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Molecular mechanism of salicylic acid-induced abiotic stress tolerance in higher plants

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Abstract

Salicylic acid (SA), a key signaling molecule in higher plants, has been found to play a role in the response to a diverse range of phytopathogens and is essential for the establishment of both local and systemic-acquired resistance. Recent studies have indicated that SA also plays an important role in abiotic stress-induced signaling, and studies on SA-modulated abiotic tolerance have mainly focused on the antioxidant capacity of plants by altering the activity of anti-oxidative enzymes. However, little information is available about the molecular mechanisms of SA-induced abiotic stress tolerance. Here, we review recent progress toward characterizing the SA-regulated genes and proteins, the SA signaling pathway, the connections and differences between SA-induced tolerances to biotic and abiotic stresses, and the interaction of SA with other plant hormones under conditions of abiotic stress. The future prospects related to molecular tolerance of SA in response to abiotic stresses are also further summarized.

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Acknowledgments

We apologize to our colleagues whose valuable works have not been cited in this paper because of our inadvertent pretermission.

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The authors declare no competing financial interest.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. National Engineering Research Centre for Wheat, National Key Laboratory of Wheat and Maize Crop Science, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou, 450002, China

    Guozhang Kang & Gezi Li

  2. Collaborative Innovation Center of Henan Food Crops, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou, 450002, China

    Tiancai Guo

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  1. Guozhang Kang
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  2. Gezi Li
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Correspondence to Guozhang Kang.

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Communicated by A. K. Kononowicz.

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Kang, G., Li, G. & Guo, T. Molecular mechanism of salicylic acid-induced abiotic stress tolerance in higher plants. Acta Physiol Plant 36, 2287–2297 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11738-014-1603-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11738-014-1603-z

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