We investigated the effects of UV-B
radiation and water stress on the mono- and sesquiterpenes
produced by lemon verbena (Aloysia citriodora) which is native to semi-arid, mountainous
regions of Argentina, Chile and Peru. These compounds are recognized
for their activity in a variety of ecological roles such as feeding deterrents,
antimicrobial agents, pollination attractants, and allelopathic
chemicals. The response of known photoprotective
compounds such as flavanoids and anthocyanins
to UV-B has been intensively studied, however little is known about how UV-B
radiation affects the synthesis of other carbon-based secondary metabolites. The
objective of our study is to elucidate the effect of UV-B and drought stress on
the foliar concentration and emission of terpenes in A. citriodora.
Plants were grown in the field in UV-B exclusion experiments. Foliar
concentrations of terpenes were analyzed using gas
chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and emissions were collected from
intact leaves and analyzed with a thermal desorption
GC-MS system. The foliar concentrations of monoterpenes
(e.g., limonene, p=.02) were greater when plants were exposed to UV-B, while
water stress decreased foliar concentrations of monoterpenes
(e.g., citral, p=.04). Terpene
emissions were greater in plants not exposed to UV-B and were higher in water-stressed
plants. There were no significant interactions between water and UV-B treatment
for foliar or emitted terpenes. Furthermore, these
changes in carbon allocation happened in the absence of any permanent damage to
photosystem II as evidenced by chlorophyll
fluorescence measurements. Since terpenes are
important in ecological interactions at multiple trophic
levels, the role of light- or stress-induced alteration in their synthesis and
accumulation should be incorporated in theoretical models of plant defense and
carbon allocation.