Novel findings of scientists at HUN-REN CAR on biochemical processes governing plant virus resistance can be utilized in breeding crops with improved defense against diseases and stresses

Scientists at the Plant Protection Institute of the HUN-REN Centre for Agricultural Research (HUN-REN CAR) have characterized a novel aspect of biochemical processes governing plant virus resistance. They have demonstrated that enhanced resistance of a tobacco hybrid (Nicotiana edwardsonii ‘Columbia’) to Tobacco mosaic virus requires not only a plant hormone, salicylic acid but, following virus infection, the accumulation of a small antioxidant molecule, glutathione, also contributes to this antiviral response. The results were published recently in the prestigious scientific journal Molecular Plant-Microbe Interactions.