Sources of specificity in plant damaged-self recognition

Plants perceive injury and herbivore attack via the recognition of damage-associated molecular patterns (DAMPs) and herbivore-associated molecular patterns (HAMPs). Although HAMPs in particular are cues that can indicate the presence of a specific enemy, the application of pure DAMPs or HAMPs frequently activates general downstream responses: membrane depolarization, Ca2+ influxes, oxidative stress, MAPKinase activation and octadecanoid signaling at the molecular level, and the expression of digestion inhibitors, cell wall modifications and other general defenses at the phenotypic level. We discuss the relative benefits of perceiving the non-self versus the damaged-self and of specific versus non-specific responses and suggest that the perception of a complex mixture of DAMPs and HAMPs triggers fine-tuned plant responses. DAMPs such as extracellular ATP (eATP), cell wall fragments, signaling peptides, herbivore-induced volatile organic compounds (HI-VOCs) and eDNA hold the key for a more complete understanding of how plants perceive that and by whom they are attacked.