Salicylic acid production initiates a series of protective effects, for example protecting the chloroplasts of plants, where photosynthesis takes place.
UC Riverside researchers recently published a study in the journal Science Advances on plants’ production of salicylic acid, which protects them from environmental threats such as insects, drought or heat.
Scientists have studied a plant called Arabidopsis, but they hope to be able to apply the knowledge they have gained to many other plants, including plants grown for food purposes. Phys in his article.
As a result of environmental stress, reactive oxygen species (ROS) are produced in all living things – this causes freckles and burns, for example – and in the case of plants, elevated ROS levels can be fatal. However, this is a double-edged sword, as it plays an important role in plant cells at low levels.
The research team discovered that under the influence of heat, constant sunlight or drought, the sugar-producing system of plant cells begins to produce alarm molecules known as MEcPP, the accumulation of which leads to the production of salicylic acid and initiates a series of protective effects. in cells.
According to Katayoon Dehesh, professor of molecular biology at UCR, salicylic acid helps plants become more resilient to the stresses of climate change, a step forward in combating the effects of climate warming on everyday life.