volatile-chemistry
Volatile chemistry in plants refers to the study of low-molecular-weight compounds that are synthesized and released into the atmosphere, including terpenes, aldehydes, and green leaf volatiles. These airborne signals play critical roles in plant defense against herbivores and pathogens, pollinator attraction, and inter-plant communication. Understanding the biosynthetic pathways and regulatory mechanisms behind volatile production offers insights into how plants respond dynamically to their environment.
open_in_new WikipediaPubMed · 2026-05-01
Corn plants respond to caterpillar saliva by ramping up chemical defenses, but the type of response varies by species — even among closely related armyworms. The fall armyworm, a corn specialist, suppresses the plant's airborne distress signals while still triggering strong internal defense changes.
All three Spodoptera armyworm species triggered significant increases in phytohormone levels and defense gene expression in maize, indicating a broadly conserved plant immune response.
Despite similar internal hormone and gene responses, volatile emissions (airborne defense signals) were considerably lower when plants were treated with fall armyworm (S. frugiperda) secretions compared to beet armyworm and cotton leafworm.
The fall armyworm, a maize specialist, induced greater transcriptome-wide changes than the other two species, suggesting deeper co-evolutionary manipulation of the host plant's signaling pathways.
