Wound signaling-coordination of the octadecanoid and MAPK pathways

Plants have developed integrated signaling networks that play a pivotal role in mediating the perception of and response to environmental factors, including wounding, a common stress. Wound signaling is known to involve at least two major signaling pathways—the octadecanoid and the MAPK pathways. These two pathways have been investigated in model dicotyledoneous (dicot) and monocotyledoneous (monocot) plant species such as alfalfa, Arabidopsis, tobacco, tomato, barley, maize and rice. Our careful analysis of available findings, to date, on wound signaling point towards a remarkable difference in coordination between the octadecanoid and the MAPK pathways in dicots and rice (Oryza sativa L.), a monocot cereal crop model plant. In this review we discuss the current understanding on these two critical pathways and propose a view on their relationship in rice with respect to wound signaling in dicot plants.