How do plants sense volatiles sent by other plants?

Abstract

Plants communicate via the emission of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) with many animals as well as other plants. We still know little about how VOCs are perceived by receiving (eavesdropping) plants. Here we propose a multiple system of VOC perception, where stress-induced VOCs dock on odorant-binding proteins (OBPs) like in animals and are transported to as-yet-unknown receptors mediating downstream metabolic and/or behavioral changes. Constitutive VOCs that are broadly and lifelong emitted by plants do not bind OBPs but may directly change the metabolism of eavesdropping plants. Deciphering how plants listen to their talking neighbors could empower VOCs as a tool for bioinspired strategies of plant defense when challenged by abiotic and biotic stresses.