Mark Mescher Ph.D.

Current Graduate Students:

Tom Bentley
Anjel Helms
Beth Irwin
Chad Niranz
Hannier Pulido
Jason Smith

Current Post-doctoral Scholars:

Kerry Mauck
Rupesh Kariyat
Moshe Gish

Department Focus Areas:

Chemical Ecology
Disease Ecology and Biology

Links:

Google Scholar Profile
Center for Chemical Ecology
Research Gate Profile

Research Interests:

My research focuses on the role of chemistry in mediating ecological and evolutionary interactions among plants, insects, and pathogens. The main areas of interest of our lab are chemical ecology of natural and agricultural ecosystems, disease ecology, and plant olfaction.

Recent Publications:

2013 Helms, AM, CM De Moraes, JF Tooker & MC Mescher. .Exposure of Solidago altissima plants to volatile emissions of an insect antagonist (Eurosta solidaginis) deters subsequent herbivory. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. 110: 199-204

2013 Kariyat RR, Mauck KE, Balogh CM, Stephenson AG, Mescher MC, & De Moraes CM.  Inbreeding in horsenettle (Solanum carolinense) alters night-time volatile emissions that guide oviposition by Manduca sexta moths. Proceedings of the Royal Society B 20130020. http://dx.doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2013.0020

2013 Salvaudon L, De Moraes CM & Mescher MC. 2013.  Outcomes of co-infection by two potyviruses: implications for the evolution of manipulative strategies. Proceedings of the Royal Society B B 20122959. (link)

2013 Kariyat, RR, Balogh, CM, Moraski, RP, De Moraes, CM, Mescher, MC, & Stephenson, AG.   Constitutive and herbivore-induced structural defenses are compromised by inbreeding in Solanum carolinense L. American Journal of Botany, (In Press May Issue)

2013 Salvaudon, L, CM De Moraes, JY Yang, NH Chua & MC Mescher.2013 Effects of the virus satellite gene βC1 on host plant defense signaling and volatile emission. Plant Signaling & Behavior 8 (3), e23317

2012 Shapiro LR, CM De Moraes, AG Stephenson & MC Mescher. Pathogen effects on vegetative and floral odors mediate vector attraction and host exposure in a complex pathosystem. Ecology Letters, online ahead of print: doi: 10.1111/ele.12001

2012 Mauck KE, NA Bosque-Pérez, SD Eigenbrode, CM De Moraes & MC Mescher. Transmission mechanisms shape pathogen effects on host-vector interactions: evidence from plant viruses. Functional Ecology, online ahead of print: doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2435.2012.02026.

2012 Mescher MC. Manipulation of plant phenotypes by insects and insect-borne pathogens. In Host Manipulation by Parasites, pp. 73–92. Eds. DP Hughes, J Brodeur & F. Thomas. Oxford University Press, Oxford, UK.

2012 Kariyat RR, KE Mauck, CM De Moraes, AG Stephenson & MC Mescher. Inbreeding alters volatile signalling phenotypes and influences tri-trophic interactions in horsenettle. Ecology Letters 15:301-309.

2012 Kariyat RR,  CM De Moraes, AG Stephenson & MC Mescher. Inbreeding increases susceptibility to powdery mildew (Oidium neolycopersici) infestation in horsenettle (Solanum carolinense L). Plant Signaling and Behavior 7:803-806.

2012 Frost, CJ, JM Dean, E Smyers, MC Mescher, JE Carlson, CM De Moraes & JF Tooker. A petiole-galling insect herbivore decelerates leaf lamina litter decomposition rates. Functional Ecology 26:628-636.

2012 Kariyat RR, SR Scanlon, J Mena-Ali, B Folly, MC Mescher, CM De Moraes &  AG Stephenson. Inbreeding, herbivory, and the transcriptome of Solanum carolinense. Entomologia Experimentalis et Applicata 144:134-144.

2012 Vandermoten S, MC Mescher, E Haubruge & FJ Verheggen. Aphid alarm pheromone: An overview of current knowledge on biosynthesis and functions. Insect Biochemistry and Molecular Biology  42:155-163

2012 Zirbes L, Y Brostaux, MC Mescher, M Jason, E Haubruge & JL Deneubourg. Self-assemblage and quorum in the earthworm Eisenia fetida (Oligochaete, Lumbricidae). PLoS ONE 7(3): e32564. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0032564

2011 Tabata J, CM De Moraes & MC Mescher. Olfactory cues from plants Infected by powdery mildew guide foraging by a mycophagous ladybird beetle. PLoS ONE 6(8): e23799. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0023799

2011 Rodriguez-Saona C, N Vorsa, AP Singh, J Johnson-Cicalese, Z Szendrei, MC Mescher, & CJ Frost. Tracing the history of plant traits under domestication in cranberries: potential consequences for anti-herbivore defenses. Journal of Experimental Botany 62(8):2633-2644.

2011 Zirbes L, M.C. Mescher, V. Vrancken, JP Wathelet & FJ Verheggen. Earthworms Use Odor Cues to Locate and Feed on Microorganisms in Soil. PLoS ONE 6(7): e21927. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0021927

2011 Kariyat RR, SR Scanlon, MC Mescher, CM De Moraes & AG Stephenson. Inbreeding depression in Solanum carolinense (Solanaceae) under field conditions and implications for mating system evolution. PLoS ONE  6(12): e28459. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.002845.

2010 Mauck KE, CM De Moraes & MC Mescher. Deceptive chemical signals induced by a plant virus attract insect vectors to inferior hosts. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 107:3600-3605.

2010 Mauck KE, CM De Moraes & MC Mescher. Effects of Cucumber mosaic virus infection on vector and non-vector herbivores of squash. Communicative and Integrative Biology 3:579-582.

2010 Runyon JB, MC Mescher & CM De Moraes. Parasitism by Cuscuta pentagona sequentially induces JA and SA pathways in tomato. Plant, Cell and  Environment 33:290-303.

2010 Runyon JB, MC Mescher & CM De Moraes. Plant defenses against parasitic plants show similarities to those induced by herbivores and pathogens. Plant Signaling & Behavior  8(5):929-931

2010 Verheggen FJ, E Haubruge, & MC Mescher. Alarm pheromones: chemical signaling in response to danger. In Vitamins & Hormones, Volume 83, pp. 215-239. Ed. G Litwack. Elsevier, Academic Press Waltham Mass. USA  doi: 10.1016/S0083-6729(10)83009-2

2009 Verheggen FJ, E Haubruge, CM De Moraes & MC Mescher. Production of alarm pheromone by aphids varies in response to their social environment. Behavioral Ecology 20(2):283–288.

2009 Mescher MC, J Smith & CM De Moraes. Host location and selection by holoparasitic plants. In Plant-Environment Interactions: Signaling and Communication in Plants. Ed. F. Baluška. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg, New York.

2009 Delphia CM, CM De Moraes, AJ Stephenson & MC Mescher. Inbreeding in horsenettle influences herbivore resistance. Ecological Entomology 34(4):513–519.

2009 Delphia CM, JR Rohr, AG Stephenson, CM De Moraes & MC Mescher. Effects of genetic variation and inbreeding on volatile production in a field population of horsenettle. International Journal of Plant Sciences 70(1):12–20.

2009 Smith JL, CM De Moraes & MC Mescher. Plant hormone-mediated plant defense responses to parasitic plants and other antagonists. Pest Management Science 65(5):497-503.

2009 Dean JM, MC Mescher & CM De Moraes. Plant-rhizobia mutualism influences aphid abundance on soybean. Plant and Soil 323(1):187-196.

2009 Mescher MC & CM De Moraes. Olfaction: Chemical Signposts along the Silk Road. Current Biology 19:R491-493.

2009 Runyon JB, JF Tooker, MC Mescher & CM De Moraes. Parasitic plants in agriculture: chemical ecology of germination and host-plant location as targets for sustainable control. In Sustainable Agriculture Reviews (Volume 1) Ed. E Lichtfouse. Springer, Dordrecht, Netherlands  DOI 10.1007/978-1-4020-9654-9_8

2008 Frost CJ, MC Mescher, C Dervinis, JM Davis, JE Carlson & CM De Moraes. Priming defense genes and metabolites in hybrid poplar by the green leaf volatile cis-3-hexenyl acetate. New Phytologist 180: 722-734

2008  Runyon JB, MC Mescher & CM De Moraes. Parasitism by Cuscuta pentagona attenuates host plant defense of insect herbivores. Plant Physiology 146:987-995.

2008 Frost CJ, MC Mescher, JE Carlson & CM De Moraes.  Plant defense priming against herbivores: getting ready for a different battle. Plant Physiology 146:818-824.

2008 Verheggen FJ, MC Mescher, E Haubruge, CM De Moraes & EG Schwartzberg. Emission of Alarm Pheromone in Aphids: a Non-Contagious Phenomenon. Journal of Chemical Ecology 34:1146-1148.

2008 Frost CJ, MC Mescher, JE Carlson & CM De Moraes. Why do distance limitations exist on plant-plant signaling via airborne volatiles? Plant Signaling & Behavior 3(7):466-468

2007 Frost CJ, HM Appel,  JE Carlson,  CM De Moraes, MC Mescher & JC Schultz. Within-plant signaling via volatiles overcomes vascular constraints on systemic signaling and primes responses against herbivores. Ecology Letters 10:490-498.

2007 Delphia CM, MC Mescher & CM De Moraes. Induction of plant volatiles by herbivores with different feeding habits and the effects of induced defenses on host-plant selection by thrips. Journal of Chemical Ecology 33:997-1012.

2006 Runyon JB, MC Mescher & CM De Moraes. Volatile chemical cues guide host location and selection by parasitic plants. Science 313:1964-1967.

2006 Mescher MC,  JB Runyon, and CM De Moraes. Host finding by parasitic plants: a new perspective on plant to plant communication. Plant Signaling & Behavior 1(6):284-286.

2006 Ferrari MJ, AG Stephenson, MC Mescher & CM De Moraes. Inbreeding effects on blossom volatiles in Curcubita pepo ssp. texana. American Journal of Botany 93:1768-1774.

2006 Delphia CM, MC Mescher, GW Felton & CM De Moraes.  The role of insect-derived cues in eliciting indirect plant defenses in tobacco, Nicotiana tabacum. Plant Signaling & Behavior 1:243-250.

2006 De Moraes CM & MC Mescher. Chemical communication across tritrophic systems. Journal of the American Chemical Society 231.

2005 De Moraes CM & MC Mescher. Intrinsic competition between larval parasitoids with different degrees of host specificity. Ecological Entomology 30:1-7.

2004 De Moraes CM & MC Mescher. Biochemical crypsis in the avoidance of natural enemies by an insect herbivore. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 101: 8993-8997.

2004 De Moraes CM, JC Schultz, MC Mescher & JH Tumlinson. Plant signaling and its implications in sensor technology. Journal of Toxicology and Environmental Health Part A 67:819-834.

2003 Mescher MC, KG Ross, DD Shoemaker, L Keller & MJB Krieger. Distribution of the two social forms of the fire ant S. invicta in the native South American range. Annals of the Entomological Society of America 96(6):810–817.

2001 De Moraes CM, MC Mescher & JH Tumlinson Caterpillar-induced nocturnal plant volatiles repel conspecific females. Nature 410:577-580.

1998 De Moraes CM & MC Mescher. Plant-parasitoid interactions in tritrophic systems: a review of recent work with implications for biological control. Journal of Entomological Sciences 34:31-39.

1997 Fong P, ME Jacobson & MC Mescher. Investigating the management potential of a seagrass model through sensitivity analysis and experiments. Ecological Applications 1:300-315.