Plant volatiles as regulators of hormone homeostasis

Some canonical plant hormones such as auxins and gibberellins have precursors that are biogenic volatiles (indole, indole acetonitrile, phenylacetaldoxime and ent-kaurene). Cytokinins, abscisic acid and strigolactones are hormones comprising chemical moieties that have distinct volatile analogues, and are synthesised alongside constitutively emitted volatiles (isoprene, sesquiterpenes, lactones, benzenoids and apocarotenoid volatiles). Nonvolatile hormone analogues and biogenic volatile organic compounds (BVOCs) evolved in tandem as growth and behavioural regulators in unicellular organisms. In plants, however, nonvolatile hormones evolved as regulators of growth, development and differentiation, while endogenous BVOCs (often synthesised lifelong) became subtle regulators of hormone synthesis, availability, activity and turnover, all supported by functionally redundant components of hormone metabolism. Reciprocal changes in the abundance and activity of hormones, nitric oxide, and constitutive plant volatiles constantly bridge retrograde and anterograde signalling to maintain hormone equilibria even in unstressed plants. This is distinct from transient interference in hormone signalling by stress-induced and exogenously received volatiles.