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AOBPreview originally published online on October 6, 2007
Annals of Botany 2008 101(1):5-18; doi:10.1093/aob/mcm240
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© The Author 2007. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Annals of Botany Company. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oxfordjournals.org

INVITED REVIEW

Isoprene Emission from Plants: Why and How

Thomas D. Sharkey*, Amy E. Wiberley and Autumn R. Donohue

Department of Botany, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA

* For correspondence. E-mail tsharkey{at}wisc.edu

Received: 30 May 2007    Returned for revision: 4 July 2007    Accepted: 9 August 2007    Published electronically: 6 October 2007

Background: Some, but not all, plants emit isoprene. Emission of the related monoterpenes is more universal among plants, but the amount of isoprene emitted from plants dominates the biosphere–atmosphere hydrocarbon exchange.

Scope: The emission of isoprene from plants affects atmospheric chemistry. Isoprene reacts very rapidly with hydroxyl radicals in the atmosphere making hydroperoxides that can enhance ozone formation. Aerosol formation in the atmosphere may also be influenced by biogenic isoprene. Plants that emit isoprene are better able to tolerate sunlight-induced rapid heating of leaves (heat flecks). They also tolerate ozone and other reactive oxygen species better than non-emitting plants. Expression of the isoprene synthase gene can account for control of isoprene emission capacity as leaves expand. The emission capacity of fully expanded leaves varies through the season but the biochemical control of capacity of mature leaves appears to be at several different points in isoprene metabolism.

Conclusions: The capacity for isoprene emission evolved many times in plants, probably as a mechanism for coping with heat flecks. It also confers tolerance of reactive oxygen species. It is an example of isoprenoids enhancing membrane function, although the mechanism is likely to be different from that of sterols. Understanding the regulation of isoprene emission is advancing rapidly now that the pathway that provides the substrate is known.

Key words: Atmospheric chemistry, isoprene, methylerythritol 4-phosphate pathway, thermotolerance


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E-letters:

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Correction and clarification for the atmospheric chemistry of isoprene
Paul J Young
Annals of Botany, 19 Mar 2008 [Full text]
Response
Thomas D. Sharkey, et al.
Annals of Botany, 19 Mar 2008 [Full text]

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