Volatile isoprenoid emission potentials are correlated with essential isoprenoid concentrations in five plant species

This study offers new insight and data in support of the opportunist hypothesis, which suggests that there might be a relationship between carotenoid and volatile isoprenoid production. Five species of volatile isoprenoid-emitting plants (Eucalyptus globulus, Eucalyptus gunnii, Mucuna pruriens, Lycopersicon esculentum and Quercus ilex) were exposed to a range of imposed and natural stress conditions over a period of a few weeks in order to generate different levels of isoprenoid production potential. Volatile isoprenoid emission potentials and carotenoid concentrations were measured in all species, and dimethylallyl diphosphate (DMAPP) concentrations were measured in E. globulus, E. gunnii, M. pruriens and L. esculentum. Generally, instantaneously emitted isoprenoid emission potentials were positively correlated with carotenoid concentrations, and were negatively correlated with DMAPP concentrations. In contrast, emission potentials of monoterpenes stored in tissue pools were negatively correlated with carotenoid concentrations, and positively correlated with DMAPP concentrations. Our results support the possibility of a link (either direct, e.g. via substrate availability, or indirect, e.g. via complementary functionality) between emission potential of the volatile isoprenoid compounds studied here, and carotenoid synthesis at time scales of days to weeks.