Plants under insect herbivore attack have evolved various mechanisms to counteract this threat. Among the measures plants undertake to survive with the least damage are the recognition of insect-derived elicitors, production of proteins, that block digestion or disrupt intestinal tissue, and the production of defense-related secondary metabolites, which directly or indirectly affect the herbivore performance. Lipid-derived compounds (oxylipins), which are activated by elicitors from the insect saliva, represent important signals in this process. However, little is known about the regulation of the pathway leading to the production of jasmonic acid (JA), the most important signal in plant defense against herbivorous insects. The discovery of green leafy volatiles as another center of signaling added a new dimension to this pathway. The significance of this pathway is not limited to defense-related functions, but plays also an important role in developmental processes. The enlightenment of these pathways is a major aspect of my research. Besides the metabolic analysis of possible signaling compounds the molecular regulation of these processes are the major subjects in my research program
