Abstract
Previous studies have demonstrated that genetic identity between interacting perennial plants results in more effective defense when emitter and receiver neighbors have greater genetic similarity. However, the effects of both genetic relatedness and presence of herbivores on fitness-related responses of neighboring plants have not yet been explored. Our aim was to examine how manipulating these two important factors genetic and environmental factors can influence indirect plant-plant communication in the annual crucifer Arabidopsis thaliana. Plants of a single genotype (receivers) were exposed to volatile emissions of neighboring emitter plants with a similar or different genotype, and either intact or damaged by larvae of a specialist herbivore for ten days. Each of the four treatments was isolated in separate environmental chambers and the full experiment was replicated twice. Receiver plant growth and reproductive-related traits were measured ten days after exposure to treatments, and at senescence. Results showed that the effect of herbivory and plant genotype of emitter plants influenced responses related growth and reproduction in receiver plants. Receiver plants grew taller, had more inflorescence branching, and produced more fruits (60% more) when exposed to undamaged emitters of a different genotype than receivers exposed to the other emitter plant treatments. Therefore, genotype identity and environmental context (presence of herbivory) may be important factors influencing indirect plant-plant communication, which could, in turn, result in selection for genotypes showing increased fitness-related responses.
Highlights
Due to their inability to escape stressful environments, plants have evolved mechanisms to physiologically deter herbivores and competitors through chemical and mechanical defenses, or by enhanced growth to compensate for tissue loss
Results showed that the effect of herbivory and plant genotype of emitter plants influenced responses related growth and reproduction in receiver plants
This study was aimed at determining whether plant genotype and herbivory in emitter plants influenced fitness-related responses of receiver plants
Summary
Due to their inability to escape stressful environments, plants have evolved mechanisms to physiologically deter herbivores and competitors through chemical and mechanical defenses, or by enhanced growth to compensate for tissue loss. Plant defenses can be expressed constitutively or inducibly to reduce fitness costs [1] [2] [3]. Induction is a process under which plants increase physical and chemical defenses after they have incurred damage from environmental stressors such as pathogens, or herbivores. Plant inducible defense mechanisms are metabolically advantageous due to reductions in production costs when herbivory does not occur [4]. To further fine-tune induction responses to antagonists, such as herbivores, plants can communicate via airborne volatiles [5] [6]. Plant exposed to volatile cues have been shown to reduce subsequent herbivore damage in Artemisia tridentata [7] [8], or to increase competitive ability in Nicotiana tabacum [9] [10]
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