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

本文报道了小菜蛾盘绒茧蜂（Cotesia vestalis）在小菜蛾（Plutella xylostella）幼虫上产卵的一种寄生蜂。已知雌拟寄生蜂通过寄主植物释放的挥发性有机化合物（VOCs）寻找寄主幼虫。为了探讨挥发性有机化合物（VOC）介导的小菜蛾科植物、食草动物和寄生蜂之间三重营养相互作用的分子基础，我们对小菜蛾幼虫侵染拟南芥后释放的VOC进行了化学分析，并对拟南芥中VOC的生物合成进行了基因调控，同时研究了寄生蜂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.