Control of systemically induced herbivore resistance by plant vascular architecture

Clonal integration systemically regulates leaf microstructure of Bouteloua dactyloides interconnected ramets to better adapt to different levels of simulated insect herbivory

Stolon connection of clonal plants can translocate resources and signalling molecules between interconnected ramets to enhance resistance. Plants are well known to enhance leaf anatomical structure and vein density to respond to insect herbivory. Herbivory signalling molecules are transferred through vascular system to alert distant undamaged leaves, which is called systemic defence induction. Here, we investigated how clonal integration modulates leaf vasculature and anatomical structure of Bouteloua dactyloides ramets to cope with different levels of simulated herbivory. Ramet pairs were subject to six treatments, daughter ramets were exposed to three defoliation levels (0 %, 40 % or 80 % leaf removal) and their stolon connections to mother ramets were either severed or kept intact. Local 40 % defoliation increased vein density and adaxial/abaxial cuticle thickness, decreased leaf width and areolar area of daughter ramets. However, such effects of 80 % defoliation were much smaller. Compared with remote 40 % defoliation, remote 80 % defoliation increased leaf width and areolar area and decreased vein density of interconnected undefoliated mother ramets. Without simulated herbivory, stolon connection negatively affected most leaf microstructural traits of both ramets except from denser veins of mother ramets and more bundle sheath cells of daughter ramets. The negative effect of stolon connection on leaf mechanical structures of daughter ramets was ameliorated in the 40 % defoliation treatment, but not in the 80 % defoliation treatment. Stolon connection increased vein density and decreased areolar area of daughter ramets in the 40 % defoliation treatment. In contrast, stolon connection increased areolar area and decreased bundle sheath cell number of 80 % defoliated daughter ramets. Defoliation signals were transmitted from younger ramets to older ramets to change their leaf biomechanical structure. Clonal integration can adjust leaf microstructure of younger ramets according to the degree of herbivory stress, especially leaf vasculature.

Complexity untwined: The structure and function of cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) shoot phloem

Cucurbit phloem is complex, with large sieve tubes on both sides of the xylem (bicollateral phloem), and extrafascicular elements that form an intricate web linking the rest of the vasculature. Little is known of the physical interconnections between these networks or their functional specialization, largely because the extrafascicular phloem strands branch and turn at irregular angles. Here, export in the phloem from specific regions of the lamina of cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) was mapped using carboxyfluorescein and ¹⁴ C as mobile tracers. We also mapped vascular architecture by conventional microscopy and X-ray computed tomography using optimized whole-tissue staining procedures. Differential gene expression in the internal (IP) and external phloem (EP) was analyzed by laser-capture microdissection followed by RNA-sequencing. The vascular bundles of the lamina form a nexus at the petiole junction, emerging in a predictable pattern, each bundle conducting photoassimilate from a specific region of the blade. The vascular bundles of the stem interconnect at the node, facilitating lateral transport around the stem. Elements of the extrafascicular phloem traverse the stem and petiole obliquely, joining the IP and EP of adjacent bundles. Using pairwise comparisons and weighted gene coexpression network analysis, we found differences in gene expression patterns between the petiole and stem and between IP and EP, and we identified hub genes of tissue-specific modules. Genes related to transport were expressed primarily in the EP while those involved in cell differentiation and development as well as amino acid transport and metabolism were expressed mainly in the IP.

Site-dependent induction of jasmonic acid-associated chemical defenses against western flower thrips in Chrysanthemum

Local and systemic induction of JA-associated chemical defenses and resistance to western flower thrips in Chrysanthemum are spatially variable and dependent on the site of the JA application. Plants have evolved numerous inducible defense traits to resist or tolerate herbivory, which can be activated locally at the site of the damage, or systemically through the whole plant. Here we investigated how activation of local and systemic chemical responses upon exogenous application of the phytohormone jasmonic acid (JA) varies along the plant canopy in Chrysanthemum, and how these responses correlate with resistance to thrips. Our results showed that JA application reduced thrips damage per plant when applied to all the plant leaves or when locally applied to apical leaves, but not when only basal leaves were locally treated. Local application of JA to apical leaves resulted in a strong reduction in thrips damage in new leaves developed after the JA application. Yet, activation of a JA-associated defensive protein marker, polyphenol oxidase, was only locally induced. Untargeted metabolomic analysis further showed that JA increased the concentrations of sugars, phenylpropanoids, flavonoids and some amino acids in locally induced basal and apical leaves. However, local application of JA to basal leaves marginally affected the metabolomic profiles of systemic non-treated apical leaves, and vice versa. Our results suggest that JA-mediated activation of systemic chemical defense responses is spatially variable and depends on the site of the application of the hormone in Chrysanthemum.

Small-scale indirect plant responses to insect herbivory could have major impacts on canopy photosynthesis and isoprene emission

Insect herbivores cause substantial changes in the leaves they attack, but their effects on the ecophysiology of neighbouring, nondamaged leaves have never been quantified in natural canopies. We studied how winter moth (Operophtera brumata), a common herbivore in temperate forests, affects the photosynthetic and isoprene emission rates of its host plant, the pedunculate oak (Quercus robur). Through a manipulative experiment, we measured leaves on shoots damaged by caterpillars or mechanically by cutting, or left completely intact. To quantify the effects at the canopy scale, we surveyed the extent and patterns of leaf area loss in the canopy. Herbivory reduced photosynthesis both in damaged leaves and in their intact neighbours. Isoprene emission rates significantly increased after mechanical leaf damage. When scaled up to canopy-level, herbivory reduced photosynthesis by 48 ± 10%. The indirect effects of herbivory on photosynthesis in undamaged leaves (40%) were much more important than the direct effects of leaf area loss (6%). If widespread across other plant-herbivore systems, these findings suggest that insect herbivory has major and previously underappreciated influences in modifying ecosystem carbon cycling, with potential effects on atmospheric chemistry.

Cotton Defense Induction Patterns Under Spatially, Temporally and Quantitatively Varying Herbivory Levels

In its defense against herbivores, cotton (Gossypium sp.) relies in part on the production of a set of inducible, non-volatile terpenoids. Under uniform damage levels, in planta allocation of induced cotton terpenoids has been found to be highest in youngest leaves, supporting assumptions of the optimal defense theory (ODT) which predicts that plants allocate defense compounds to tissues depending on their value and the likelihood of herbivore attack. However, our knowledge is limited on how varying, and thus more realistic, damage levels might affect cotton defense organization. We hypothesized that the allocation of terpenoids and densities of terpenoid-storing glands in leaves aligns with assumptions of the ODT, even when plants are subjected to temporally, spatially and quantitatively varying caterpillar (Heliothis virescens) damage. As expected, cotton plants allocated most of their defenses to their youngest leaves regardless of damage location. However, defense induction in older leaves varied with damage location. For at least 14 days after damage treatments ended, plants reallocated defense resources from previously young leaves to newly developed leaves. Furthermore, we observed a positive hyperbolic relationship between leaf damage area and both terpenoid concentrations and gland densities, indicating that cotton plants can fine-tune defense allocation. Although it appears that factors like vascular constraints and chemical properties of individual defense compounds can affect defense levels, our results overall demonstrate that induced defense organization of cotton subjected to varying damage treatments is in alignment with key assumptions of the ODT.

Allocation, stress tolerance and carbon transport in plants: how does phloem physiology affect plant ecology?

Despite the crucial role of carbon transport in whole plant physiology and its impact on plant-environment interactions and ecosystem function, relatively little research has tried to examine how phloem physiology impacts plant ecology. In this review, we highlight several areas of active research where inquiry into phloem physiology has increased our understanding of whole plant function and ecological processes. We consider how xylem-phloem interactions impact plant drought tolerance and reproduction, how phloem transport influences carbon allocation in trees and carbon cycling in ecosystems and how phloem function mediates plant relations with insects, pests, microbes and symbiotes. We argue that in spite of challenges that exist in studying phloem physiology, it is critical that we consider the role of this dynamic vascular system when examining the relationship between plants and their biotic and abiotic environment.

Influence of Genotype, Environment, and Gypsy Moth Herbivory on Local and Systemic Chemical Defenses in Trembling Aspen (Populus tremuloides)

Numerous studies have explored the impacts of intraspecific genetic variation and environment on the induction of plant chemical defenses by herbivory. Relatively few, however, have considered how those factors affect within-plant distribution of induced defenses. This work examined the impacts of plant genotype and soil nutrients on the local and systemic phytochemical responses of trembling aspen (Populus tremuloides) to defoliation by gypsy moth (Lymantria dispar). We deployed larvae onto foliage on individual tree branches for 15 days and then measured chemistry in leaves from: 1) branches receiving damage, 2) undamaged branches of insect-damaged trees, and 3) branches of undamaged control trees. The relationship between post-herbivory phytochemical variation and insect performance also was examined. Plant genotype, soil nutrients, and damage all influenced phytochemistry, with genotype and soil nutrients being stronger determinants than damage. Generally, insect damage decreased foliar nitrogen, increased levels of salicinoids and condensed tannins, but had little effect on levels of a Kunitz trypsin inhibitor, TI3. The largest damage-mediated tannin increases occurred in leaves on branches receiving damage, whereas the largest salicinoid increases occurred in leaves of adjacent, undamaged branches. Foliar nitrogen and the salicinoid tremulacin had the strongest positive and negative relationships, respectively, with insect growth. Overall, plant genetics and environment concomitantly influenced both local and systemic phytochemical responses to herbivory. These findings suggest that herbivory can contribute to phytochemical heterogeneity in aspen foliage, which may in turn influence future patterns of herbivory and nutrient cycling over larger spatial scales.

The responses of Vitreoscilla hemoglobin-expressing hybrid aspen (Populus tremula × tremuloides) exposed to 24-h herbivory: expression of hemoglobin and stress-related genes in exposed and nonorthostichous leaves

The responses of transcriptome and phenolic compounds were determined with Populus tremula L. × Populus tremuloides Michx. expressing the hemoglobin (Hb) of Vitreoscilla (VHb) and non-transformant (wt) line. After 24-h exposure of leaves to Conistra vaccinii L., the transcript levels of endogenous non-symbiotic class 1 Hb (PttHb1) and truncated Hb (PttTrHb) genes were modestly reduced and increased, respectively, in both wt and VHb-expressing line. Besides the herbivory exposed leaves showing the most significant transcriptome changes, alterations were also detected in the transcriptome of nonorthostichous leaves positioned directly above the exposed leaves. Both wt and VHb-expressing line displayed similar herbivory-induced effects on gene expression, although the extent of responses was more pronounced in the wt than in the VHb-expressing line. The contents of phenolic compounds were not altered due to herbivory and they were alike in the wt and VHb-expressing line. In addition, we determined the relative growth rates (RGRs) of Orthosia gothica L., Ectropis crepuscularia Denis & Schiff. and Orgyia antiqua L. larvae, and found no variation in the RGRs between the lines. Thus, VHb-expressing P. tremula × tremuloides lines showed to be comparable with wt in regards to the food quality of leaves.

Flexible resource allocation during plant defense responses

Plants are organisms composed of modules connected by xylem and phloem transport streams. Attack by both insects and pathogens elicits sometimes rapid defense responses in the attacked module. We have also known for some time that proteins are often reallocated away from pathogen-infected tissues, while the same infection sites may draw carbohydrates to them. This has been interpreted as a tug of war in which the plant withdraws critical resources to block microbial growth while the microbes attempt to acquire more resources. Sink-source regulated transport among modules of critical resources, particularly carbon and nitrogen, is also altered in response to attack. Insects and jasmonate can increase local sink strength, drawing carbohydrates that support defense production. Shortly after attack, carbohydrates may also be drawn to the root. The rate and direction of movement of photosynthate or signals in phloem in response to attack is subject to constraints that include branching, degree of connection among tissues, distance between sources and sinks, proximity, strength, and number of competing sinks, and phloem loading/unloading regulators. Movement of materials (e.g., amino acids, signals) to or from attack sites in xylem is less well understood but is partly driven by transpiration. The root is an influential sink and may regulate sink-source interactions and transport above and below ground as well as between the plant and the rhizosphere and nearby, connected plants. Research on resource translocation in response to pathogens or herbivores has focused on biochemical mechanisms; whole-plant research is needed to determine which, if any, of these plant behaviors actually influence plant fitness.

Herbivore-simulated induction of defenses in clonal networks of trembling aspen (Populus tremuloides)

Trembling aspen (Populus tremuloides Michx.) as a clonal tree species possesses a complex root system through which trees of the same or different clones are connected. Root connections have been studied with respect to resource sharing, but the nature, quantities or extent of what is shared between trees is relatively unknown. In this study, we posed the hypothesis that systemic defense induction signals could also spread through these root networks and trigger defenses in neighboring ramets before arrival of pests. Temporal expression pattern of Kunitz trypsin inhibitor (KTI) and dihydroflavonol reductase (DFR) genes, two markers of poplar defense, was followed by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction. The expression was quantified in systemic leaves of wounded and healthy plants that shared the same parental root and in untreated controls grown in separate pots. Untreated interconnected plants did not show induced resistance upon herbivore-simulated attack. Although wound-treated ramets induced defense genes, untreated interconnected plants produced an expression pattern similar to non-connected controls. Root connections do not automatically lead to induction of defensive traits that are expressed in plants directly under damage thought to simulate herbivory. Rather, it seems that other communication means such as airborne volatiles can serve as signal transmission pathways among neighboring plants.

UHPLC-ESI/TOFMS determination of salicylate-like phenolic gycosides in Populus tremula leaves

Associations of salicylate-like phenolic glycosides (PGs) with biological activity have been reported in Salix and Populus trees, but only for a few compounds, and in relation to a limited number of herbivores. By considering the full diversity of PGs, we may improve our ability to recognize genotypes or chemotype groups and enhance our understanding of their ecological function. Here, we present a fast and efficient general method for salicylate determination in leaves of Eurasian aspen that uses ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization/time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UHPLC-ESI/TOFMS). The time required for the liquid chromatography separations was 13.5 min per sample, compared to around 60 min per sample for most HPLC protocols. In leaf samples from identical P. tremula genotypes with diverse propagation and treatment histories, we identified nine PGs. We found the compound-specific mass chromatograms to be more informative than the UV-visible chromatograms for compound identification and when quantitating samples with large variability in PG content. Signature compounds previously reported for P. tremoloides (tremulacin, tremuloidin, salicin, and salicortin) always were present, and five PGs (2'-O-cinnamoyl-salicortin, 2'-O-acetyl-salicortin, 2'-O-acetyl-salicin, acetyl-tremulacin, and salicyloyl-salicin) were detected for the first time in P. tremula. By using information about the formic acid adduct that appeared for PGs in the LTQ-Orbitrap MS environment, novel compounds like acetyl-tremulacin could be tentatively identified without the use of standards. The novel PGs were consistently either present in genotypes regardless of propagation and damage treatment or were not detectable. In some genotypes, concentrations of 2'-O-acetyl-salicortin and 2'-O-cinnamoyl-salicortin were similar to levels of biologically active PGs in other Salicaceous trees. Our study suggests that we may expect a wide variation in PG content in aspen populations which is of interest both for studies of interactions with herbivores and for mapping population structure.

A genetic basis for the manipulation of sink-source relationships by the galling aphid Pemphigus batae

We examined how the galling aphid Pemphigus batae manipulates resource translocation patterns of resistant and susceptible narrowleaf cottonwood Populus angustifolia. Using carbon-14 ((14)C)-labeling experiments in common garden trials, five patterns emerged. First, although aphid galls on resistant and susceptible genotypes did not differ in their capacity to intercept assimilates exported from the leaf they occupied, aphids sequestered 5.8-fold more assimilates from surrounding leaves on susceptible tree genotypes compared to resistant genotypes. Second, gall sinks on the same side of a shoot as a labeled leaf were 3.4-fold stronger than gall sinks on the opposite side of a shoot, which agrees with patterns of vascular connections among leaves of the same shoot (orthostichy). Third, plant genetic-based traits accounted for 26% of the variation in sink strength of gall sinks and 41% of the variation in sink strength of a plant's own bud sinks. Fourth, tree susceptibility to aphid gall formation accounted for 63% of the variation in (14)C import, suggesting strong genetic control of sink-source relationships. Fifth, competition between two galls was observed on a susceptible but not a resistant tree. On the susceptible tree distal aphids intercepted 1.5-fold more (14)C from the occupied leaf than did basal aphids, but basal aphids compensated for the presence of a distal competitor by almost doubling import to the gall from surrounding leaves. These findings and others, aimed at identifying candidate genes for resistance, argue the importance of including plant genetics in future studies of the manipulation of translocation patterns by phytophageous insects.

Within-plant distribution of induced resistance in apple seedlings: rapid acropetal and delayed basipetal responses

Induction of plant resistance by herbivory is a complex process, which follows a temporal dynamic and varies spatially at the within-plant scale. This study aimed at improving the understanding of the induction process in terms of time scale and within-plant allocation, using apple tree seedlings (Malus × domestica) as plant model. Feeding preferences of a leaf-chewing insect (Spodoptera littoralis) for previously damaged and undamaged plants were assessed for six different time intervals with respect to the herbivore damage treatment and for three leaf positions. In addition, main secondary defense compounds were quantified and linked to herbivore feeding preferences. Significant herbivore preference for undamaged plants (induced resistance) was first observed 3 days after herbivore damage in the most apical leaf. Responses were delayed in the other leaf positions, and induced resistance decreased within 10 days after herbivore damage simultaneously in all tested leaf positions. Chemical analysis revealed higher concentrations of the flavonoid phloridzin in damaged plants as compared to undamaged plants. This indicates that herbivore preference for undamaged apple plants may be linked to phloridzin, which is the main secondary metabolite of apple leaves. The observed time course and distribution of resistance responses within plants contribute to the understanding of induction processes and patterns, and support the optimal defense theory stating young tissue to be prioritized. Moreover, induced resistance responses occurred also basipetally in leaves below the damage site, which suggests that signaling pathways involved in resistance responses are not unidirectional.

Pithy protection: Nicotiana attenuata's jasmonic acid-mediated defenses are required to resist stem-boring weevil larvae

Folivory is the best studied plant-herbivore interaction, but it is unclear whether the signaling and resistance traits important for the defense of leaves are also important for other plant parts. Larvae of the tobacco stem weevil, Trichobaris mucorea, burrow into stems of Nicotiana attenuata and feed on the pith. Transgenic N. attenuata lines silenced in signaling and foliar defense traits were evaluated in a 2-year field study for resistance against attack by naturally occurring T. mucorea larva. Plants silenced in early jasmonic acid (JA) biosynthesis (antisense [as]-lipoxygenase3 [lox3]; inverted repeat [ir]-allene oxide cyclase), JA perception (as-coronatine insensitive1), proteinase inhibitors (ir-pi), and nicotine (ir-putrescine methyl-transferase) direct defenses and lignin (ir-cad) biosynthesis were infested more frequently than wild-type plants. Plants unable to emit C(6) aldehydes (as-hpl) had lower infestation rates, while plants silenced in late steps in JA biosynthesis (ir-acyl-coenzyme A oxidase, ir-opr) and silenced in diterpene glycoside production (ir-geranylgeranyl pyrophosphate synthase) did not differ from wild type. Pith choice assays revealed that ir-putrescine methyl-transferase, ir-coronatine insensitive1, and ir-lox3 pith, which all had diminished nicotine levels, were preferred by larvae compared to wild-type pith. The lack of preference for ir-lox2 and ir-cad piths, suggest that oviposition attraction and vascular defense, rather than pith palatability accounts for the higher attack rates observed for these plants. We conclude that traits that influence a plant's apparency, stem hardness, and pith direct defenses all contribute to resistance against this herbivore whose attack can be devastating to N. attenuata's fitness.

New insights into plant responses to the attack from insect herbivores

Plants have evolved sophisticated systems to cope with herbivore challenges. When plants perceive herbivore-derived physical and chemical cues, such as elicitors in insects' oral secretions and compounds in oviposition fluids, plants dramatically reshape their transcriptomes, proteomes, and metabolomes. All these herbivory-induced changes are mediated by elaborate signaling networks, which include receptors/sensors, Ca(2+) influxes, kinase cascades, reactive oxygen species, and phytohormone signaling pathways. Furthermore, herbivory induces defense responses not only in the wounded regions but also in undamaged regions in the attacked leaves and in distal intact (systemic) leaves. Here, we review recent progress in understanding plant perception of herbivory and oviposition, and the herbivory-induced early signaling events and their biological functions. We consider the intraspecific phenotypic diversity of plant responses to herbivory and discuss the underlying genetic variation. We also discuss new tools and technical challenges in studying plant-herbivore interactions.

Transcriptome profiles of hybrid poplar (Populus trichocarpa × deltoides) reveal rapid changes in undamaged, systemic sink leaves after simulated feeding by forest tent caterpillar (Malacosoma disstria)

• Poplar has been established as a model tree system for genomic research of the response to biotic stresses. This study describes a series of induced transcriptome changes and the associated physiological characterization of local and systemic responses in hybrid poplar (Populus trichocarpa × deltoides) after simulated herbivory. • Responses were measured in local source (LSo), systemic source (SSo), and systemic sink (SSi) leaves following application of forest tent caterpillar (Malacosoma disstria) oral secretions to mechanically wounded leaves. • Transcriptome analyses identified spatially and temporally dynamic, distinct patterns of local and systemic gene expression in LSo, SSo and SSi leaves. Galactinol synthase was strongly and rapidly upregulated in SSi leaves. Genome analyses and full-length cDNA cloning established an inventory of poplar galactinol synthases. Induced changes of galactinol and raffinose oligosaccharides were detected by anion-exchange high-pressure liquid chromatography. • The LSo leaves showed a rapid and strong transcriptome response compared with a weaker and slower response in adjacent SSo leaves. Surprisingly, the transcriptome response in distant, juvenile SSi leaves was faster and stronger than that observed in SSo leaves. Systemic transcriptome changes of SSi leaves have signatures of rapid change of metabolism and signaling, followed by later induction of defense genes.

Herbivory-induced signalling in plants: perception and action

Plants and herbivores have been interacting for millions of years. Over time, plants have evolved mechanisms to defend against herbivore attacks. Herbivore-challenged plants reconfigure their metabolism to produce compounds that are toxic, repellant or anti-digestive for the herbivores. Some compounds are volatile signals that attract the predators of herbivores. All these responses are tightly regulated by a signalling network triggered by the plant's perception machinery. Several compounds that specifically elicit herbivory-induced responses in plants have been isolated from herbivore oral secretions and oviposition fluids. Elicitor perception is rapidly followed by cell membrane depolarization, calcium influx and mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) activation; plants also elevate the concentrations of reactive oxygen and nitrogen species, and modulate phytohormone levels accordingly. In addition to these reactions in the herbivore-attacked regions of a leaf, defence responses are also mounted in unattacked parts of the attacked leaf and as well in unattacked leaves. In this review, we summarize recent progress in understanding how plants recognize herbivory, the involvement of several important signalling pathways that mediate the responses to herbivore attack and the signals that transduce local into systemic responses.

Chemical complexity of volatiles from plants induced by multiple attack

The attack of a plant by herbivorous arthropods can result in considerable changes in the plant's chemical phenotype. The emission of so-called herbivore-induced plant volatiles (HIPV) results in the attraction of carnivorous enemies of the herbivores that induced these changes. HIPV induction has predominantly been investigated for interactions between one plant and one attacker. However, in nature plants are exposed to a variety of attackers, either simultaneously or sequentially, in shoots and roots, causing much more complex interactions than have usually been investigated in the context of HIPV. To develop an integrated view of how plants respond to their environment, we need to know more about the ways in which multiple attackers can enhance, attenuate, or otherwise alter HIPV responses. A multidisciplinary approach will allow us to investigate the underlying mechanisms of HIPV emission in terms of phytohormones, transcriptional responses and biosynthesis of metabolites in an effort to understand these complex plant-arthropod interactions.

Effects of plant vascular architecture on aboveground-belowground-induced responses to foliar and root herbivores on Nicotiana tabacum

Herbivores induce systemic changes in plant traits, and the strength of these induced responses is often associated with the degree of vascular connectivity that links damaged and undamaged plant tissues. Although this phenomenon is known to occur aboveground in leaves, it is unknown whether or not leaf-root induction similarly follows the vascular architecture of plants. To test for this possibility, we manipulated foliar and root herbivory on tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum) by the leaf-chewing insect Spodoptera exigua and the root-galling nematode Meloidogyne incognita. Subsequent changes in secondary chemistry (alkaloids and phenolics) were measured in leaves and roots that were orthostichous (vertically aligned) and nonorthostichous (opposite) from the herbivore-damaged tissues. Aboveground caterpillar herbivory elicited stronger secondary chemical responses in orthostichous compared with nonorthostichous plant tissues, although the magnitude of this difference was greater in leaves than roots. However, belowground nematode herbivory did not affect the secondary chemistry of tobacco leaves, despite inducing strong local responses in roots. Thus, plant vascular architecture can mediate the magnitude of systemic induction in roots as well as in leaves, with stronger responses in tissues that are more closely aligned. As a result, herbivores that co-occur on the same sector of plant (both aboveground and belowground) may be more likely to affect one another via induced responses than herbivores that occur on plant tissues sharing fewer resources.

Shoot–root defense signaling and activation of root defense by leaf damage in poplarThis article is one of a selection of papers published in the Special Issue on Poplar Research in Canada

Shoot–root systemic defense signaling of hybrid poplar (Populus trichocarpa Torr. & A. Gray × Populus deltoides Bartr. ex Marsh.) was investigated with molecular techniques to extend existing knowledge of poplar defense. Treatment of roots with methyl jasmonate demonstrated that transcripts of PtdTI3, a poplar trypsin inhibitor and marker of poplar defense responses, can be induced in poplar roots as well as leaves. Moreover, simulated herbivory of poplar leaves with methyl jasmonate treatment or wounding with pliers also induced PtdTI3 mRNA in roots, which implies downward, or basipetal, systemic signaling from shoots to roots. In addition, the inducible root-defense response comprised both increased PtdTI3 protein levels and trypsin-inhibitor activity. The inducible systemic response was further investigated with comparative macroarray analyses which indicated that in addition to PtdTI3, other genes respond in roots after wounding and methyl jasmonate treatment of leaves. The majority of the 17 genes encode previously identified leaf herbivory defense genes; however, some genes strongly up-regulated in leaves were not induced in roots. The identification of multiple defense genes that are inducible in roots following leaf damage is clear evidence of a systemic defense response in roots and the presence of basipetal shoot–root defense signaling.

Variation in Eastern cottonwood (Populus deltoides Bartr.) phloem sap content caused by leaf development may affect feeding site selection behavior of the aphid, Chaitophorous populicola Thomas (Homoptera: Aphididae)

Apterous populations of Chaitophorous populicola Thomas (Homoptera: Aphididae) appear to track Eastern cottonwood (Populus deltoides Bartr.) leaf development. Few aphids occur on mature leaves. Marked individual aphids on leaves of different developmental stages were observed through a period of new leaf initiation. Nymph and adult C. populicola frequently track leaf development by moving up to younger leaves. A comparison of phloem sap constituents and leaf toughness among leaf developmental stages revealed some differences that could be used by C. populicola to determine leaf age. Phloem sap exudates, collected from P. deltoides leaves of different developmental stages, were analyzed by high-performance liquid chromatography for free amino acids and the phenolic glycoside salicin. Sucrose concentration in exudates, indicative of phloem sap exudation rate, was uniform among leaf stages. Of 20 amino acids examined, only aspartic acid and gamma-amino-n-butyric acid (GABA) concentrations differed significantly between leaf stages. Forward stepwise discriminant function analysis showed that seven of the amino acids analyzed are useful for classifying leaf maturity groupings. Aphid-infested cottonwoods had lower cystine concentrations in phloem sap than aphid-free plants. Salicin concentration was significantly higher in new leaves. Leaf toughness was assessed by lignin density and distance measurements in petiole cross-sections. Rapidly expanding leaves had significantly less lignification and new leaves had shorter distances to the vascular bundles than senescent leaves. These physiological and phytochemical differences among P. deltoides leaf developmental stages may contribute to the leaf stage selection patterns exhibited by the aphid, C. populicola.

Within-plant signalling via volatiles overcomes vascular constraints on systemic signalling and primes responses against herbivores

Plant volatiles play important roles in signalling between plants and insects, but their role in communication among plants remains controversial. Previous research on plant-plant communication has focused on interactions between neighbouring plants, largely overlooking the possibility that volatiles function as signals within plants. Here, we show that volatiles released by herbivore-wounded leaves of hybrid poplar (Populus deltoides x nigra) prime defences in adjacent leaves with little or no vascular connection to the wounded leaves. Undamaged leaves exposed to volatiles from wounded leaves on the same stem had elevated defensive responses to feeding by gypsy moth larvae (Lymantria dispar L.) compared with leaves that did not receive volatiles. Volatile signals may facilitate systemic responses to localized herbivory even when the transmission of internal signals is constrained by vascular connectivity. Self-signalling via volatiles is consistent with the short distances over which plant response to airborne cues has been observed to occur and has apparent benefits for emitting plants, suggesting that within-plant signalling may have equal or greater ecological significance than signalling between plants.

Specificity of phenolic glycoside induction in willow seedlings (Salix sericea) in response to herbivory

Salix sericea (Marsh.) (Salicaceae) seedlings were used to investigate phytochemical induction of phenolic glycosides following beetle herbivory. Seven-week-old full-sibling seedlings were subjected to one of three damage treatments: Plagiodera versicolora adults, P. versicolora larvae, or Calligrapha multipunctata bigsbyana adults. Salicylate concentrations were measured locally (within damaged leaves) and systemically (above and below damaged leaves) 4 d later. Herbivory caused differential salicylate induction; 2'-cinnamoylsalicortin was induced, whereas salicortin was not. The induction of 2'-cinnamoylsalicortin was not specific with regard to the species or developmental stage of beetle tested but did vary with leaf age: induction occurred in the younger undamaged leaves but not in the damaged leaves or in the older undamaged leaves. The amount of leaf area consumed had no detectable effect on induction, indicating an "all-or-none" response triggered by even small amounts of herbivory. Locally, herbivory caused a decrease in salicortin concentrations, probably because of degradation within the damaged leaves. These results suggest a specific but generalized induced response to these leaf-feeding beetles.

Herbivory rapidly activates MAPK signaling in attacked and unattacked leaf regions but not between leaves of Nicotiana attenuata

Mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling plays a central role in transducing extracellular stimuli into intracellular responses, but its role in mediating plant responses to herbivore attack remains largely unexplored. When Manduca sexta larvae attack their host plant, Nicotiana attenuata, the plant's wound response is reconfigured at transcriptional, phytohormonal, and defensive levels due to the introduction of oral secretions (OS) into wounds during feeding. We show that OS dramatically amplify wound-induced MAPK activity and that fatty acid-amino acid conjugates in M. sexta OS are the elicitors. Virus-induced gene silencing of salicylic acid-induced protein kinase (SIPK) and wound-induced protein kinase revealed their importance in mediating wound and OS-elicited hormonal responses and transcriptional regulation of defense-related genes. We found that after applying OS to wounds created in one portion of a leaf, SIPK is activated in both wounded and specific unwounded regions of the leaf but not in phylotactically connected adjacent leaves. We propose that M. sexta attack elicits a mobile signal that travels to nonwounded regions of the attacked leaf where it activates MAPK signaling and, thus, downstream responses; subsequently, a different signal is transported by the vascular system to systemic leaves to initiate defense responses without activating MAPKs in systemic leaves.

Damage-induced resistance in sagebrush: volatiles are key to intra- and interplant communication

Airborne communication between individuals, called "eavesdropping" in this paper, can cause plants to become more resistant to herbivores when a neighbor has been experimentally clipped. The ecological relevance of this result has been in question, since individuals may be too far apart for this interaction to affect many plants in natural populations. We investigated induced resistance to herbivory in sagebrush, Artemisia tridentata, caused by experimental clipping of the focal plant and its neighbors. We found no evidence for systemic induced resistance when one branch was clipped and another branch on the same plant was assayed for naturally occurring damage. In this experiment, air contact and plant age were not controlled. Previous work indicated that sagebrush received less damage when a neighboring upwind plant within 15 cm had been experimentally clipped. Here we found that pairs of sagebrush plants that were up to 60 cm apart were influenced by experimental clipping of a neighbor. Furthermore, we observed that most individuals had conspecific neighbors that were much closer than 60 cm. Air contact was essential for communication; treatments that reduced airflow between neighboring individuals, either because of wind direction or bagging, prevented induced resistance. Airflow was also necessary for systemic induced resistance among branches within an individual. Reports from the literature indicated that sagebrush is highly sectorial, as are many desert shrubs. Branches within a sagebrush plant do not freely exchange material via vascular connections and apparently cannot rely on an internal signaling pathway for coordinating induction of resistance to herbivores. Instead, they may use external, volatile cues. This hypothesis provides a proximal explanation for why sagebrush does not demonstrate systemic induced resistance without directed airflow, and why airborne communication between branches induces resistance.

15N partitioning in tomato: vascular constraints versus tissue demand

Allocation of root-derived resources is influenced by tissue demand; however, vascular pathways mediate resource flow from roots to shoots. In vascularly constrained plants (i.e. sectored plants), effects of vascular connections likely limit homogenous resource delivery, especially when environmental resource distribution is patchy. Here, we quantify relative roles of vascular connections, demands by different leaves (i.e. by leaf age and size), and molecule size of transported N compounds (effective sectoriality: nitrate v. ammonium) on allocation of ¹⁵N in the sectored tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.). Vascular connections were the strongest predictor of both accumulation (amount per leaf; P<0.0001) and δ (estimate of concentration; P<0.0001) ¹⁵N values in mature leaves, but young expanding leaves did not show such dramatically sectored uptake (accumulation: P=0.0685; δ: P=0.0455), suggesting that sectoriality is less strong in young expanding tissue, especially in the youngest leaf. In patchy environments sectoriality, then, should have large consequences for the ability of a plant to allocate resources in mature tissue; however, young leaves do not appear to experience such strong vascular constraints when building new tissue.

Damage-induced resistance in sagebrush: volatiles are key to intra- and interplant communication

Airborne communication between individuals, called "eavesdropping" in this paper, can cause plants to become more resistant to herbivores when a neighbor has been experimentally clipped. The ecological relevance of this result has been in question, since individuals may be too far apart for this interaction to affect many plants in natural populations. We investigated induced resistance to herbivory in sagebrush, Artemisia tridentata, caused by experimental clipping of the focal plant and its neighbors. We found no evidence for systemic induced resistance when one branch was clipped and another branch on the same plant was assayed for naturally occurring damage. In this experiment, air contact and plant age were not controlled. Previous work indicated that sagebrush received less damage when a neighboring upwind plant within 15 cm had been experimentally clipped. Here we found that pairs of sagebrush plants that were up to 60 cm apart were influenced by experimental clipping of a neighbor. Furthermore, we observed that most individuals had conspecific neighbors that were much closer than 60 cm. Air contact was essential for communication; treatments that reduced airflow between neighboring individuals, either because of wind direction or bagging, prevented induced resistance. Airflow was also necessary for systemic induced resistance among branches within an individual. Reports from the literature indicated that sagebrush is highly sectorial, as are many desert shrubs. Branches within a sagebrush plant do not freely exchange material via vascular connections and apparently cannot rely on an internal signaling pathway for coordinating induction of resistance to herbivores. Instead, they may use external, volatile cues. This hypothesis provides a proximal explanation for why sagebrush does not demonstrate systemic induced resistance without directed airflow, and why airborne communication between branches induces resistance.

Members only: induced systemic resistance to herbivory in a clonal plant network

The stoloniferous herb Trifolium repens was used to study the expression of induced systemic resistance (ISR) to the generalist caterpillar Spodoptera exigua in interconnected ramets of clonal fragments. The ISR was assessed as caterpillar preference in dual choice tests between control and systemically induced plants. The ISR was detected in young ramets, after inducing older sibling ramets on the same stolon by a controlled herbivore attack. However, older ramets did not receive a defense induction signal from younger ramets unless the predominant phloem flow was reversed by means of basal shading. This provides evidence for the notion that in T. repens the clone-internal expression of ISR is coupled to phloem transport and follows source-sink gradients. The inducibility of the genotypes was not linked to their constitutive ability to produce cyanide, implying the absence of a trade-off between these two defense traits. To our knowledge, this is the first study that explores ISR to herbivory in the context of physiological integration in potentially extensive clonal plant networks.

Herbivores, Vascular Pathways, and Systemic Induction: Facts and Artifacts

Over the past 10 years there has been tremendous growth in our understanding of molecular, chemical, and morphological induction of traits involved in the resistance of plants to herbivores. Although it is well established that the patterns of induction can be constrained by a plant's vascular architecture, studies often fail to account for these constraints. Failure to do so has the potential to severely underestimate both the patterns and extent of induction. Here I review (1) the evidence for vascular control of induced responses, (2) how interspecific variation in phyllotaxy influences spatial patterning of induction, (3) the factors, phloem transport and volatile production, that may break down vascular constraints and lead to more widespread induction, and (4) the experimental approaches that could be compromised when vascular architecture is not considered. I show that vascular constraints in systemic induction are commonplace, but vary among species. I suggest that when induction is more widespread than expected from patterns of phyllotaxy, differences in vascular connectivity and volatile production may be responsible. I argue that advances in the mechanisms of systemic induction, cross-talk between different signal transduction pathways, specificity of induction, costs and benefits of systemic induction, and the effects of induced changes on herbivores and their natural enemies require that experiments be designed to examine and/or control for vascular constraints in systemic induction.

Jasmonic acid induces rapid changes in carbon transport and partitioning in Populus

Here, we tested whether rapid changes in carbohydrate transport and partitioning to storage organs would be induced by jasmonic acid (JA), a plant-produced signal of herbivore attack known to induce resistance. Carbon-11, introduced as (11)CO(2), was used to track real-time carbohydrate transport and partitioning nondestructively in Populus species before and 12 h after application of JA to a single leaf. Jasmonic acid resulted in more rapid [(11)C]-photosynthate export from both local and systemic leaves, as well as greater partitioning of [(11)C]-photosynthate to the stem and roots. In Populus tremuloides, following JA treatment, leaf starch decreased, but there was no change in photosynthetic rates or leaf soluble sugar concentration, indicating that recent photosynthate was diverted from starch accumulation in the leaf to other plant organs. Increasing the supply of photosynthate to roots and stems may shield resources from folivorous predators, and may also facilitate both storage and nutrient uptake, and ultimately lead to greater tolerance, either by enhancing regrowth capacity or by replacing nutrients consumed by herbivores.

Within-plant variation in induced defence in developing leaves of cotton plants

According to optimal defence theory (ODT) plants should invest in stronger defence in the most valuable parts, such as reproductive or young tissue. Cotton plants are known to express high resistance to herbivore feeding in the developing leaves at the top of the plant after herbivore-damage. Cotton plants also have developing leaves on side shoots from the nodes all along the plant. This allowed us to investigate within-plant distribution of defence between younger tissues at different locations on the plant. We found that all developing leaves showed increased resistance to feeding by larvae of the generalist moth Spodoptera littoralis after herbivore damage to leaves of the plant. An increase in the concentration of secondary compounds, terpenoid aldehydes, was found in developing leaves both at the top of the plant and on the side shoots. However, the resistance was stronger in the top leaves than in the side shoot leaves, showing that there is intra-plant variation in the induced response between different leaves of the same age. After the initial damage, larval feeding mainly occurred on the older, fully developed true leaves. Furthermore, the herbivore-induced resistance in the developing leaves reduced upward movement of feeding larvae on the plant and reduced the feeding on the upper parts of the plant over a period of at least 6 days. The plant thus benefits from defending all developing leaves by directing feeding to older, less valuable leaves and lower parts of the plant. The observed distribution of defence within cotton plants supports ODT.

Above- and below-ground terpenoid aldehyde induction in cotton, Gossypium herbaceum, following root and leaf injury

Studies on induced defenses have predominantly focused on foliar induction by above-ground herbivores and pathogens. However, roots are attacked by as many if not more phytophages than shoots, so in reality plants are exposed to above- and below-ground attack. Here, we report effects of foliar and/or root damage on terpenoid aldehyde accumulation in cotton (Gossypium herbaceum). Using HPLC, we analyzed concentrations of individual terpenoid aldehydes in foliage and root tissue. In undamaged plants, terpenoid aldehydes were concentrated in young immature main leaves. Concentrations in side leaves, branching from the main leaves, did not differ among leaf position. Above-ground feeding by Spodopterta exigua larvae on a mature leaf enhanced terpenoid concentrations in immature leaves but not in the damaged leaf. In particular, concentrations of hemigossypolone and the heliocides 1 and 4 were enhanced following herbivory. Root herbivory by wireworms (Agriotes lineatus) also resulted in an increase in terpenoid levels in the foliage. In contrast with foliar herbivory, both immature and mature leaves were induced. However, the level of induction after root herbivory was much lower compared to foliar herbivory. Plants exposed to root herbivory also had significantly higher levels of terpenoid aldehydes in root tissue, while no such effect was found following foliar herbivory. Plants exposed to both root and foliar herbivory appeared to induce primarily above-ground at the cost of below-ground defense. The implications for above- and below-ground Mutitrophic interactions are discussed.

Plant vascular architecture and within-plant spatial patterns in resource quality following herbivory

In this study, we used plant vascular architecture as a framework from which to predict induced changes in resource quality for Lema trilinea feeding on the host plant Solanum dulcamara at both low and high levels of herbivory. The systemic patterns of allocation of dye from a capillary tube inserted onto the petiole of the first true leaf and sections of the stem were used to establish the degree of vascular connectivity among different leaf positions. Induced changes in the activity of two defensive proteins, proteinase inhibitor (PI) and polyphenol oxidase (PPO), as well as larval L. trilinea performance, were measured in weakly or strongly connected leaves on plants with the first leaf damaged or undamaged by adult L. trilinea. At high levels of herbivory, larval performance decreased on the sixth leaf, which has strong vascular connections to the first leaf, yet increased on the fifth leaf, which has weak vascular connections to the first leaf. PPO activity increased in both the fifth and sixth leaf, while PI activity decreased in the fifth leaf although remaining unchanged in the sixth leaf. At low levels of herbivory, a decrease in larval performance was observed in the sixth leaf, but no change occurred in the weakly connected fifth leaf. Hence, plant vascular architecture clearly predicted within-plant changes in resource quality following only small amounts of herbivore damage.

The pattern of systemic acquired resistance induction within the Arabidopsis rosette in relation to the pattern of translocation

Local leaf infections by a necrogenic pathogen can lead to systemic acquired resistance (SAR) in untreated leaves. We reasoned that, whatever the nature of the long-distance signal, if it is transported in the phloem, the pattern of SAR induced within the plant by treatment of a single leaf should match the pattern of translocation out of that leaf. The source-sink relationships (orthostichies) in the Arabidopsis rosette were established with [14C]Suc or phloem-mobile 3-aminotriazole at herbicidal concentrations. SAR was activated by infiltrating a single Columbia leaf with Pseudomonas syringae pv maculicola DC3000/avrRPM1, which causes a hypersensitive response. The pattern of SAR in the rosette was monitored by assessing the growth of wild-type DC3000 and by measuring the SAR markers salicylic acid and PR1 transcripts. Although the orthostichy of a single leaf was clearly limited to a row of vertically aligned leaves, SAR and SAR markers were also found outside the orthostichy. This indicates that, whatever the nature of the long-distance signal from the treated leaf to the upper responding leaves, its transport is either not limited exclusively to the phloem or the minor proportion of translocate that is not confined to the orthostichy contains enough of the SAR systemic signal to set in motion events leading to the establishment of the SAR state in the upper leaves.

Constraints to herbivore-induced systemic responses: bidirectional signaling along orthostichies in Nicotiana attenuata

We investigated the impact of leaf vascular connections on systemically transmitted herbivore-induced gene expression in Nicotiana attenuata. Although systemic signaling is clearly associated with the plant vascular system, few studies consider vascular architecture when measuring systemically induced defenses. N. attenuata is a plant with dispersed phyllotaxis approximating 3/8 in the rosette stage of growth. We mimicked Manduca sexta herbivory by introducing larval regurgitant to wounds produced with a standardized continuous mechanical wounding and investigated mRNA accumulation of genes. Herbivory in N. attenuata induces the expression of genes coding for a proteinase inhibitor protein (PI), threonine deaminase (TD, EC 4.3.1.19), a luminal-binding protein (BiP), and an alpha-dioxygenase (alpha-DOX). We measured the systemic response of sink leaves when orthostichous (growing at an angular distance of 0 degrees) source leaves were treated, and vice versa, and compared it to the systemic response of leaves growing at the maximum angular distance of 180 degrees. Vascular architecture clearly controlled the intensity of systemic mRNA accumulation within the 4-hr time frame of the experiment. In addition, we found signal translocation to be bidirectional, travelling from source to sink as well as from sink to source leaves, which argues against a phloem-based assimilate-linked signal identity.