Salicylic acid and disease resistance in plants

Plants have evolved complex mechanisms to defend themselves against pathogens, and thus a great deal of attention has been directed towards elucidating the molecular nature of resistance. Salicylic acid has been shown to be a signaling molecule involved in both local defense reactions at infection sites and the induction of systemic resistance. Although it is still unclear whether this compound can serve as a long-distance messenger signaling the presence of a pathogen, its synthesis and accumulation are important requirements for defense responses, Recent advances have further established the key role of the signal transduction pathways dependent on salicylic acid.