Nature 385, 718 - 721 (20 February 1997); doi:10.1038/385718a0

Airborne signalling by methyl salicylate in plant pathogen resistance

Vladimir Shulaev, Paul Silverman^* & Ilya Raskin

AgBiotech Center, Cook College, Rutgers University, PO Box 231, New Brunswick, New Jersey 08903-0231, USA
^*Present address: Abbott Agricultural Research Center, Plant Science Department, Long Grove, Illinois 60067, USA.

Methyl salicylate, a volatile liquid, also known as oil of winter-green, is made by a number of plants^1–9. Here we show that methyl salicylate is a major volatile compound produced by tobacco plants inoculated with tobacco mosaic virus. Methyl salicylate is synthesized from salicylic acid, a non-volatile chemical signal required for the establishment of acquired resistance¹⁰ and local and systemic induction of antimicrobial pathogenesis-related proteins¹¹. Methyl salicylate acts by being converted back to salicyclic acid. We conclude that methyl salicylate may function as an airborne signal which acitvates disease resistance and the expression of defence-related genes in neighbouring plants and in the healthy tissues of the infected plant.

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