Ecophysiological comparison of direct and indirect defenses in Nicotiana attenuata

Oecologia ◽  
2000 ◽  
Vol 124 (3) ◽  
pp. 408-417 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. Halitschke ◽  
A. Keßler ◽  
J. Kahl ◽  
A. Lorenz ◽  
I. T. Baldwin
Keyword(s):  
Nicotiana Attenuata ◽  
Indirect Defenses

scholarly journals Hawkmoths evaluate scenting flowers with the tip of their proboscis

eLife ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 5 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexander Haverkamp ◽  
Felipe Yon ◽  
Ian W Keesey ◽  
Christine Mißbach ◽  
Christopher Koenig ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Wind Tunnel ◽  
Manduca Sexta ◽  
Ecosystem Service ◽  
Floral Scent ◽  
Nicotiana Attenuata ◽  
Floral Volatiles ◽  
Pollen Transfer ◽  
Olfactory Neurons ◽  
Molecular Analyses ◽  
Choice Tests

Pollination by insects is essential to many ecosystems. Previously, we have shown that floral scent is important to mediate pollen transfer between plants (<xref ref-type="bibr" rid="bib16">Kessler et al., 2015</xref>). Yet, the mechanisms by which pollinators evaluate volatiles of single flowers remained unclear. Here, Nicotiana attenuata plants, in which floral volatiles have been genetically silenced and its hawkmoth pollinator, Manduca sexta, were used in semi-natural tent and wind-tunnel assays to explore the function of floral scent. We found that floral scent functions to increase the fitness of individual flowers not only by increasing detectability but also by enhancing the pollinator's foraging efforts. Combining proboscis choice tests with neurophysiological, anatomical and molecular analyses we show that this effect is governed by newly discovered olfactory neurons on the tip of the moth's proboscis. With the tip of their tongue, pollinators assess the advertisement of individual flowers, an ability essential for maintaining this important ecosystem service.

scholarly journals Cytokinin levels and signaling respond to wounding and the perception of herbivore elicitors in Nicotiana attenuata

2014 ◽  
Vol 57 (2) ◽  
pp. 198-212 ◽  
Author(s):  
Martin Schäfer ◽  
Ivan D. Meza‐Canales ◽  
Aura Navarro‐Quezada ◽  
Christoph Brütting ◽  
Radomira Vanková ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Nicotiana Attenuata

scholarly journals Tomato Below Ground–Above Ground Interactions: Trichoderma longibrachiatum Affects the Performance of Macrosiphum euphorbiae and Its Natural Antagonists

2013 ◽  
Vol 26 (10) ◽  
pp. 1249-1256 ◽  
Author(s):  
Donatella Battaglia ◽  
Simone Bossi ◽  
Pasquale Cascone ◽  
Maria Cristina Digilio ◽  
Juliana Duran Prieto ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Tomato Plant ◽  
Integrated Control ◽  
Macrosiphum Euphorbiae ◽  
Aphidius Ervi ◽  
Aphid Parasitoid ◽  
Trichoderma Longibrachiatum ◽  
Indirect Defenses ◽  
Plant Growth Promoting ◽  
Below Ground ◽  
Species Specific

Below ground and above ground plant–insect–microorganism interactions are complex and regulate most of the developmental responses of important crop plants such as tomato. We investigated the influence of root colonization by a nonmycorrhizal plant-growth-promoting fungus on direct and indirect defenses of tomato plant against aphids. The multitrophic system included the plant Solanum lycopersicum (‘San Marzano nano’), the root-associated biocontrol fungus Trichoderma longibrachiatum strain MK1, the aphid Macrosiphum euphorbiae (a tomato pest), the aphid parasitoid Aphidius ervi, and the aphid predator Macrolophus pygmaeus. Laboratory bioassays were performed to assess the effect of T. longibrachiatum MK1, interacting with the tomato plant, on quantity and quality of volatile organic compounds (VOC) released by tomato plant, aphid development and reproduction, parasitoid behavior, and predator behavior and development. When compared with the uncolonized controls, plants whose roots were colonized by T. longibrachiatum MK1 showed quantitative differences in the release of specific VOC, better aphid population growth indices, a higher attractiveness toward the aphid parasitoid and the aphid predator, and a quicker development of aphid predator. These findings support the development of novel strategies of integrated control of aphid pests. The species-specific or strain-specific characteristics of these below ground–above ground interactions remain to be assessed.

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