A common plant metabolite used in creams for acne treatment and rosacea has a major role in priming plants’ systemic immune system, US researchers have found.
Azelaic acid has antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties and is commonly used in dermatological applications in humans.
Now, it has been identified as a signalling weapon in Arabidopsis to prime the plants to accumulate salicylic acid upon infection.
Salicylic acid, which is also used popularly in skin treatments, is a phytohormone in plants which plays a role in pathogen resistance. It is highly active in systemic acquired resistance (SAR) in plants, in which resistance to localised infections develops as a means of mounting a stronger defense upon secondary infection.
SAR involves infected leaves developing a sap called petiole exudate, which is then sent through the vascular system to confer resistance to uninfected leaves.
The US team, led by Ho Won Jung and Jean Greenberg from the University of Chicago, used gas chromatography and mass spectrometry to look for metabolites that were highly active in SAR-induced exudates.
Source: http://www.biotechnews.com.au/article/298428/azelaic_acid_key_plant_immunity
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