Arthropod-Plant Interactions (2007) 1, 159-165

Terhi Vuorinen, Anne-Marja Nerg, Leena Syrjälä, Petri Peltonen and Jarmo K. Holopainen (2007)
Epirrita autumnata induced VOC emission of silver birch differ from emission induced by leaf fungal pathogen
Arthropod-Plant Interactions 1 (3), 159-165
Abstract: The production of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) through the activation of different signal-transduction pathways may be induced in various biotic and abiotic stress situations having importance e.g. in insect and disease resistance. We compared the emission of VOCs emitted from silver birch Betula pendula Roth (clones 4 and 80) twigs damaged either by larvae of Epirrita autumnata, or infected with pathogenic leaf spot causing fungus Marssonina betulae. We also analysed whether local herbivore damage can systemically induce the release of VOCs from the undamaged top of same sapling. The emissions of methylsalicylate (MeSA), (Z)-ocimene, (E)-ß-ocimene, (E)-4,8-dimethyl-1,3,7-nonatriene (DMNT) and linalool were induced from the twigs after 72 h feeding damage by E. autumnata larvae. However, 48 h feeding damage did not induce rapid systemic release of VOCs from undamaged top leaves of the same twigs. Pathogen-infected birch twigs had significantly greater emission of (Z)-ocimene and (E)-ß-ocimene than intact control twigs. The emission of DMNT was not significantly induced and MeSA was not found at all after pathogen infection, both being significantly different from herbivore damaged twigs. According to our results leaf fungal pathogen induces VOC emission profile differs from that of arthropod herbivore-damaged leaves, suggesting that birch is able to transmit parasite-specific information via VOC emissions to conspecifics and natural enemies of herbivores.
(The abstract is excluded from the Creative Commons licence and has been copied with permission by the publisher.)
Link to article at publishers website
Database assignments for author(s): Anne-Marja Nerg

Research topic(s) for pests/diseases/weeds:
environment - cropping system/rotation
resistance/tolerance/defence of host

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Pest and/or beneficial records:

Beneficial	Pest/Disease/Weed	Crop/Product	Country	Quarant.
	Epirrita autumnata	Birch (Betula)
	Marssonina betulae	Birch (Betula)