Plants in the genus Ficus have unique syconium(fig)structures.Fresh female flowers emit specific volatile organic compounds(VOCs)that attract specific species of pollinating fig wasps.Fig wasps must detect these chemical cues to locate and enter receptive figs with blooming female flowers for pollination and oviposition.However,the exact signaling compounds from receptive figs that attract fig wasps for pollination remain unclear.In this study,we examined dioecious Ficus auriculata,using solid-phase microextraction(SPME)to collect VOCs during the pre-female,female,and inter-flora phases.The VOCs were analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry(GC-MS),and their relative amounts were calculated using the area normalization method.The results showed that 62 volatile compounds were identified from figs across the three phases:pre-female figs emitted 33 VOCs,mainly monoterpenoids;female-phase figs emitted 56 VOCs,primarily sesquiterpenes;and inter-floral-phase figs emitted 31 VOCs,mainly fatty amide derivatives.Principal component analysis(PCA)indicated that the VOC profiles were distinctly different across the three floral phases,suggesting that VOC emissions from female flowers change before and after pollination.The most significant change during the female phase was in epizizanone,suggesting it could be a candidate compound for attracting pollinating fig wasps.These findings provide a scientific basis for further research into the chemical communication and interaction mechanisms between figs and fig wasps.
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