Volatile Chemical Cues Guide Host Location and Host Selection by Parasitic Plants

By Justin B. Runyon, Mark C. Mescher, Consuelo M. De Moraes

Plant volatiles are the metabolites that plants release into the air. Plants emit volatile
chemicals in which they use it to attract pollinators, protect against certain environmental
stressors and repel herbivores. In the article presented, their study paves the way on our deeper
understanding on how plants communicate when it comes to parasitic plants and its hosts.
Plants coexist in different communities wherein they unavoidably interact with the neighboring
plants. The said article showed how these parasitic plants “select” their hosts. We are able to
analyze the complexity of the parasite and host plants interaction.
We all know that these plants need to attach themselves to its host for survival. The
experiment clearly presented how the sample plants manifested the role for host-plant volatiles
in host location by the given seedlings. With the results, it emphasizes the increasing knowledge
about these interactions the underlying mechanisms turn out to be increasingly complex. The
researchers in this published article examined responses to some of the individual compounds
released by host plants. It also showed how parasite plants have some way of deciding between
a good host and a bad host.
The ecological interactions needed by plants provide them an essential way for survival.
We have understood that parasite plants do communicate and to firmly establish that volatile
chemicals from the host plant were causing a certain response. Based on the experiment
conducted, the researchers observed a strong growth response toward the host plant. Perhaps,
there were other factors that may considered the response being elicited such as light or shade
yet the role of volatiles in leading the parasite plants to their plants were clearly established.
The significance of the said interaction is brought forward by this article. Aside from plant
and animal interaction, this is an eye-opener that parasite and host plants are also manifesting
such unique communication. Through the help of plant volatiles, the discovery of other research
in connection with this article is on foot. We may find the experiment difficult yet its complexity
brought the beauty of how we understood the uniqueness of plants communication.
Looking for more research as unique as this article that may provide us a better
understanding on the physiological aspects of plants. The uniqueness of plants gave us an awe
and at the same time new information to keep.

Mary Grace A. Valencia

MSciEd-Biology