Hydroxycinnamic Acid Amides Emerge as Multifunctional Molecules Involved in Regeneration and Volatile Signalling During Wound Responses.

Elevated HCAAs in tomato enhance structural reinforcement, redox balance, regeneration, and volatile signalling during wound responses.

• Why it matters: Understanding how plants coordinate local and systemic responses to mechanical injury can improve strategies for crop resilience and healing, yet the role of HCAAs in these processes remains unclear.
• What they did: Using a 35S::THT overexpression system in tomato, researchers profiled metabolites, gene expression, and VOCs, revealing higher HCAAs levels and associated structural and redox changes after wounding.
• The result: Higher HCAAs levels correlated with improved tissue regeneration, increased structural defenses, redox modulation, and emission of wound-responsive VOCs capable of priming defence in neighboring plants.