Volatile dialogues between plants and microorganisms

Abstract

Covering: up to 2026Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are key mediators of long-distance communication in biological systems. While their roles in plant-insect interactions are well established, emerging evidence highlights their importance in plant-microbe interactions. In this highlight, we discuss the biosynthesis and ecological functions of plant VOCs (pVOCs) and their impact on microbiome assembly and function. We examine how constitutive and stress-induced pVOCs shape microbial community composition and how microbial VOCs (mVOCs) influence plant growth and defense by modulating hormonal and metabolic pathways. We further address the bidirectional nature of volatile-mediated interactions and the challenges associated with studying complex VOC blends in natural environments. Understanding these dynamic volatile dialogues provides new opportunities for microbiome engineering and sustainable crop production.