Genetius

The study investigated the ability of foliar-applied salicylic acid (SA) to alleviate drought stress in the high‑altitude medicinal plant Valeriana wallichii by measuring physiological and biochemical responses during vegetative and flowering stages. SA at specific concentrations improved photosynthetic rates, water‑use efficiency, chlorophyll content, membrane stability, and root biomass under both severe (25% field capacity) and moderate (50% field capacity) drought conditions. These results suggest that SA treatment enhances drought tolerance and productivity in this species.

The study demonstrates that salicylic acid (SA) restricts plant root growth through a mechanism requiring the transmembrane kinase TMK1, which leads to apoplastic alkalinization and inhibition of plasma membrane H⁺-ATPase phosphorylation. This SA effect operates independently of the auxin receptor ABP1, suggesting a novel SA-mediated pathway that balances stress responses with growth.

The study identifies wound‑induced proline transporters ProT2 and ProT3 as central regulators that link salicylic acid signaling to the suppression of de novo root regeneration (DNRR) via modulation of reactive oxygen species dynamics. Genetic loss of these transporters or pharmacological inhibition of proline transport alleviates SA‑mediated regeneration inhibition across several plant species without compromising disease resistance.

The study created transgenic Arabidopsis lines enabling inducible plasmodesmal closure via an overactive CALLOSE SYNTHASE3 allele (icals3m) and the C‑terminal domain of PDLP1, independent of pathogen signals. Induced closure triggered stress‑responsive gene expression, elevated salicylic acid levels, and enhanced resistance to Pseudomonas syringae, while also causing starch accumulation, reduced growth, and increased susceptibility to Botrytis cinerea, indicating that plasmodesmal closure itself can activate immune signaling.

The study identified twenty survival of SA-induced death (ssd) mutants that are defective in starch, glucose, nitrate metabolism, and circadian regulation, leading to excessive carbohydrate accumulation and susceptibility to salicylic acid (SA)-induced death in prolonged darkness. Glucose application rescues SA‑treated plants by antagonizing oxidative stress and restoring metabolic balance, as revealed by transcriptomic analyses that link SA‑induced cell death to effector‑triggered immunity pathways.

The study examined how tomato plants respond hormonally to infection by Pseudomonas syringae pv. tomato DC3000 at two temperatures. Results revealed temperature‑dependent expression of salicylic acid, jasmonic acid and abscisic acid marker genes, while ethylene signaling remained unchanged, underscoring the influence of environmental conditions on plant defense.

The study reveals that natural variation in cis‑regulatory elements of the ICS1 promoter disrupts binding by the transcription factor CHE in several Brassicaceae species, preventing systemic induction of salicylic acid (SA) during systemic acquired resistance (SAR). Although SAR still occurs, it is weaker without the CHE‑ICS1 module, and restoring this module restores systemic SA accumulation, indicating potential for engineering enhanced immunity. The work highlights evolutionary plasticity of SAR regulation and suggests cis‑element engineering as a strategy for crop improvement.

The study demonstrates that the plant immune regulator NPR1 is modulated by opposing phosphorylation events from the nutrient-sensing kinases TOR and SnRK1, linking salicylic acid signaling to metabolic control. Under normal conditions TOR phosphorylates NPR1 at Ser‑55/59 to suppress it, whereas defense-induced SA activates SnRK1, which inhibits TOR and phosphorylates NPR1 at Ser‑557, activating immune responses.

The study demonstrates that high endogenous salicylic acid (SA) levels suppress anthocyanin accumulation in Arabidopsis thaliana under anthocyanin‑inducible conditions, an effect confirmed by exogenous SA treatment and observed as reduced anthocyanin vesicular inclusion (AVI) abundance in mutants. The inhibition appears to be mediated by SA downstream signaling independent of NPR1 rather than by changes in SA biosynthesis.

The study investigates how varying concentrations of salicylic acid (SA) and jasmonic acid (JA) together shape transcriptional responses, revealing 43 distinct expression patterns including novel combination-specific responses. By identifying concentration-dependent regulation of genes such as CYP94B3 and glucosinolate biosynthesis genes, the authors created machine‑learning‑derived transcriptomic biomarkers that accurately estimate SA/JA response states, validated in npr3/4 mutants. These biomarkers enable quantitative analysis of phytohormone signaling across diverse transcriptomic datasets.