Benzothiadiazole induces disease resistance in Arabidopsis by activation of the systemic acquired resistance signal transduction pathway |
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Authors: | Kay A Lawton Leslie Friedrich Michelle Hunt Kris Weymann Terrance Delaney Helmut Kessmann Theodor Staub John Ryals |
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Institution: | Ciba-Geigy Agricultural Biotechnology, P.O. Box 12257, Research Triangle Park, NC 27709-2257, USA; Plant Protection Division, Ciba-Geigy Ltd, CH-4002 Basel, Switzerland |
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Abstract: | Benzothiadiazole (BTH) is a novel chemical activator of disease resistance in tobacco, wheat and other important agricultural plants. In this report, it is shown that BTH works by activating SAR in Arabidopsis thaliana. BTH-treated plants were resistant to infection by turnip crinkle virus, Pseudomonas syringae pv ‘tomato’ DC3000 and Peronospora parasitica. Chemical treatment induced accumulation of mRNAs from the SAR-associated genes, PR-1, PR-2 and PR-5. BTH treatment induced both PR-1 mRNA accumulation and resistance against P. parasitica in the ethylene response mutants, etr1 and ein2, and in the methyl jasmonate-insensitive mutant, jar1, suggesting that BTH action is independent of these plant hormones. BTH treatment also induced both PR-1 mRNA accumulation and P. parasitica resistance in transgenic Arabidopsis plants expressing the nahG gene, suggesting that BTH action does not require salicylic acid accumulation. However, because BTH-treatment failed to induce either PR-1 mRNA accumulation or P. parasitica resistance in the non-inducible immunity mutant, nim1, it appears that BTH activates the SAR signal transduction pathway. |
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