Molecular Basis of Silicon-Mediated Plant Defense: Transporters, Cell Wall Integrity, Redox-Hormone Crosstalk, and Epigenetic Priming.

Silicon-mediated plant defense is linked to Lsi-type Si uptake, cell-wall deposition, redox buffering, and hormone signaling, with proposed models for soluble-Si and Si-NPs.

• Why it matters: The molecular mechanism of how silicon regulates defense and plant–microbe–soil interactions in the rhizosphere remains unclear, limiting targeted breeding and climate-resilience strategies.
• What they did: The review synthesizes evidence on Si-uptake via Lsi-type transporters, effects on cell wall integrity and ROS buffering, and Si-nanomaterial signaling via vesicle-mediated uptake, corona formation, ROS bursts, FERONIA-like receptor activation, Ca2+ channels, and JA/SA signaling.
• The result: It summarizes Si-associated chromatin and siRNAs and how stress-linked DNA methylation changes may support stress memory and defense priming, informing molecular breeding frameworks for climate-resilient crops.