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Updated: Aug 5, 2026
11:16
A Hydroponic Co-cultivation System for Simultaneous and Systematic Analysis of Plant/Microbe Molecular Interactions and Signaling
Published on: July 22, 2017
Volatile dialogues between plants and microorganisms
Muhammad Syamsu Rizaludin1, Jeroen S Dickschat2, Jos M Raaijmakers1,3
1Netherlands Institute of Ecology NIOO-KNAW, Department of Microbial Ecology, Droevendaalsesteeg 10, 6708 PB Wageningen, Netherlands. M.Rizaludin@nioo.knaw.nl.
Natural Product Reports
|August 3, 2026
Summary
Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) mediate plant-microbe interactions, influencing microbiome assembly and plant health. Understanding these chemical signals offers new avenues for sustainable agriculture and crop production.
Area of Science:
- Plant science
- Microbiology
- Ecology
Background:
- Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are crucial for inter-organismal communication.
- While plant-insect interactions mediated by VOCs are known, their role in plant-microbe interactions is an emerging area of research.
- Plant VOCs (pVOCs) and microbial VOCs (mVOCs) are key players in shaping plant-associated microbial communities.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the biosynthesis and ecological roles of pVOCs.
- To explore the impact of pVOCs and mVOCs on microbiome assembly and function.
- To discuss the bidirectional volatile-mediated interactions between plants and microbes.
Main Methods:
- Literature review and synthesis of current research on VOCs in plant-microbe interactions.
- Analysis of how constitutive and stress-induced pVOCs affect microbial community structure.
- Examination of mVOCs' influence on plant physiology and defense mechanisms.
Main Results:
- pVOCs significantly shape the composition of plant microbiomes.
- mVOCs can modulate plant growth and defense pathways, including hormonal and metabolic signaling.
- Volatile-mediated interactions between plants and microbes are bidirectional and complex.
Conclusions:
- Understanding plant and microbial VOCs is essential for comprehending plant-microbe dynamics.
- These volatile dialogues present opportunities for microbiome engineering.
- Harnessing knowledge of VOCs can advance sustainable crop production strategies.
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