conifer-immunity
Conifer immunity refers to the innate and induced defense mechanisms that conifer trees employ to resist pathogens, herbivores, and environmental stressors. Understanding these mechanisms is critical for plant science because conifers form vast forest ecosystems worldwide and are increasingly threatened by novel pests and diseases exacerbated by climate change. Research into conifer immunity can inform strategies for breeding more resilient trees and managing forest health at a global scale.
open_in_new WikipediaPubMed · 2026-05-01
Austrian pine trees mount a sophisticated, whole-tree defense against a deadly fungal pathogen by coordinating multiple plant hormones in a precise sequence. Early abscisic acid signaling triggers the alarm, while sustained jasmonic acid and its mobile form carry the defensive message throughout the tree.
Early abscisic acid (ABA) signaling is the first hormone wave after infection, initiating the systemic defense response in Austrian pine against Diplodia pinea
Sustained jasmonic acid (JA) signaling — confirmed by both hormone measurements and gene expression data — is required for full activation of whole-tree induced resistance
Mobile methyl jasmonate (MeJA) serves as a long-distance defense signal, with its spatiotemporal accumulation pattern matching genes involved in systemic signal propagation and defense
