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

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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.
1 | INTRODUC TION
All living organisms including terrestrial plants and aquatic macrophytes
like seaweeds (also known as marine macroalgae) produce
infochemicals (see Glossary) for key eco-physiological
processes
and mediating