Volatile-Mediated Plant Defense Networks: Field Evidence for Isoprene as a Short-Distance Immune Signal

Abstract

Isoprene, the most abundant hydrocarbon emitted by vegetation, protects photosynthesis against oxidative and thermal stress and significantly impacts atmospheric chemistry. While laboratory studies suggest a role for isoprene in plant defense, its function in plant-plant communication under natural conditions remains unclear. Here, we demonstrate that isoprene acts as a signaling molecule, triggering systemic immune responses in neighboring plants against bacterial pathogens under field conditions. We established an experimental system using wild-type and transgenic silver birch (Betula pendula) lines engineered to emit varying levels of isoprene. Over two growing seasons, we examined the effects of birch-emitted volatile organic compounds on neighboring Arabidopsis thaliana, including wild-type and immune signaling mutants (llp1: legume lectin-like protein 1; jar1: jasmonate resistant 1). Isoprene emission rates positively correlated with systemic resistance in receiver plants, with higher emissions enhancing inhibition of Pseudomonas syringae growth. This immune response occurred independently of jasmonate signaling but required functional LLP1, suggesting a specific recognition pathway. By combining Arabidopsis mutant responses with birch volatile profiles, we confirmed that isoprene, rather than other terpenoids, mediates this effect. These findings reveal an unrecognized ecological function of isoprene as an airborne immune signal, establishing transgenic birch as a robust model for studying volatile-mediated plant defense networks in natural environments. Our results provide new insights into the molecular mechanisms underlying plant volatile perception and expand our understanding of chemical communication in terrestrial ecosystems. Significance StatementIsoprene, the most abundant volatile organic compound released by plants, protects against abiotic stress. Here, we demonstrate that isoprene also functions under ambient atmosphere as a short-distance immune signal, enhancing neighboring plants resistance to bacterial pathogens. This finding reveals a putative ecological role of isoprene in plant defense networks and suggests strategies for sustainable agriculture and forest management under environmental stress.