Data from: Vine tendrils use contact chemoreception to avoid conspecific leaves

Movement and growth habit of climbing plants have attracted attention since the time of Charles Darwin; however, there are no reports on whether plants can choose suitable hosts or avoid unsuitable ones based on chemoreception. Here, I show that the tendrils of Cayratia japonica (Vitaceae) appear to avoid conspecific leaves using contact chemoreception for oxalates, which are highly concentrated in C. japonica leaves. The coiling experiments show that C. japonica has a flexible plastic response to avoid coiling around conspecific leaves. The coiling response is negatively correlated with the oxalate content in the contacted leaves. Experiments using laboratory chemicals indicate that the tendrils avoid oxalate-coated plastic sticks. These results indicate that the tendrils of C. japonica avoid coiling around a conspecific leaf based on contact chemoreception for oxalate compounds. The tendrils of climbing plants may function as a chemoreceptor system to detect the chemical cues of a contacted plant.

自查尔斯·达尔文（Charles Darwin）所处的时代以来，攀援植物的运动方式与生长习性便一直备受学界关注；然而目前尚未有研究探讨植物能否通过化学感受作用选择适宜宿主或规避不适宿主。本研究表明，乌蔹莓（Cayratia japonica，葡萄科Vitaceae）的卷须可通过对草酸盐(oxalates)的接触化学感受，规避同种植物的叶片——草酸盐在乌蔹莓叶片中含量极高。卷缠实验结果显示，乌蔹莓具备灵活的可塑性响应机制，可避免在同种叶片表面缠绕。卷缠响应强度与被接触叶片的草酸盐含量呈负相关关系。基于实验室化学品的实验表明，乌蔹莓卷须会避开涂有草酸盐的塑料棒。上述结果证实，乌蔹莓卷须可通过对草酸盐类化合物的接触化学感受作用，规避在同种叶片表面缠绕。攀援植物的卷须或可作为化学感受系统，用于检测被接触植物所释放的化学信号。