Resin acids as inducible chemical defences of pine seedlings against chewing insects.

Inducibility of defences in response to biotic stimuli is considered an important trait in plant resistance. In conifers, previous research has mostly focused on the inducibility of the volatile fraction of the oleoresin (mono- and sesquiterpenes), leaving the inducibility of the non-volatile resin acids largely unexplored, particularly in response to real herbivory. Here we investigated the differences in the inducibility of resin acids in two pine species, one native from Europe (Pinus pinaster Ait.

Heterobasidion-growth inhibiting Bacillus subtilis A18 exhibits medium- and age-dependent production of lipopeptides.

Heterobasidion annosum s.s. and H.

Inducibility of Plant Secondary Metabolites in the Stem Predicts Genetic Variation in Resistance Against a Key Insect Herbivore in Maritime Pine.

Resistance to herbivores and pathogens is considered a key plant trait with strong adaptive value in trees, usually involving high concentrations of a diverse array of plant secondary metabolites (PSM). Intraspecific genetic variation and plasticity of PSM are widely known. However, their ecology and evolution are unclear, and even the implication of PSM as traits that provide direct effective resistance against herbivores is currently questioned.

Investigations of a Possible Chemical Effect of Chewing Sticks.

is commonly used chewing sticks in many parts of the world as an oral hygiene tool. This study measured the amount of benzyl isothiocyanate (BITC) released into the mouth and assessed its retention time in saliva. The study also tested if the released amount of BITC could potentially be antibacterial or cytotoxic.

It's All in the Mix: Blend-Specific Behavioral Response to a Sexual Pheromone in a Butterfly.

Among insects, sexual pheromones are typically mixtures of two to several components, all of which are generally required to elicit a behavioral response. Here we show for the first time that a complete blend of sexual pheromone components is needed to elicit a response also in a butterfly. Males of the Green-veined White, Pieris napi, emit an aphrodisiac pheromone, citral, from wing glands.

Sustainable bio-production of styrene from forest waste.

A strain of Penicillium expansum was studied for the production of styrene using forest waste biomass as a feeding substrate. The fungal strain was cultivated on bark of various trees supplemented with yeast extract and the volatiles produced were collected on Tenax TA and analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Fungus cultured on grated soft bark of pine (Pinus sylvestris) stems (GPB) and mature bark of oak (Quercus robur) supplemented with yeast extract produced relatively the highest amounts of styrene.

Penicillium expansum volatiles reduce pine weevil attraction to host plants.

The pine weevil Hylobius abietis (L.) is a severe pest of conifer seedlings in reforested areas of Europe and Asia. To identify minimally toxic and ecologically sustainable compounds for protecting newly planted seedlings, we evaluated the volatile metabolites produced by microbes isolated from H.