Systemic Acquired Resistance in Arabidopsis Requires Salicylic Acid but Not Ethylene. Kay Lawton . Biotechnology Research Unit, CIBA-GEIGY Corporation, 3054 Cornwallis Rd., Research Triangle Park, NC 27709, U.S.A. Kris Weymann, Leslie Friedrich, Bernard Vernooij, Scott Uknes, and John Ryals. Biotechnology Research Unit, CIBA-GEIGY Corporation, 3054 Cornwallis Rd., Research Triangle Park, NC 27709, U.S.A. MPMI 8:863-870. Accepted 18 July 1995. Copyright 1995 The American Phytopathological Society.

Systemic acquired resistance (SAR) is an inducible plant response to infection by a necrotizing pathogen. In the induced plant, SAR provides broad-spectrum protection against not only the inducing pathogen, but also against other, unrelated pathogens. Both salicylic acid (SA) and SAR-gene expression have been implicated as playing important roles in the initiation and maintenance of SAR. Here, we describe the characterization of transgenic Arabidopsis plants that express the bacterial nahG gene encoding salicylate hydroxylase, an enzyme that can metabolize SA. Strong, constitutive expression of this gene prevents pathogen-induced accumulation of SA and the activation of SAR by exogenous SA. We show that SAR in Arabidopsis can be induced by inoculation with Pseudo-monas syringe pv. tomato against infection by a challenge inoculation with Peronospora parasitica. This response is abolished in transgenic, nahG-expressing Arabidopsis, but not in ethylene-insensitive mutants. These experiments support the critical role of SA in SAR and show that ethylene sensitivity is not required for SAR induction. The NahG Arabidopsis plants will be important for future studies aimed at understanding the role of SA in plant disease resistance mechanisms.