Untargeted flower volatilome profiling highlights differential pollinator attraction strategies in muscadine

Bibliographic Details
Title: Untargeted flower volatilome profiling highlights differential pollinator attraction strategies in muscadine
Authors: Ahmed G. Darwish, Protiva R. Das, Eniola Olaoye, Pranavkumar Gajjar, Ahmed Ismail, Ahmed G. Mohamed, Violeta Tsolova, Nasser A. Hassan, Walid El Kayal, Kellie J. Walters, Islam El-Sharkawy
Source: Frontiers in Plant Science, Vol 16 (2025)
Publisher Information: Frontiers Media S.A., 2025.
Publication Year: 2025
Collection: LCC:Plant culture
Subject Terms: floral aromas, muscadine flowers, marker volatiles, pollination attraction, volatilomics, Plant culture, SB1-1110
More Details: Floral aromas are a mixture of volatile organic compounds, essential attributes associated with the attraction of different pollinators. This investigation is the first in-depth exploration of the volatile profiles of sixteen muscadine grape genotypes, producing female and perfect flowers using the headspace solid-phase microextraction (HS-SPME)-GC-MS-based untargeted volatilomics approach. A total of one hundred fifty volatile metabolites were identified in the muscadine flower genotypes, including the functional groups of hydrocarbons, esters, alcohols, ketones, aldehydes, miscellaneous, and acids. Multivariate statistical analysis for volatile terpenes revealed eleven bio-marker terpene volatiles that primarily distinguish between female and perfect flowers. The β-elemene, β-bisabolene, and α-muurolene were the marker volatiles characterizing perfect flowers; however, α-selinene, (Z,E)-α-farnesene, and (E,E)-geranyl linalool were the typical marker terpene in the female flowers. Perfect flowers exhibited better pollinator attraction capacity associated with a higher number of flowers per inflorescence, enhanced pollinator rewards, and higher numbers and quantities of terpene volatiles than female flowers, resulting in superior pollinator attraction capacity and fruit set efficiency. The pollinator attraction mechanism of female flowers exhibited several morphological and biochemical floral defects, causing random pollinator visits and low fruit set efficiency. The controlled pollination assay could express female flowers’ full fruit set capabilities by avoiding casual insect pollination. This comprehensive study suggests that these marker terpenes might contribute to pollinator attraction in muscadine flower genotypes and should be considered an excellent reference for agroecosystem ecologists and entomologists.
Document Type: article
File Description: electronic resource
Language: English
ISSN: 1664-462X
Relation: https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpls.2025.1548564/full; https://doaj.org/toc/1664-462X
DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2025.1548564
Access URL: https://doaj.org/article/28eb1e1f27e8483a8452bfa31e383594
Accession Number: edsdoj.28eb1e1f27e8483a8452bfa31e383594
Database: Directory of Open Access Journals
More Details
ISSN:1664462X
DOI:10.3389/fpls.2025.1548564
Published in:Frontiers in Plant Science
Language:English