Volatile dialogues between plants and microorganisms

Covering: up to 2026 Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are key mediators of long-distance communication in biological systems. While their roles in plant–insect interactions are well established, emerging evidence highlights their importance in plant–microbe interactions. In this highlight, we discuss the biosynthesis and ecological functions of plant VOCs (pVOCs) and their impact on microbiome assembly and function. We examine how constitutive and stress-induced pVOCs shape microbial community composition and how microbial VOCs (mVOCs) influence plant growth and defense by modulating hormonal and metabolic pathways. We further address the bidirectional nature of volatile-mediated interactions and the challenges associated with studying complex VOC blends in natural environments. Understanding these dynamic volatile dialogues provides new opportunities for microbiome engineering and sustainable crop production.