Epigenetic and RNA-mediated regulation of plant VOC biosynthesis and signalling
- 1Faculty of Biotechnology, University of Wroclaw
- 2Department of Genetics, Plant Breeding and Seed Production, Faculty of Life Sciences and Technology, Wroclaw University of Environmental and Life Sciences
- 3Research Centre for Cultivar Testing
Abstract
Plants use volatile organic compounds (VOCs) as airborne signals in development, defence, and ecological interactions. Epigenetic mechanisms can influence VOC biosynthesis and, in some experimental systems, plant responses to volatile cues. This review examines chromatin-level mechanisms, particularly DNA methylation and histone modifications, in VOC biosynthesis and responses to volatile cues, together with distinct RNA-level regulation by non-coding RNAs and m ⁶ A-dependent epitranscriptomic mechanisms. VOC perception can activate rapid signalling events, including Ca ²⁺ influx and reactive oxygen species production; however, direct mechanistic links between these early responses and subsequent chromatin changes remain unresolved. Changes in promoter DNA methylation and histone acetylation are associated with, and in some systems functionally contribute to, regulation of VOC biosynthesis or defence responses, whereas ncRNA- and m ⁶ A-dependent mechanisms provide distinct RNA-level regulatory layers. Across diverse plant systems, chromatin states can influence VOC biosynthesis and emission, whereas in a smaller set of exposure studies, volatile cues are accompanied by changes in DNA methylation or histone modifications. Persistent or primed responses have been reported in several systems, but persistence of a phenotype or chromatin mark alone does not establish stress memory, and causal epigenetic involvement in VOC-induced memory remains unresolved. Important knowledge gaps concern the mechanisms linking volatile perception with chromatin regulation, the integration of complex VOC blends, and the relevance of these processes under field conditions. Emerging approaches, including locus-specific CRISPR/dCas-based epigenome editing and temporally resolved multi-omics, should help distinguish causal chromatin mechanisms from downstream transcriptional responses. Current evidence therefore supports distinct chromatin- and RNA-level contributions to VOC biology but does not yet establish a general mechanistic pathway from volatile perception to epigenetically encoded stress memory.
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BibTeX
@article{boba2026epigenetic,
title = {{Epigenetic and RNA-mediated regulation of plant VOC biosynthesis and signalling}},
author = {Aleksandra Boba and Anna Domańska and Anna Kulma and Kamila Nowosad and Henryk Bujak and Kamil Kostyn},
journal = {Frontiers in Plant Science},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.3389/fpls.2026.1945830},
url = {https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpls.2026.1945830/full},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Epigenetic and RNA-mediated regulation of plant VOC biosynthesis and signalling
AU - Aleksandra Boba
AU - Anna Domańska
AU - Anna Kulma
AU - Kamila Nowosad
AU - Henryk Bujak
AU - Kamil Kostyn
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/20
JO - Frontiers in Plant Science
DO - 10.3389/fpls.2026.1945830
UR - https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpls.2026.1945830/full
AB - Plants use volatile organic compounds (VOCs) as airborne signals in development, defence, and ecological interactions. Epigenetic mechanisms can influence VOC biosynthesis and, in some experimental systems, plant responses to volatile cues. This review examines chromatin-level mechanisms, particularly DNA methylation and histone modifications, in VOC biosynthesis and responses to volatile cues, together with distinct RNA-level regulation by non-coding RNAs and m ⁶ A-dependent epitranscriptomic mechanisms. VOC perception can activate rapid signalling events, including Ca ²⁺ influx and reactive oxygen species production; however, direct mechanistic links between these early responses and subsequent chromatin changes remain unresolved. Changes in promoter DNA methylation and histone acetylation are associated with, and in some systems functionally contribute to, regulation of VOC biosynthesis or defence responses, whereas ncRNA- and m ⁶ A-dependent mechanisms provide distinct RNA-level regulatory layers. Across diverse plant systems, chromatin states can influence VOC biosynthesis and emission, whereas in a smaller set of exposure studies, volatile cues are accompanied by changes in DNA methylation or histone modifications. Persistent or primed responses have been reported in several systems, but persistence of a phenotype or chromatin mark alone does not establish stress memory, and causal epigenetic involvement in VOC-induced memory remains unresolved. Important knowledge gaps concern the mechanisms linking volatile perception with chromatin regulation, the integration of complex VOC blends, and the relevance of these processes under field conditions. Emerging approaches, including locus-specific CRISPR/dCas-based epigenome editing and temporally resolved multi-omics, should help distinguish causal chromatin mechanisms from downstream transcriptional responses. Current evidence therefore supports distinct chromatin- and RNA-level contributions to VOC biology but does not yet establish a general mechanistic pathway from volatile perception to epigenetically encoded stress memory.
SN - 1664-462X
ER -