Salicylic acid: a likely endogenous signal in the resistance response of tobacco to viral infection

• Published in: Science (American Association for the Advancement of Science) Vol. 250; no. 4983; pp. 1002 - 1004
• Main Authors: Malamy, J. (Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, NJ), Carr, J.P, Klessig, D.F, Raskin, I
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Washington, DC American Society for the Advancement of Science 16.11.1990; American Association for the Advancement of Science; The American Association for the Advancement of Science
• Subjects: ACIDE SALICYLIQUE; ACIDO SALICILICO; Agronomy. Soil science and plant productions; Biochemistry; Biological and medical sciences; Cellular biology; Cellular signal transduction; Crop harvesting; Diseases and pests; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; GENE; GENES; Genetics; Genetics and breeding of economic plants; Genotypes; Immunity (Disease); Infections; Inoculation; Leaves; Messenger RNA; NICOTIANA TABACUM; PATHOGENESE; Pathogens; PATOGENESIS; Pest resistance; Plant pathogens; Plants; Plants (Organisms); PROTEINAS; PROTEINE; RESISTANCE AUX MALADIES; RESISTENCIA A LA ENFERMEDAD; RNA; Salicylic acid; Salicylic acids; Signal transduction; Tionontati; Tobacco; tobacco mosaic virus; VARIEDADES; Varietal selection. Specialized plant breeding, plant breeding aims; VARIETE; VIRUS DE LA MOSAIQUE DU TABAC; VIRUS DEL MOSAICO DEL TABACO; Viruses; Tobamovirus; Stimulant plant; Endogenous substance; Phytopathogen; Nicotiana tabacum; Pathogenesis related protein; Infection; Virus; Sensitivity resistance; Tobacco mosaic virus; Dicotyledones; Viral disease; Angiospermae; Defense mechanism; Spermatophyta; Solanaceae; Cultivar
• ISSN: 0036-8075; 1095-9203
• DOI: 10.1126/science.250.4983.1002

Some cultivars of tobacco are resistant to tobacco mosaic virus (TMV) and synthesize pathogenesis-related (PR) proteins upon infection. In a search for the signal or signals that induce resistance or PR genes, it was found that the endogenous salicylic acid levels in resistant, but not susceptible, cultivars increased at least 20-fold in infected leaves and 5-fold in uninfected leaves after TMV inoculation. Induction of PR1 genes paralleled the rise in salicylic acid levels. Since earlier work has demonstrated that treatment with exogenous salicylic acid induces PR genes and resistance, these findings suggest that salicylic acid functions as the natural transduction signal