF »
From the Cover: Within-plant signaling by volatiles leads to induction and priming of an indirect plant defense in nature.
M. Heil and J. C. Silva Bueno (2007)
PNAS 104, 5467-5472
   Abstract »    Full Text »    PDF »
Plant volatiles carry both public and private messages.
J. Gershenzon (2007)
PNAS 104, 5257-5258
   Full Text »    PDF »
Gibberellins Are Modified by Methylation in Planta.
N. A. Eckardt (2007)
PLANT CELL 19, 3-6
   Full Text »    PDF »
Volatile chemical cues guide host location and host selection by parasitic plants..
J. B. Runyon, M. C. Mescher, and C. M. De Moraes (2006)
Science 313, 1964-1967
   Abstract »    Full Text »    PDF »


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Science. ISSN 0036-8075 (print), 1095-9203 (online)