Developmentally regulated volatiles geosmin and 2-methylisoborneol attract a soil arthropod to Streptomyces bacteria promoting spore dispersal
Volatile compounds emitted by bacteria are often sensed by other organisms as odours, but their ecological roles are poorly understood1,2. Well-known examples are the soil-smelling terpenoids geosmin and 2-methylisoborneol (2-MIB)3,4, which humans and various animals sense at extremely low concentrations5,6. The conservation of geosmin biosynthesis genes among virtually all species of Streptomyces