| Literature DB >> 23656862 |
Abstract
Aposematism (warning) signaling is a common defensive mechanism toward predatory or herbivorous animals, i.e., interactions between different trophic levels. I propose that it should be considered at least as a working hypothesis that chemical aposematism operates between certain host plants and their plant predators, parasitic plants, and that although they are also plants, they belong to a higher trophic level. Specific host plant genotypes emit known repelling chemical signals toward parasitic plants, which reduce the level of, slow the directional parasite growth (attack) toward the signaling hosts, or even cause parasitic plants to grow away from them in response to these chemicals. Chemical host aposematism toward parasitic plants may be a common but overlooked defense from parasitic plants.Entities:
Keywords: aposematic; defense; parasitic plants; signaling; trophic levels
Mesh:
Year: 2013 PMID: 23656862 PMCID: PMC3906426 DOI: 10.4161/psb.24907
Source DB: PubMed Journal: Plant Signal Behav ISSN: 1559-2316