Jasmonate before salicylate in systemic acquired resistance
Darshika Sandamini Polwatte Koralalage1, Qi Wang2, Janaki Mohotti3
1State Key Laboratory of Green Pesticide, Guizhou University, Guiyang 550025, China.
Trends in Plant Science
|April 10, 2026
Summary
Systemic acquired resistance (SAR) involves an early jasmonate and calcium-dependent phase before salicylate accumulation. This finding revises our understanding of plant immune responses and SAR establishment.
Area of Science:
- Plant immunity
- Molecular plant pathology
- Plant signaling
Background:
- Systemic acquired resistance (SAR) is a crucial plant defense mechanism.
- Traditionally, SAR has been characterized as primarily driven by salicylic acid (SA).
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the early signaling events in SAR establishment.
- To refine models of plant immune response pathways.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of early molecular markers during SAR induction.
- Investigating the roles of jasmonates, calcium ions, and salicylates.
Main Results:
- Identified an early systemic phase in SAR dependent on jasmonates and calcium (Ca2+).
- This jasmonate- and Ca2+-dependent phase precedes the accumulation of salicylates.
- Challenged the long-held view of SAR as solely salicylate-driven.
Conclusions:
- Plant immune responses involve complex crosstalk between signaling pathways.
- Jasmonates and calcium play a critical, previously underappreciated role in the early stages of SAR.
- The temporal dynamics of plant defense signaling are more intricate than previously modeled.
Related Concept Videos
02:26Defenses Against Pathogens and Herbivores
30.1K
Plants present a rich source of nutrients for many organisms, making it a target for herbivores and infectious agents. Plants, though lacking a proper immune system, have developed an array of constitutive and inducible defenses to fend off these attacks.
30.1K
02:02Responses to Salt Stress
15.1K
Salt stress—which can be triggered by high salt concentrations in a plant’s environment—can significantly affect plant growth and crop production by influencing photosynthesis and the absorption of water and nutrients.
15.1K
01:56Plant Hormones
28.6K
Plant hormones—or phytohormones—are chemical molecules that modulate one or more physiological processes of a plant. In animals, hormones are often produced in specific glands and circulated via the circulatory system. However, plants lack hormone-producing glands.
28.6K
01:27Combined Effects of Drugs: Synergism
7.9K
Synergism is a useful mechanism where combining two or more drugs is more effective than each constituent used alone. Such combinations are also called supra-additive interactions. The drugs collectively enhance the final therapeutic effect by acting on different targets. Another advantage is that the low dose of each constituent drug is sufficient to achieve the desired effect. This helps reduce the duration of therapy and lower the adverse effects of these drugs.
Such synergistic combinations...
Such synergistic combinations...
7.9K
01:25Cell Signaling in Plants
7.1K
Plant cells communicate to coordinate their cycle of growth, flowering and fruiting, and activities in roots, shoots, and leaves in response to the changing environmental conditions. Plant signaling is distinct from animal signaling. Plants primarily utilize enzyme-linked receptors, whereas the largest class of cell-surface receptors in animals are G-protein coupled receptors (GPCRs). Unlike animals, receptor tyrosine kinases are rare in plants. Instead, plants have a diverse class of...
7.1K
01:57Adaptations that Reduce Water Loss
29.0K
Though evaporation from plant leaves drives transpiration, it also results in loss of water. Because water is critical for photosynthetic reactions and other cellular processes, evolutionary pressures on plants in different environments have driven the acquisition of adaptations that reduce water loss.
29.0K