Volatile dialogues between plants and microorganisms

Rizaludin, M.S.; Dickschat, J.S.; Raaijmakers, J.M.; Garbeva, P. (2026)

Article / Letter to editor

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.

• All authors: Rizaludin, M.S.; Dickschat, J.S.; Raaijmakers, J.M.; Garbeva, P.
• Date: 2026-08-03
• Journal: Natural Product Reports
• Pages: 1 - 12
• Advanced Publication: Yes
• DOI: doi:10.1039/d6np00045b
• Link: https://pubs.rsc.org/np/article/doi/10.1039/d6np00045b/1286094/Volatile-...