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Jasmonates are fatty acid derivatives that control several plant processes including growth, development and defense. Despite the chemical diversity of jasmonates, only jasmonoyl-L-isoleucine (JA-Ile) has been clearly characterized as the endogenous ligand of the jasmonate co-receptors (COI1-JAZs) in higher plants. Currently, it is accepted that ω-hydroxylation of JA-Ile leads to inactivation of the molecule. This study shows that ω-hydroxylated JA-Ile (12-OH-JA-Ile) retains bioactivity and signals through the canonical JA-pathway. The results suggest that 12-OH-JA-Ile differentially activates a subset of JA-Ile co-receptors that may control and/or modulate particular jasmonate dependent responses. It is proposed that after a strong immune response mediated by JA-Ile, the ω-hydroxylated form modulates JA-Ile activated processes thereby improving plant resilience., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae, the causal agent of bacterial blight of rice, secretes several cell wall degrading enzymes including cellulase (ClsA) and lipase/esterase (LipA). Prior treatment of rice leaves with purified cell wall degrading enzymes such as LipA can confer enhanced resistance against subsequent X. oryzae pv. oryzae infection. To understand LipA-induced rice defense responses, microarray analysis was performed 12 h after enzyme treatment of rice leaves. This reveals that 867 (720 upregulated and 147 downregulated) genes are differentially regulated (≥2-fold). A number of genes involved in defense, stress, signal transduction, and catabolic processes were upregulated while a number of genes involved in photosynthesis and anabolic processes were downregulated. The microarray data also suggested upregulation of jasmonic acid (JA) biosynthetic and JA-responsive genes. Estimation of various phytohormones in LipA-treated rice leaves demonstrated a significant increase in the level of JA-Ile (a known active form of JA) while the levels of other phytohormones were not changed significantly with respect to buffer-treated control. This suggests a role for JA-Ile in cell wall damage induced innate immunity. Furthermore, a comparative analysis of ClsA- and LipA-induced rice genes has identified key rice functions that might be involved in elaboration of damage-associated molecular pattern (DAMP)-induced innate immunity.

Throughout their life, plants are challenged by various abiotic and biotic stress factors. Among those are attacks from herbivorous insects. The molecular mechanisms underlying the detection of herbivores and the subsequent signal transduction are not well understood. As a second messenger, fluxes in intracellular Ca(2+) levels play a key role in mediating stress response pathways. Ca(2+) signals are decoded by Ca(2+) sensor proteins such as calmodulin-like proteins (CMLs). Here, we demonstrate that recombinant CML37 behaves like a Ca(2+) sensor in vitro and, in Arabidopsis, AtCML37 is induced by mechanical wounding as well as by infestation with larvae of the generalist lepidopteran herbivore Spodoptera littoralis. Loss of function of CML37 led to a better feeding performance of larvae suggesting that CML37 is a positive defense regulator. No herbivory-induced changes in secondary metabolites such as glucosinolates or flavonoids were detected in cml37 plants, although a significant reduction in the accumulation of jasmonates was observed, due to reduced expression of JAR1 mRNA and cellular enzyme activity. Consequently, the expression of jasmonate-responsive genes was reduced as well. Summarizing, our results suggest that the Ca(2+) sensor protein, CML37, functions as a positive regulator in Ca(2+) signaling during herbivory, connecting Ca(2+) and jasmonate signaling., (© The Author 2014. Published by the Molecular Plant Shanghai Editorial Office in association with Oxford University Press on behalf of CSPB and IPPE, SIBS, CAS.)

The majority of plant defenses against insect herbivores are coordinated by jasmonate (jasmonic acid, JA; (+)-7-iso-jasmonoyl-L-isoleucine, JA-Ile)-dependent signaling cascades. Insect feeding and mimicking herbivory by application of oral secretions (OS) from the insect induced both cytosolic Ca(2+) and jasmonate-phytohormone elevation in plants. Here it is shown that in Arabidopsis thaliana upon treatment with OS from lepidopteran Spodoptera littoralis larvae, the antibiotic neomycin selectively blocked the accumulation of OS-induced Ca(2+) elevation and level of the bioactive JA-Ile, in contrast to JA level. Furthermore, neomycin treatment affected the downstream expression of JA-Ile-responsive genes, VSP2 and LOX2, in Arabidopsis. The neomycin-dependent reduced JA-Ile level is partially due to increased CYP94B3 expression and subsequent JA-Ile turn-over to12-hydroxy-JA-Ile. It is neither due to the inhibition of the enzymatic conjugation process nor to substrate availability. Thus, blocking Ca(2+) elevation specifically controls JA-Ile accumulation and signaling, offering an insight into role of calcium in defense against insect herbivory.