RESEARCH INTERESTS

 My general research interests revolve around the role of herbivore-induced GLVs for plants and insects. In 2010  we have shown that Manduca sexta oral secretions contain an isomerase that converts the leaf aldehyde Z-3-hexenal to E-2-hexenal when secreted onto leaves during feeding. In field experiments we could show that the increased emission of E-GLVs was attractive to the generalist predator Geocoris spp. which in turn decreased the herbivore load on the plant (Allmann and Baldwin, Science, 2010). We have furthermore discovered that also female Manduca moths are able to distinguish between Z-3- and E-2-GLVs and that they use these isomerase-caused changes in the GLV-bouquet to find oviposition sites that are less likely to be attacked by predators or occupied by competitors (Allmann et al. 2013).

The discovery of such an (3Z):(2E)-enal isomerase has clearly shaped the direction and the focus of my research. The apparently conflicting results which show that the presence of the isomerase in caterpillars is both, beneficial and detrimental for M. sexta, has urged me to investigate the role of this enzyme for M. sexta caterpillars and to search for homologs in other insect and plant species.

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