Fruit aromas in mature fleshy fruits as signals of readiness for predation and seed dispersal

Summary The dispersal of seeds away from parent plants seems to be the underlying selective force in the evolution of fleshy fruits attractive to animals. Secondary metabolites, which are not essential compounds for plant survival, are involved in the interaction of fleshy fruits with seed dispersers and antagonists. Plant volatile organic compounds ( VOC s) are secondary metabolites that play important roles in biotic interactions and in abiotic stress responses. They are usually accumulated at high levels in specific plant tissues and organs, such as fleshy fruits. The study of VOC s emitted during fruit development and after different biotic challenges may help to determine the interactions of fleshy fruits not only with legitimate vertebrate dispersers, but also with insects and microorganisms. A knowledge of fruit VOC s could be used in agriculture to generate attraction or repellency to pests and resistance to pathogens in fruits. This review provides an examination of specific fruit VOC blends as signals for either seed dispersal or predation through simple or complex trophic chains, which may also have consequences for an understanding of the importance of biodiversity in wild areas.ContentsSummary 36 I. Introduction 36 II. VOCs in plants 37 III. Fruit VOCs and interactions with vertebrates 40 IV. Fruit VOCs and interactions with insects 41 V. Fruit VOCs and interactions with microbes 41 VI. VOCs as mediators of indirect interactions 42 VII. VOCs in fruit crops and agriculture 43 VIII. Concluding remarks and future prospects 44Acknowledgements 45References 45