title: Salicylic acid is important for basal defense of Solanum tuberosum against Phytophthora infestans.
abstract: The importance of the signaling compound salicylic acid for basal defense of potato (Solanum tuberosum L. cv. Désirée) against Phytophthora infestans, the causal agent of late blight disease, was assessed using transgenic NahG potato plants which are unable to accumulate salicylic acid. Although the size of lesions caused by P. infestans was not significantly different in wild-type and transgenic NahG plants, real-time polymerase chain reaction analyses revealed a drastic enhancement of pathogen growth in potato plants depleted of salicylic acid. Increased susceptibility of NahG plants correlated with compromised callose formation and reduced early defense gene expression. NahG plants pretreated with the salicylic acid analog 2,6-dichloro-isonicotinic acid allowed pathogen growth to a similar extent as did wild-type plants, indicating that salicylic acid is an important compound required for basal defense of potato against P. infestans.
authors.affiliation: Leibniz Institute of Plant Biochemistry, Department of Stress and Developmental Biology, Weinberg 3, D-06120 Halle (Saale), Germany.
authors.forename: Vincentius A
authors.initials: VA
authors.lastname: Halim
authors.forename: Lennart
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Eschen-Lippold
authors.forename: Simone
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Altmann
authors.forename: Mandy
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Birschwilks
authors.forename: Dierk
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Scheel
authors.forename: Sabine
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Rosahl
mesh_terms: D018533:Biomass; D018506:Gene Expression Regulation, Plant; D007539:Isonicotinic Acids / Q000494:pharmacology; D006899:Mixed Function Oxygenases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D010838:Phytophthora / Q000502:physiology*; D010935:Plant Diseases / Q000382:microbiology*; D018515:Plant Leaves / Q000382:microbiology / Q000648:ultrastructure; D030821:Plants, Genetically Modified; D020156:Salicylic Acid / Q000378:metabolism*; D011198:Solanum tuberosum / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000382:microbiology*
chemical_list: D007539:Isonicotinic Acids; C077261:2,6-dichloroisonicotinic acid; D006899:Mixed Function Oxygenases; C022619:salicylate 1-monooxygenase; D020156:Salicylic Acid