26
September 2002
Plant science: Long-distance information
Systemic acquired resistance (SAR) is an important defence mechanism in plants, triggered by localized attack by a pathogen. Salicylic acid plays a key role as a secondary messenger, but despite 40 years of searching, the long-distance mobile SAR signal has not been identified. A newly isolated Arabidopsis mutant could provide important clues as to its identity. Plants lacking the DIR1 gene respondnormally to local pathogen infection but distant leaves remain susceptible to attack. DIR1 encodes a putative lipid transfer protein, suggesting that the sought-after systemic signal is a lipid molecule. This adds to a growing body of evidence that lipids and associated proteins play significant roles in signal processes in many organisms.
A putative lipid transfer protein involved in systemic
resistance signalling in Arabidopsis
ANA
M. MALDONADO, PETER DOERNER, RICHARD A. DIXON, CHRIS J. LAMB & ROBIN K. CAMERON
Nature 419, 399–403 (2002); doi:10.1038/nature00962
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