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Title: An intact cuticle in distal tissues is essential for the induction of systemic acquired resistance in plants

Author
item XIA, YE - UNIVERESITY OF KENTUCKY
item GAO, QING-MING - UNIVERESITY OF KENTUCKY
item YU, KESHUN - UNIVERESITY OF KENTUCKY
item LAPCHYK, LUDMILA - UNIVERESITY OF KENTUCKY
item Navarre, Duroy - Roy
item HILDEBRAND, DAVID - UNIVERESITY OF KENTUCKY
item KACHROO, AARDRA - UNIVERESITY OF KENTUCKY
item KACHROO, PRADEEP - UNIVERESITY OF KENTUCKY

Submitted to: Cell Host and Microbe
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 1/15/2008
Publication Date: 2/1/2009
Citation: Xia, Y., Gao, Q., Yu, K., Lapchyk, L., Navarre, D.A., Hildebrand, D., Kachroo, A., Kachroo, P. 2009. An intact cuticle in distal tissues is essential for the induction of systemic acquired resistance in plants. Cell Host and Microbe. 5:151-65.

Interpretive Summary: This research shows an unexpected role for the leaf cuticle in the development of systemic acquired resistance. Plants with defective cuticles were unable to mount a successful systemic response. This furthers our understanding of a major mechanism plants use to resist disease.

Technical Abstract: Systemic acquired resistance (SAR) immunizes distal tissues of plants against secondary infections. We report that an acyl carrier protein, ACP4, is essential for perception but not generation of the SAR signal in Arabidopsis. A mutation in acp4 reduces the fatty acid flux, resulting in impaired cuticle biogenesis and compromised SAR. Genetic mutations or physical treatment of systemic tissues that damage the cuticle impair SAR, suggesting that an intact cuticle is required for decoding the mobile SAR signal generated upon primary infection. The acp4 mutation also impairs the plastidal acyltransferase catalyzed reaction, and thereby suppresses constitutive defense signaling in ssi2 plants.