Fatty Acid–Derived Signals in Plant Defense

2009/05/04 by Aardra Kachroo, Pradeep Kachroo · 476 citations
Agricultural and Biological Sciences · #Biochemistry #Biology #Cell biology #Defence mechanisms #Effector #Enzyme #Fatty acid #Gene #Insect-Plant Interactions and Control #Jasmonic acid #Metabolic pathway #Metabolism #Oxylipin #Plant Parasitism and Resistance #Plant Virus Research Studies #Plant defense against herbivory

paper · doi:10.1146/annurev-phyto-080508-081820

published in Annual Review of Phytopathology 47(1), 153-176 (Annual Reviews)

openalex publication_date 2009/05/04 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/05

Abstract

Fatty acids (FAs) consist of long hydrophobic, often unbranched chains of hydrocarbons, with hydrophilic carboxylic acid groups at one end. They are an important source of reserve energy and essential components of membrane lipids in all living organisms. In plants, FA metabolic pathways play significant roles in pathogen defense. Historically, FAs were only assigned passive roles in plant defense such as biosynthetic precursors for cuticular components or the phytohormone jasmonic acid. However, recent discoveries demonstrate more direct roles for FAs and their breakdown products in inducing various modes of plant defenses. Both 16- and 18-carbon FAs participate in defense to modulate basal, effector-triggered, and systemic immunity in plants. Studies of FA metabolic mutants also reveal an active signaling role for the cuticle in plant defense. This review summarizes the current knowledge of the involvement of FAs, FA-derived oxylipins, and enzymes catalyzing FA metabolism in plant defense.

Citations

• Lipids, Lipases, and Lipid-Modifying Enzymes in Plant Disease Resistance
• Salicylic Acid, a Multifaceted Hormone to Combat Disease

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