Deciphering phenylalanine-derived salicylic acid biosynthesis in plants

• 成果类型: Article
• 署名作者: Wang, Yukang; Song, Shuyan; Zhang, Wenxuan; Deng, Qianwen; Feng, Yanlei; Tao, Mei; Kang, Mengna; Zhang, Qi; Yang, Lijia; Wang, Xinyu; Zhu, Changan; Wang, Xiaowen; Zhu, Wanxin; Zhu, Yixiao; Cao, Pengfei; Chen, Jia; Pan, Jinheng; Feng, Shan; Chen, Xianyan; Dai, Huaxin; Song, Shiyong; Yang, Jinghua; Zhao, Tianlun; Cao, Fangbin; Tao, Zeng; Shen, Xingxing; Last, Robert L.; Hu, Jianping; Yu, Jingquan; Fan, Pengxiang; Pan, Ronghui
• 署名单位: Zhejiang University; Zhejiang University; Zhejiang University; Zhejiang University; Michigan State University; Westlake University; Zhejiang Laboratory; Michigan State University; Michigan State University
• 刊物名称: Nature
• ISSN/ISSBN: 0028-1956
• DOI: 10.1038/s41586-025-09280-9
• 发表日期: 2025-09-04
• 关键词: benzoic-acid; ammonia-lyase; isochorismate synthase; 2-hydroxylase; gene; resistance; PATHWAY; rice; induction; tolerance

摘要

Salicylic acid (SA) is a ubiquitous plant hormone with a long history in human civilization1,2. Because of the central role of SA in orchestrating plant pathogen defence, understanding SA biosynthesis is fundamental to plant immunity research and crop improvement. Isochorismate-derived SA biosynthesis has been well defined in Arabidopsis. However, increasing evidence suggests a crucial function for phenylalanine-derived SA biosynthesis in many other plant species1. Here we reveal the phenylalanine-derived SA biosynthetic pathway in rice by identifying three dedicated enzymes - peroxisomal benzoyl-CoA:benzyl alcohol benzoyltransferase (BEBT), the endoplasmic reticulum-associated cytochrome P450 enzyme benzylbenzoate hydroxylase (BBH), and cytosolic benzylsalicylate esterase (BSE) that sequentially convert benzoyl-CoA to benzylbenzoate, benzylsalicylate and SA. The pathogen-induced gene expression pattern and SA biosynthetic functions of this triple-enzyme module are conserved in diverse plants. This work fills a major knowledge gap in the biosynthesis of a key plant defence hormone, establishing a foundation for new strategies to create disease-resistant crops.