Linked Plant Responses to Mechanical Perturbation and Pests

9630798舒尔茨由于植物不能移动，它们通常必须同时对许多不同的环境压力作出反应。研究者认为，对一种刺激的反应可能会影响对其他刺激的反应。风为所有植物或多或少地提供了一种刺激。有证据表明，植物对风或触摸的反应涉及许多与植物对昆虫和疾病的反应相同或相似的机制。博物学家经常报告说，在多风、暴露的地方，植物害虫很少，“天然”园丁会清扫、刷洗或摇动植物，以增强抗寒性。这些观察结果背后的机制尚未确定。拟议中的研究将把植物对这种物理刺激的反应与对虫害和疾病的抵抗力联系起来。豆类植物和橡树幼苗暴露在风（风扇）和震动中，将检查与耐受这种压力和抵抗害虫有关的生化变化。初步证据表明，确实会发生生化变化，从而增强害虫抗性。这种联系将通过在实验室和田间将处理过的和对照的植物暴露于害虫来证实，以确定风在自然条件下作为“保护性”刺激的意义。这项工作提供了通过物理刺激增强对害虫抗性的第一个真实证据，并测试了关于植物对环境线索反应的普遍性和这种反应的组织的基本假设。我们预见到这项工作的许多潜在应用，从增强栽培植物的害虫抗性，到确定生物工程中的限制和最佳策略或培育优良品种。

9630798 Schultz Because they cannot move, plants often must respond simultaneously to many different environmental stresses. The investigator suggests that responses to one stimulus are likely to condition responses to others. Wind provides a stimulus experienced to a greater or lesser degree by all plants. Evidence suggests that plant responses to wind or touch involve many of the same or similar mechanisms seen in plant responses to insects and diseases. Naturalists frequently report that plant pests are scarce on windy, exposed sites, and 'natural' gardeners sweep, brush, or shake plants to enhance hardiness. The mechanisms behind these observations have not been determined. The proposed research will link plant responses to such physical stimuli with resistance to insects and disease. Bean plants and oak seedlings exposed to wind (fans) and shaking will be examined for biochemical changes related to tolerating such stresses and resisting pests. Preliminary evidence indicates that biochemical changes will indeed occur that can enhance pest resistance. This link will be confirmed by exposing treated and control plants to pests in the laboratory and in the field, to determine the significance of wind as a "protective" stimulus under natural conditions. This work provides the first real evidence of enhanced resistance to pests by physical stimuli, and tests fundamental hypotheses about the generality of plant responses to environmental cues and the organization of such responses. We foresee many potential applications of this work, from enhancing pest resistance in cultivated plants, to identifying constraints and optimal strategies in bioengineering or breeding superior cultivars.