Ultraviolet-B radiation co-opts defense signaling pathways

Plants in the field exposed to ambient solar ultraviolet-B (UV-B) radiation (280–320 nm) often show an increased resistance to herbivorous insects compared with control plants grown under filters that exclude the UV-B component of solar radiation. This corresponds with a significant overlap in gene expression between the UV-B and the wounding/herbivory response. Furthermore, wound-responsive signaling components such as mitogen-activated protein kinases are activated by UV-B. A mechanistic explanation for these overlaps might be that UV-B co-opts cell surface receptors for defense signals such as systemin and oligosaccharide elicitors in a ligand-independent manner.