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Effects of salicylic acid on disease resistance and postharvest decay Shiping Tian,* Guozheng Qin, Boqiang Li, Qing Wang and Xianghong Meng Key Laboratory of Photosynthesis and Molecular Environment Physiology, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China Abstract Purpose of the review: Salicylic acid (SA) is an important component in the signal transduction pathway and is also involved in local and systemic resistance to pathogens. Exogenous application of SA at nontoxic concentrations could enhance the resistance of fruits to pathogens. Main findings: In this review, we mainly introduce the controlling effect of exogenous SA treatment on postharvest diseases in different fruits and discuss the physiological response of fruits to SA treatment. These results are important for fully understanding the function of SA in the defence response of fruits to pathogen infection. Directions for future research: Future studies should focus on the mechanisms of action of SA in systemic resistance of fruits using molecular, proteomic and metabolic approaches, and identify the molecular events involved in the signalling of SA-induced disease resistance in fruits. Keywords: salicylic acid; fruit; defence response; postharvest disease Stewart Postharvest Review 2007, 6:2 Published online 01 December 2007 doi: 10.2212/spr.2007.6.2 |