TITLE:
Herbivory and Plant Genotype Influence Fitness-Related Responses of Arabidopsis thaliana to Indirect Plant-Plant Interactions
AUTHORS:
Jennifer Shimola, M. Gabriela Bidart
KEYWORDS:
Plant-Plant Interactions, Plant Genotype, Insect Herbivory, Fitness-Related Responses
JOURNAL NAME:
American Journal of Plant Sciences,
Vol.10 No.8,
August
21,
2019
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.