Plant Hormones in Pathogen Defense Mechanisms
Summary
Plants deploy a sophisticated chemical language of phytohormones to perceive and respond to invading pathogens. Salicylic acid orchestrates resistance against biotrophic microbes by promoting systemic acquired resistance and activating defence gene networks. Jasmonic acid and ethylene collaborate to counter necrotrophic pathogens and insect herbivores, often through reinforcement of cell walls and production of antimicrobial compounds. Auxiliary hormones such as auxins and cytokinins modulate the balance between growth and defence, with dynamic crosstalk shaping the amplitude and timing of immune responses. Abscisic acid integrates abiotic stresses but may antagonise pathogen‐triggered pathways, while brassinosteroids contribute to cell integrity and defence priming. This interwoven signalling web ensures that defence is tailored to the lifestyle of the attacker and the environmental context. Recent advances reveal that pathogens can hijack hormone biosynthesis or mimic host signals via secreted effectors, thereby subverting immunity. Understanding these multilayered interactions has global significance for engineering crops with durable resistance, reducing reliance on chemical pesticides and enhancing food security in a changing climate.
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Plant Hormones in Pathogen Defense Mechanisms publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in plant hormones in pathogen defense mechanisms across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
Phytohormone: Small organic molecules produced by plants that regulate growth, development and defence responses.
Salicylic acid (SA): A plant signal molecule central to resistance against biotrophic pathogens and systemic acquired resistance.
Jasmonic acid (JA): A lipid-derived hormone that coordinates defence against necrotrophic pathogens and herbivorous insects.
Ethylene (ET): A gaseous hormone that interacts with JA to reinforce cell walls and activate defence genes.
Auxin: A growth hormone, primarily indole-3-acetic acid, which also influences immune signalling and cell-wall modifications.
Cytokinin: A hormone regulating cell division and differentiation, which modulates defence through interaction with SA pathways.
Abscisic acid (ABA): A stress hormone that integrates abiotic stress responses but can antagonise some defence pathways.
Crosstalk: The interaction between different hormonal signalling pathways that fine-tunes plant responses to stress.
Effector: A molecule secreted by pathogens to manipulate host physiology and suppress immune responses.
Biotroph: A pathogen that requires living host tissue for nutrition and often triggers SA-dependent defences.
Necrotroph: A pathogen that kills host tissue and typically elicits JA/ET-mediated resistance mechanisms.
References
- Making sense of hormone-mediated defense networking: from rice to Arabidopsis. Frontiers in Plant Science (2014).
- Feeling hormonal? Insights into bacterial auxin sensing and its physiological effects. mSystems (2024).
- Indole-3-acetaldehyde dehydrogenase-dependent auxin synthesis contributes to virulence of Pseudomonas syringae strain DC3000. PLOS Pathogens (2018).
- Two-Component Elements Mediate Interactions between Cytokinin and Salicylic Acid in Plant Immunity. PLOS Genetics (2012).
- Manipulation of Phytohormone Pathways by Effectors of Filamentous Plant Pathogens. Frontiers in Plant Science (2019).
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