Acetate-mediated novel survival strategy against drought in plants ($)

Kim et al. explored the molecular basis for the drought tolerance previously observed for mutants of histone deacetylase HDA6. They observed that genes involved in acetate production are upregulated in hda6 mutants and in drought-stressed plants. Furthermore, acetate biosynthesis mutants are more sensitive to drought, indicating a role for acetate in drought tolerance. Finally, they showed that applying low concentrations of acetic acid to various plants enhanced their tolerance to drought. Their data suggest that this effect is mediated through the jasmonic acid signaling network. Nature Plants 10.1038/nplants.2017.97