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Updated: May 18, 2026
05:25
A Wind Tunnel for Odor Mediated Insect Behavioural Assays
Published on: November 30, 2018
Pathogen effects on vegetative and floral odours mediate vector attraction and host exposure in a complex pathosystem
Lori Shapiro1, Consuelo M De Moraes, Andrew G Stephenson
1Department of Entomology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA.
Ecology Letters
|September 20, 2012
Summary
Plant pathogens alter plant scents to attract or repel insect vectors. Erwinia tracheiphila attracts beetles, while Zucchini yellow mosaic virus repels them, impacting disease transmission.
Area of Science:
- Plant pathology
- Chemical ecology
- Insect-microbe interactions
Background:
- Pathogens can manipulate host traits, affecting interactions with other species like insect vectors.
- Understanding these effects is crucial for disease transmission dynamics, especially in natural plant systems.
- Plant pathogens' impact on host volatile emissions and subsequent vector behavior is not well-documented.
Discussion:
- Erwinia tracheiphila infection in wild gourds alters floral and foliar volatile emissions.
- These changes enhance the attraction of beetle vectors to infected plants.
- Altered volatiles also promote vector dispersal to healthy plants, aiding pathogen spread.
Key Insights:
- Zucchini yellow mosaic virus (ZYMV) infection reduces floral volatile emissions in wild gourds.
- This reduction actively discourages beetle vector attraction to virus-infected plants.
- This mechanism may protect virus-infected plants from lethal bacterial wilt by *Erwinia tracheiphila*.
Outlook:
- Investigating pathogen-mediated manipulation of plant volatiles offers insights into disease ecology.
- Understanding these interactions can inform strategies for managing plant diseases in natural and agricultural settings.
- Further research can explore the chemical basis of these volatile alterations and their specific effects on vector behavior.
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