biostudies-literatureUnknown4Song YYCommon mycorrhizal networks (CMNs) link multiple plants together. We hypothesized that CMNs can serve as an underground conduit for transferring herbivore-induced defence signals. We established CMN between two tomato plants in pots with mycorrhizal fungus Funneliformis mosseae, challenged a 'donor' plant with caterpillar Spodoptera litura, and investigated defence responses and insect resistance in neighbouring CMN-connected 'receiver' plants. After CMN establishment caterpillar infestation on 'donor' plant led to increased insect resistance and activities of putative defensive enzymes, induction of defence-related genes and activation of jasmonate (JA) pathway in the 'receiver' plant. However, use of a JA biosynthesis defective mutant spr2 as 'donor' plants resulted in no induction of deScientific reports3915https://www.ebi.ac.uk/biostudies/studies/S-EPMC3904153biostudies-literatureHijacking common mycorrhizal networks for herbivore-induced defence signal transfer between tomato plants.PMC3904153Ye MLuo SMLi CWang RLSong YYHe XSu YJZhu-Salzman KZeng RSfalseHijacking common mycorrhizal networks for herbivore-induced defence signal transfer between tomato plants.Common mycorrhizal networks (CMNs) link multiple plants together. We hypothesized that CMNs can serve as an underground conduit for transferring herbivore-induced defence signals. We established CMN between two tomato plants in pots with mycorrhizal fungus Funneliformis mosseae, challenged a 'donor' plant with caterpillar Spodoptera litura, and investigated defence responses and insect resistance in neighbouring CMN-connected 'receiver' plants. After CMN establishment caterpillar infestation on 'donor' plant led to increased insect resistance and activities of putative defensive enzymes, induction of defence-related genes and activation of jasmonate (JA) pathway in the 'receiver' plant. However, use of a JA biosynthesis defective mutant spr2 as 'donor' plants resulted in no induction of de2014-01-01T00:00:00Z2014 Jan2025-04-18T18:18:22.232Z2019-03-27T01:20:44ZS-EPMC39041532446891210.1038/srep03915