SALICYLIC-ACID AND DISEASE RESISTANCE IN PLANTS

Plants have evolved complex mechanisms to defend themselves against pa thogens, and thus a great deal of attention has been directed towards elucidating the molecular nature of resistance. Salicylic acid has bee n shown to be a signaling molecule involved in both local defense reac tions at infection sites and the induction of systemic resistance. Alt hough it is still unclear whether this compound can serve as a long-di stance messenger signaling the presence of a pathogen, its synthesis a nd accumulation are important requirements for defense responses, Rece nt advances have further established the key role of the signal transd uction pathways dependent on salicylic acid.