Deciphering phenylalanine-derived salicylic acid biosynthesis in plants

  • Nature. 2025 Sep;645(8079):208-217. doi: 10.1038/s41586-025-09280-9.
Yukang Wang  #  1  2 ,  Shuyan Song  #  1  2 ,  Wenxuan Zhang  #  3 ,  Qianwen Deng  1  2 ,  Yanlei Feng  1  2 ,  Mei Tao  4 ,  Mengna Kang  1 ,  Qi Zhang  1 ,  Lijia Yang  1 ,  Xinyu Wang  1 ,  Changan Zhu  3 ,  Xiaowen Wang  1  2 ,  Wanxin Zhu  1  2 ,  Yixiao Zhu  4 ,  Pengfei Cao  5 ,  Jia Chen  6 ,  Jinheng Pan  6 ,  Shan Feng  6 ,  Xianyan Chen  7 ,  Huaxin Dai  8 ,  Shiyong Song  1 ,  Jinghua Yang  3 ,  Tianlun Zhao  1 ,  Fangbin Cao  1 ,  Zeng Tao  1 ,  Xingxing Shen  4 ,  Robert L Last  9  10 ,  Jianping Hu  5  10 ,  Jingquan Yu  3  11 ,  Pengxiang Fan  12  13 ,  Ronghui Pan  14  15
Affiliations
  • 1. State Key Laboratory of Rice Biology and Breeding, Zhejiang Key Laboratory of Crop Germplasm Innovation and Utilization, College of Agriculture and Biotechnology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China.
  • 2. Zhejiang Key Laboratory of Intelligent Manufacturing for Functional Chemicals, ZJU-Hangzhou Global Scientific and Technological Innovation Center, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China.
  • 3. Department of Horticulture, College of Agriculture and Biotechnology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China.
  • 4. Key Laboratory of Biology of Crop Pathogens and Insects of Zhejiang Province, College of Agriculture and Biotechnology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China.
  • 5. Michigan State University-Department of Energy Plant Research Laboratory, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA.
  • 6. Mass Spectrometry and Metabolomics Core Facility, The Biomedical Research Core Facility, Westlake University, Hangzhou, China.
  • 7. Material Scientific Cores, Zhejiang Laboratory, Hangzhou, China.
  • 8. Beijing Life Science Academy, Changping, Beijing, China.
  • 9. Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA.
  • 10. Department of Plant Biology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA.
  • 11. Key Laboratory of Horticultural Plants Growth and Development, Agricultural Ministry of China, Hangzhou, China.
  • 12. Department of Horticulture, College of Agriculture and Biotechnology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China. [email protected].
  • 13. Key Laboratory of Horticultural Plants Growth and Development, Agricultural Ministry of China, Hangzhou, China. [email protected].
  • 14. State Key Laboratory of Rice Biology and Breeding, Zhejiang Key Laboratory of Crop Germplasm Innovation and Utilization, College of Agriculture and Biotechnology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China. [email protected].
  • 15. Zhejiang Key Laboratory of Intelligent Manufacturing for Functional Chemicals, ZJU-Hangzhou Global Scientific and Technological Innovation Center, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China. [email protected].
  • # Contributed equally.
PMID: 40702180 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-025-09280-9
Abstract

Salicylic acid (SA) is a ubiquitous plant hormone with a long history in human civilization1,2. Because of the central role of SA in orchestrating plant pathogen defence, understanding SA biosynthesis is fundamental to plant immunity research and crop improvement. Isochorismate-derived SA biosynthesis has been well defined in Arabidopsis. However, increasing evidence suggests a crucial function for phenylalanine-derived SA biosynthesis in many other plant species1. Here we reveal the phenylalanine-derived SA biosynthetic pathway in rice by identifying three dedicated Enzymes - peroxisomal benzoyl-CoA:benzyl alcohol benzoyltransferase (BEBT), the endoplasmic reticulum-associated Cytochrome P450 enzyme benzylbenzoate hydroxylase (BBH), and cytosolic benzylsalicylate esterase (BSE) that sequentially convert benzoyl-CoA to benzylbenzoate, benzylsalicylate and SA. The pathogen-induced gene expression pattern and SA biosynthetic functions of this triple-enzyme module are conserved in diverse Plants. This work fills a major knowledge gap in the biosynthesis of a key plant defence hormone, establishing a foundation for new strategies to create disease-resistant crops.

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