Evolutionary ecology: Plant volatile profile changes after escaping specialist insects. (2021)
Journal Article
Sobhy, I., & Bruce, T. (2021). Evolutionary ecology: Plant volatile profile changes after escaping specialist insects. Current Biology, R969 - R971. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2021.06.043

Considerable debate surrounds the role of plant volatiles in plant defence against insects. A new study provides evidence for evolutionary changes in an invasive plant that support the defensive role of plant volatiles.

Cucumber mosaic virus and its 2b protein alter emission of host volatile organic compounds but not aphid vector settling in tobacco. (2017)
Journal Article
Tungadi, T., Groen, S., Murphy, A., Pate, A., Iqbal, J., Bruce, T., …Carr, J. (2017). Cucumber mosaic virus and its 2b protein alter emission of host volatile organic compounds but not aphid vector settling in tobacco. Virology Journal, 14, Article 91. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12985-017-0754-0

BACKGROUND: Aphids, including the generalist herbivore Myzus persicae, transmit cucumber mosaic virus (CMV). CMV (strain Fny) infection affects M. persicae feeding behavior and performance on tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum), Arabidopsis thaliana and cucu... Read More about Cucumber mosaic virus and its 2b protein alter emission of host volatile organic compounds but not aphid vector settling in tobacco..

A maize landrace that emits defense volatiles in response to herbivore eggs possesses a strongly inducible terpene synthase gene. (2017)
Journal Article
Tamiru, A., Bruce, T., Richter, A., Midega, C., Degenhardt, J., Kelemu, S., …Pickett, J. (2017). A maize landrace that emits defense volatiles in response to herbivore eggs possesses a strongly inducible terpene synthase gene. Ecology and Evolution, 2835 - 2845. https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.2893

Maize (Zea mays) emits volatile terpenes in response to insect feeding and egg deposition to defend itself against harmful pests. However, maize cultivars differ strongly in their ability to produce the defense signal. To further understand the agroe... Read More about A maize landrace that emits defense volatiles in response to herbivore eggs possesses a strongly inducible terpene synthase gene..

Virus Infection of Plants Alters Pollinator Preference: A Payback for Susceptible Hosts? (2016)
Journal Article
Groen, S., Jiang, S., Murphy, A., Cunniffe, N., Westwood, J., Davey, M., …Carr, J. (2016). Virus Infection of Plants Alters Pollinator Preference: A Payback for Susceptible Hosts?. PLOS pathogens a peer-reviewed open-access journal published by the Public Library of Science, e1005790 - ?. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.ppat.1005790

Plant volatiles play important roles in attraction of certain pollinators and in host location by herbivorous insects. Virus infection induces changes in plant volatile emission profiles, and this can make plants more attractive to insect herbivores,... Read More about Virus Infection of Plants Alters Pollinator Preference: A Payback for Susceptible Hosts?.

An Indirect Defence Trait Mediated through Egg-Induced Maize Volatiles from Neighbouring Plants. (2016)
Journal Article
Mutyambai, D., Khan, Z., Midega, C., Pickett, J., Bruce, T., & van den Berg, J. (2016). An Indirect Defence Trait Mediated through Egg-Induced Maize Volatiles from Neighbouring Plants. PloS one, e0158744 - ?. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0158744

Attack of plants by herbivorous arthropods may result in considerable changes to the plant's chemical phenotype with respect to emission of herbivore-induced plant volatiles (HIPVs). These HIPVs have been shown to act as repellents to the attacking i... Read More about An Indirect Defence Trait Mediated through Egg-Induced Maize Volatiles from Neighbouring Plants..