Role of abscisic acid-mediated stomatal closure in responses to pathogens in plants

In terrestrial plants, stomata in the leaf epidermis formed by guard cells are the major pathways for gas exchange. However, opened stomata also provide a major channel for pathogen entry. At the pre-invasive stage, plants actively close stomata to prevent pathogen attack, which is termed stomatal immunity, and plant hormones are involved in this process. Here, we summarize recent advances in the role of abscisic acid (ABA) in promoting stomatal immunity to prevent pathogen entry. Additionally, salicylic acid shares common downstream elements with ABA to promote stomatal immunity, whereas reactive oxygen species and Ca2+ act as critical signals to cross-talk with ABA signalling to regulate stomatal movement, and they also enhance the effect of ABA in stomatal immunity. On the other hand, at the post-invasive stage, closed stomata create a water-soaked environment that allows pathogen multiplication, and ABA signalling is hijacked by pathogens to reduce stomatal aperture. Here, we propose a model of dual roles of ABA-mediated stomatal closure during plant-pathogen interaction and offer emerging consequences and questions for ABA-mediated stomatal immunity.