Phytochrome and defense regulation in plants; Plenary Lecture

BALLARE, CARLOS L.

Corrientes

Conferencia; Reunión de la Sociedad Argentina de Fisiología Vegetal; 2016

SAFV

Phytochrome B and defense regulation in plants. New functions for a well-known photoreceptor Carlos L. BallaréIFEVA, CONICET?Universidad de Buenos Aires, C1417DSE Buenos Aires and IIB-INTECH, CONICET?Universidad Nacional de San Martín, B1650HMP Buenos Aires, Argentina; URL: http://epl.agro.uba.ar/, E-mail: ballare@ifeva.edu.arLight, acting through informational photoreceptors, is an important modulator of the two principal hormonal pathways that regulate plant immunity against herbivores and pathogens, i.e. the jasmonic-acid (JA) and the salicylic-acid pathways (SA). Light signals that indicate proximity of competitors, such as a low red to far-red (R:FR) ratio, down-regulate JA- and SA-induced defense responses. This down-regulation is thought to help the plant to efficiently redirect resources from defense to rapid growth under conditions of intense competition. In this presentation, I will discuss recent advances in the understanding of the mechanisms that link phytochrome B (a photoreceptor for R:FR) with JA signaling in plants, and explore the consequences for direct and indirect defenses. Unveiling the molecular links between photoreceptors and the regulators of plant immunity is important to generate a mechanistic framework to understand how plants deal with resource allocation trade-offs under natural conditions. This mechanistic understanding can be very useful to guide breeding programs aimed at increasing plant resistance to pests and pathogens in cultivated species.