Exogenous application of pectin triggers stomatal closure and immunity in Arabidopsis

Pectin has been extensively studied in animal immunity, and exogenous pectin as a food additive can provide protection against inflammatory bowel disease. However, the utility of pectin to improve immunity in plants is still unstudied. Here, we found exogenous application of pectin triggered stomatal closure in Arabidopsis in a dose‐ and time‐dependent manner. Additionally, pectin activated peroxidase and nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH) oxidase to produce reactive oxygen species (ROS), which subsequently increased cytoplasmic Ca2+ concentration ([Ca2+]cyt) and was followed by nitric oxide (NO) production, leading to stomatal closure in an abscisic acid (ABA) and salicylic acid (SA) signalling‐dependent mechanism. Furthermore, pectin enhanced the disease resistance to Pseudomonas syringae pv. tomato DC3000 (Pst DC3000) with mitogen‐activated protein kinases (MPKs) MPK3/6 activated and upregulated expression of defence‐responsive genes in Arabidopsis. These results suggested that exogenous pectin‐induced stomatal closure was associated with ROS and NO production regulated by ABA and SA signalling, contributing to defence against Pst DC3000 in Arabidopsis. Exogenous pectin enhanced immunity to Pseudomonas syringae pv. tomato DC3000 in Arabidopsis, along with stomatal closure, mitogen‐activated protein kinases activation, and defence‐responsive genes’ expression.