Belowground volatiles facilitate interactions between plant roots and soil organisms

Planta. 2010 Feb;231(3):499-506. doi: 10.1007/s00425-009-1076-2. Epub 2009 Dec 15.

Abstract

Many interactions between organisms are based on the emission and perception of volatiles. The principle of using volatile metabolites as communication signals for chemo-attractant or repellent for species-specific interactions or mediators for cell-to-cell recognition does not stop at an apparently unsuitable or inappropriate environment. These infochemicals do not only diffuse through the atmosphere to process their actions aboveground, but belowground volatile interactions are similarly complex. This review summarizes various eucaryotes (e.g., plant (roots), invertebrates, fungi) and procaryotes (e.g., rhizobacteria) which are involved in these volatile-mediated interactions. The soil volatiles cannot be neglected anymore, but have to be considered in the future as valuable infochemicals to understand the entire integrity of the ecosystems.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Arthropods / drug effects
  • Arthropods / metabolism
  • Bacteria / drug effects
  • Bacteria / metabolism
  • Fungi / drug effects
  • Fungi / metabolism
  • Invertebrates / drug effects
  • Invertebrates / metabolism*
  • Nematoda / drug effects
  • Nematoda / metabolism
  • Plant Roots / drug effects
  • Plant Roots / metabolism*
  • Plant Roots / microbiology
  • Soil Microbiology*
  • Volatile Organic Compounds / metabolism*

Substances

  • Volatile Organic Compounds