Molecular basis of mechanisms underlying volatile-mediated tritrophic interactions among Brassicaceae plants, herbivores, and parasitoids

这只寄生蜂在小菜蛾幼虫上产卵，小菜蛾是一种十字花科植物的害虫。已知雌性拟寄生物通过被寄主植物释放的挥发性有机化合物（VOCs）寻找寄主幼虫。为了探究VOCs介导的十字花科植物、草食动物和拟寄生物间营养相互作用的分子机制，本研究对受小菜蛾侵染的拟南芥释放的VOCs进行了化学分析，并对拟南芥中VOCs的生物合成进行了基因改造，研究了拟南芥对转基因植物的行为反应。

The parasitic wasp, Cotesia vestalis, oviposits on larvae of the diamondback moth, Plutella xylostella, a pest of Brassicaceae plants. It is known that the female parasitoids search for host larvae through volatile organic compounds(VOCs) released by host-infested plants. To investigate molecular basis of mechanisms underlying VOC-mediated tritrophic interactions among Brassicaceae plants, herbivores, and parasitoids, we carried out chemical analysis of VOCs released by Arabidopsis thaliana infested by P. xylostella larvae, then genetically manipulated the VOC biosynthesis in Arabidopsis plants, and examined behavioral responses of parasitoids to the transgenic plants.