Phenolic acids act as signaling molecules in plant-microbe symbioses

Figures & data

Figure 1 Summarized phenolic acids and flavonoids branch of the phenylpropanoid biosynthetic pathway.

Figure 2 Diagrammatic representation of phenolic compounds signal exchange between the legumes and rhizobia during nodulation. Plant signal activates the nodD product that controls the transcription of other nod genes—in the same way as is it occurs for phenolic acids? The nod boxes are highlighted with black boxes in the organization of nod gene cluster of Rhizobia and the arrows with different nod gene indicate the direction of transcription.

Table 1 Phenolic acids as inducer of plant-microbe symbioses in some selected species

Phenolic acids	Function/location	References
caffeic acid	concentration dependent root growth inhibition	147
	present in wall bound fraction of nodules	25
cinnamic acid	induced by Rhizobia in rice and resistant to Rhizoctonia	148
3,4-dihydroxybenzoic acid	chemo-attractants, influence the host range of the interaction	149
ferulic acid	Influence rhizobial growth	64
	concentration dependent root growth inhibition	147
	induced by Rhizobia in rice and resistant to Rhizoctonia	148
gallic acid	induced by Rhizobia in rice and resistant to Rhizoctonia	148
gallic acid and its methyl ester	reported from soybean nodules—act primarily as antioxidants	150
p-coumaric acid	Stimulator of IAA production in Rhizobia	26
	constitutively present in root and nodule	25
	Influence rhizobial growth	64
	concentration dependent root growth inhibition	147
4-methoxycinnamic acid	phytoanticipant in pea plants	151
p-hydroxybenzoic acid	chemo-attractants, influence the host range of the interaction	149
	Present in soluble fraction of young nodules	25
4-hydroxybenzaldehyde	Stimulator of IAA production in Rhizobia	26
	concentration dependent root growth inhibition	147
protocatechuic acid	Stimulator of IAA production in Rhizobia	26
	present in wall bound fraction of nodules	25
	Influence rhizobial growth	64
salicylic acid	Accumulation in alfalfa roots	85
	Exogenous application inhibit indeterminate nodulation	152
	exogenous SA inhibits early nodulation in soybean	154
	auto-regulate nodulation at the step of infection thread formation	153
	Rhizobacteria mediated induced systemic resistance	144
syringic acid	Reported from soybean nodules	150
tannic acid	induced by Rhizobia in rice and resistant to Rhizoctonia	148
vanillic acid	Influence rhizobial growth	64
vanillin	nod gene inducer in peanut	85
vanillyl alcohol	chemo-attractants, influence the host range of the interaction	149
4-O-β-glucosides of p-hydroxybenzoic, protocatechuic and vanillic acids	reported from soybean nodules—act primarily as antioxidants	150
5-O-β-glucoside of gentisic acid, gallic acid and its methyl ester	reported from soybean nodules—act primarily as antioxidants	150

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