Getting the interactions right: will higher O3 levels interfere with induced defenses to aphid feeding?

MENENDEZ, A.I.; ROMERO A.M.; FOLCIA, A.M.; MARTINEZ-GHERSA, M.A.

BASIC AND APPLIED ECOLOGY

Elsevier

Lugar: Amsterdam; Año: 2009 vol. 10 p. 255 - 264

1439-1791

Induced defenses in response to biotic and abiotic agents share signalling and response pathways with many interaction points. Ozone (O3)-exposed plants show an increased production and rapid accumulation of salicylic acid (SA), which amplifies the initial oxidative signal. SA is also involved in the defense pathway induced by aphid attack. The signal is transmitted throughout the plant, establishing communication among different plant tissues. Here we discuss experimental and conceptual advances and limitations of cross-talk between responses to ozone and aphids and we make a case for the need of studies at a large scale with enough and sufficient complexity to assess interactions at the individual organism andpopulation levels. We further hypothesize that stress frequency, intensity, duration and timing, will affect the direction of response to aphid herbivory of increased-O3 exposed plants. In the long term, frequent high O3 exposures might allow the selection of O3-resistant plants that do not accumulate reactive oxygen species, preventing the induction of defenses against aphid attack.