Jasmonate-Mediated Stress Responses in Plants

Jasmonates are central lipid-derived phytohormones that orchestrate plant adaptation to biotic and abiotic stresses. Following environmental cues such as drought, salinity, temperature extremes or herbivore attack, endogenous jasmonic acid levels rise rapidly, activating the COI1–JAZ receptor complex and downstream transcription factors. This signal cascade induces expression of genes involved in antioxidant defence, osmolyte biosynthesis, ion transport and protease activity. As a result, plants achieve improved water‐use efficiency via stomatal regulation, enhanced reactive oxygen species scavenging through enzymes such as superoxide dismutase and catalase, and maintenance of photosystem II integrity. Jasmonate signalling also interfaces with abscisic acid and salicylic acid pathways to fine‐tune responses. Exogenous application of methyl jasmonate or jasmonic acid has been shown to prime stress tolerance in key crops, offering practical avenues to bolster resilience under climate‐induced challenges.

Research from Nature Portfolio

Recent studies have revealed that in sweet potato under salt stress, transcriptome profiling uncovers marked upregulation of genes encoding enzymes in jasmonic acid biosynthesis and signalling, accompanied by altered DNA methylation landscapes that correlate with enhanced stomatal regulation and reduced sodium accumulation. In cultivars of Brassica oleracea, seed pre-soaking with jasmonic acid or methyl jasmonate selectively modulates expression of photosystem II subunit genes, leading to increased photochemical efficiency and chlorophyll fluorescence parameters. These findings highlight a role for jasmonates in supporting assembly, stability and repair of the photosynthetic machinery under both basal and stress conditions.

Jasmonate-Mediated Stress Responses in Plants publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in jasmonate-mediated stress responses in plants across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Jasmonates: Lipid-derived plant hormones that regulate growth, development and stress responses.

Methyl jasmonate (MeJA): Volatile ester form of jasmonic acid used to elicit stress responses.

Reactive oxygen species (ROS): Highly reactive molecules produced during stress that can damage cellular components.

Ion homeostasis: Regulation of intracellular ion concentrations to maintain physiological function.

Photochemical efficiency (Fv/Fm): Ratio reflecting the maximum quantum yield of photosystem II.

Osmotic adjustment: Accumulation of solutes to retain water and maintain cell turgor under stress.

References

1. Transcript profile analysis reveals important roles of jasmonic acid signalling pathway in the response of sweet potato to salt stress. Scientific Reports (2017).
2. Jasmonic acid and methyl jasmonate modulate growth, photosynthetic activity and expression of photosystem II subunit genes in Brassica oleracea L. Scientific Reports (2020).
3. Association of jasmonic acid priming with multiple defense mechanisms in wheat plants under high salt stress. Frontiers in Plant Science (2022).
4. Exogenous Methyl Jasmonate Improves Heat Tolerance of Perennial Ryegrass Through Alteration of Osmotic Adjustment, Antioxidant Defense, and Expression of Jasmonic Acid-Responsive Genes. Frontiers in Plant Science (2021).
5. Combined seed and foliar pre-treatments with exogenous methyl jasmonate and salicylic acid mitigate drought-induced stress in maize. PLOS ONE (2020).