Involvement of Salicylic Acid in the Establishment of the Rhizobium meliloti-Alfalfa Symbiosis

Inoculation of alfalfa plants with either incompatible Rhizobium or a Rhizobium mutant blocked in Nod factor synthesis led to an accumulation of salicylic acid in roots, in contrast to plants inoculated with a wild-type (compatible) R. meliloti strain. When salicylic acid was exogenously applied pri...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: F. Martínez-Abarca, J. A. Herrera-Cervera, P. Bueno, J. Sanjuan, T. Bisseling, J. Olivares
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: The American Phytopathological Society 1998-02-01
Series:Molecular Plant-Microbe Interactions
Subjects:
Online Access:https://apsjournals.apsnet.org/doi/10.1094/MPMI.1998.11.2.153
Description
Summary:Inoculation of alfalfa plants with either incompatible Rhizobium or a Rhizobium mutant blocked in Nod factor synthesis led to an accumulation of salicylic acid in roots, in contrast to plants inoculated with a wild-type (compatible) R. meliloti strain. When salicylic acid was exogenously applied prior to inoculation of alfalfa plants with either purified Nod factor or compatible Rhizobium strains, a significant inhibition of nodule primordia formation and a reduction of the number of emerging nodules, respectively, as well as a delay in nodule visualization, were observed. These results suggest an involvement of Rhizobium-synthesized Nod factors in the inhibition of salicylic acid-mediated defense in legumes.
ISSN:0894-0282
1943-7706