Research Support
SPIRITS

Atmospheric-ecological-physiological metabolisms and functions of plant volatiles that drive symbiotic biosphere: from gene to earth

Project Gist

Clarifying symbiotic biosphere that promote the coexisting of many species: From gene functions to ecosystem functions.

Keywords

symbiotic biosphere, volatiles, plants, interaction networks, information networks

Background and Purpose

For the sustainable conservation of earth environment in which many species coexist, it is important to understand interactions among plural species belonging to different trophic levels. Here, we focus on three interactions: (1) direct interactions (i.e. the synthesis of trophic interactions between two individuals), (2) indirect interactions (i.e. the synthesis of non-trophic interactions between two individuals) and (3) information-mediated interactions (the synthesis of interactions between two individuals mediated by ecological information). We call the fusion of the three networks an information/interaction network system. The objective of this study is to clarify this system. To do so, collaborative research are conducted by researchers belonging to different study area such as chemical ecology, theoretical biology, molecular biology, organic chemistry, analytical chemistry, atmospheric chemistry, social science and data science.

Project Achievements

In response to biotic stress such as herbivory and pathogen infections, plants start emitting a specific blend of volatiles that are not or in trace amounts emitted from unstressed plants. These so-called stress-induced plant volatiles (SIPVs) are drivers of interaction-information network systems. After emitted from plants, SIPVs are altered their chemical natures by oxidation and polymerization in atmosphere and on surfaces such as leaf surfaces, surfaces of water drops etc. and subsequently, their originally possessed ecological information would be somewhat or drastically altered. We hypothesized that such alternation of informational value is one of the most important characteristics of SIPVs in ecosystems. This is a novel idea and is called the meta-metabolism of plant volatiles in interaction/information network systems.

Future Prospects

Further studies on the meta-metabolism of plant volatiles in interaction/information network systems in ecosystems by the research group are needed. To do so, obtaining a large research grant is indispensable. In the currently implemented research grant of the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research on Innovative Areas is the only one that fit our future plan.

Figure

Interaction/information network systems. The first layer is food webs (visible). The second and the third layers are communication networks (invisible) mediated by infochemicals that support the first layer.

Principal Investigator

TAKABAYASHI Junji

・TAKABAYASHI Junji
・Center for Ecological Research, Kyoto University
・Decoding the communication of insects and plants! In ecosystems, chemicals that convey ecological information (infochemicals) play important and multifunctional roles in insect-insect interactions, insect-plant interactions and plant-plant interactions. I am studying multifunctional aspects of infochemicals that are important in understanding the mystery of biodiversity as well as for sustainable agriculture.
http://www.ecology.kyoto-u.ac.jp/