Hormone defense networking in rice: tales from a different world

Recent advances in plant immunity research underpin the pivotal role of small-molecule hormones in regulating the plant defense signaling network. Although most of our understanding comes from studies of dicot plants such as Arabidopsis thaliana, new studies in monocots are providing additional insights into the defense-regulatory role of phytohormones. Here, we review the roles of both classical and more recently identified stress hormones in regulating immunity in the model monocot rice (Oryza sativa) and highlight the importance of hormone crosstalk in shaping the outcome of rice–pathogen interactions. We also propose a defense model for rice that does not support a dichotomy between the pathogen lifestyle and the effectiveness of the archetypal defense hormones salicylic acid (SA) and jasmonic acid (JA).