When attacked by herbivorous insects or mites, some plant species call on other arthropods for help. They emit mixtures of volatile compounds, dominated by terpenes, to attract carnivorous arthropods that prey on or parasitise herbivores and so reduce further damage. This fascinating defence strategy offers a new, environmentally friendly approach to crop protection. Using recent advances in the biochemistry and molecular genetics of terpene biosynthesis, it should now be possible to engineer crop plants that release terpenes for attracting herbivore enemies. By introducing or selectively altering the existing rate of terpene emission and composition, plant breeders could enable attacked plants to attract enemies and reduce additional herbivory, without compromising the effectiveness of other modes of defence.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/s0958-1669(03)00025-9 | DOI Listing |
Photosynth Res
January 2025
Research Institute for Interdisciplinary Science and Graduate School of Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University, Okayama, 700-8530, Japan.
Red algae are photosynthetic eukaryotes whose light-harvesting complexes (LHCs) associate with photosystem I (PSI). In this study, we examined characteristics of PSI-LHCI, PSI, and LHCI isolated from the red alga Galdieria sulphuraria NIES-3638. The PSI-LHCI supercomplexes were purified using anion-exchange chromatography followed by hydrophobic-interaction chromatography, and finally by trehalose density gradient centrifugation.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFSci Rep
January 2025
Department of Biochemistry, College of Science, King Saud University, P.O.Box 2455, Riyadh, 11451, Saudi Arabia.
Nano-biochar considers a versatile and valuable sorbent to enhance plant productivity by improving soil environment and emerged as a novel solution for environmental remediation and sustainable agriculture in modern era. In this study, roles of foliar applied nanobiochar colloidal solution (NBS) on salt stressed tomato plants were investigated. For this purpose, NBS was applied (0%, 1% 3% and 5%) on two groups of plants (control 0 mM and salt stress 60 mM).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPlants (Basel)
January 2025
United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, San Joaquin Valley Agricultural Sciences Center, Parlier, CA 93648, USA.
Plant viruses have been known to alter host metabolites that influence the attraction of insect vectors. Our study investigated whether (CYVCV) infection influences vector attractiveness, focusing on the citrus whitefly, (Ashmead). Free choice assays showed that citrus whiteflies exhibited a preference for settling on CYVCV-infected lemon plants versus healthy control plants.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFJ Agric Food Chem
January 2025
Key Laboratory of Ministry of Education for Genetics, Breeding and Multiple Utilization of Crops, College of Agriculture, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, China.
Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) play a key role in plant communication with other organisms in the natural environment. However, the regulatory role of the phytohormone ethylene in volatile production in plants remains unclear. In this study, we demonstrated that the application of an ethylene precursor and amplification of ethylene signaling make rice plants more attractive to brown planthopper (BPH) females for feeding and oviposition.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFChem Res Toxicol
January 2025
Department of Environmental Sciences, University of California, Riverside, California 92521, United States.
E-cigarette emissions, which contain a variety of hazardous compounds, contribute significantly to indoor air pollution and raise concerns about secondhand exposure to vaping byproducts. Compared to fresh vape emissions, our understanding of chemically aged products in indoor environments remains incomplete. Terpenes are commonly used as flavoring agents in e-liquids, which have the ability to react with the dominant indoor oxidant ozone (O) to produce reactive oxygenated byproducts and result in new particle formation.
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