Volatile-mediated interactions with surface-associated microbes: A parallelism between phyllosphere of plants and eco-chemosphere of seaweeds

Both in terrestrial and aquatic realms, organisms communicate and interact with each other via volatile and non-volatile infochemicals. Terrestrial plants and seaweeds, known as prolific producers of volatiles, harbour a plethora of microbes on their surfaces like phyllosphere of plant leaves and eco-chemosphere of seaweeds, respectively, where complex ecological interactions are regulated through infochemicals. Although plant leaf volatiles have been well-studied for their ecological functions in mediating microbial interactions, seaweed volatiles have been mostly investigated for their roles in climate regulation and with regard to climate change research. However, seaweed volatiles appear to be related to terrestrial plant volatiles both in terms of chemistry and ecology. Synthesis. Evidence supports that seaweed volatiles can have important ecological functions in mediating interactions with microbes on their surface, just like plant leaf volatiles. Based on the existing vast literature on ecological interactions mediated by plant volatiles at phyllosphere and on the very few works on ecological roles of seaweed volatiles at eco-chemosphere, we advocate for the detailed investigation of volatile-mediated interactions regulating microbial colonisation processes on seaweed surfaces. Although of great ecological importance, this new field of research has remained largely unexplored. Thus, we also set directions for future research programs investigating the roles of seaweed volatiles at seaweed-microbe interface.

Automated summary

Organisms in both terrestrial and aquatic realms communicate and interact through volatile and non-volatile infochemicals. While plant leaf volatiles have been well-studied for mediating microbial interactions, seaweed volatiles have been primarily investigated for their roles in climate regulation. However, evidence suggests that seaweed volatiles may play important ecological functions in mediating interactions with microbes on their surface, similar to plant leaf volatiles. Further research is needed to explore the detailed mechanisms of volatile-mediated interactions on seaweed surfaces.