Increasing Leaf Longevity and Disease Resistance by Altering Salicylic Acid Catabolism
- Detailed Technology Description
- Theinvention provides methods to delay leaf senescence by changing levels of hydroxylase gene expression in plants, resulting in greater crop yield and enhancing disease resistance.
- Others
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- PCT Application WO2015017786
- Zhang, K. et al. (2013). Salicylic acid 3-hydroxylase regulates Arabidopsis leaf longevity by mediatingsalicylic acid catabolism. PNAS Sep 3;110(36):14807-12. DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1302702110.
- "’Fountainof youth’ for leaves discovered" A. Garris. Cornell Chronicle. August 29, 2013.
- *Abstract
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Leaf senescence can be slowed down by changing levels of a plant hydroxylase gene expression, resulting in greater crop yield and enhanced disease resistance.
Salicylic acid (SA) is a plant hormone that plays critical roles in plant defense and stress responses, and it induces senescence-associated genes. Cornell researchers discovered a new metabolic enzyme called salicylic acid 3-hydroxylase in plants which regulates leaf longevity and disease resistance by mediating SA catabolism.
Proof of concept: Strong data sets obtained from experiments in Arabidopsis demonstrate the effectiveness of (1) silencing the gene to increase disease resistance and (2) enhancing the gene to delay senescence.
Potential Applications
- Cropyield enhancement by controlling leaf senescence
- Methodof identifying a candidate plant suitable for breeding that displays a delayedsenescence phenotype and or enhanced pathogen resistance.
Advantages
- Increase crop yield in a variety of plants, including soybean, maize, and canola
- Improve turf grass management
- Improve ornamental plant performance
- Increase value in post-harvest
- Enhance disease resistance in crops
- *Licensing
- JeffFearn607-254-4502jcf55@cornell.edu
- Country/Region
- USA
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