Open AccessRapid activation by fungal elicitor of genes encoding “pathogenesis-related” proteins in cultured parsley cells
Author(s) -
Imre E. Somssich,
Elmon Schmelzer,
Joachim Bollmann,
Klaus Hahlbrock
Publication year - 1986
Publication title -
proceedings of the national academy of sciences of the united states of america
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 5.011
H-Index - 771
eISSN - 1091-6490
pISSN - 0027-8424
DOI - 10.1073/pnas.83.8.2427
Subject(s) - elicitor , biology , pathogenesis related protein , phytoalexin , gene , phytophthora megasperma , transcription (linguistics) , plasmid , complementary dna , protein biosynthesis , microbiology and biotechnology , gene expression , coding region , biochemistry , linguistics , philosophy , resveratrol
Administration of a cell-wall preparation from the fungusPhytophthora megasperma f. sp.glycinea , which acts as an elicitor of phytoalexin production in cell suspension cultures of parsley (Petroselinum crispum ), also results in a rapid and dramatic increase in the relative amounts of mRNAs coding for a number of small proteins having low isoelectric points. According to various operational criteria, the translation products are classified as “pathogenesis-related” (PR) proteins. Here we report that the cDNA inserts of two pBR322-derived plasmids, pcPR1 and pcPR2, are homologous to mRNAs coding for one (PR1) and three (PR2) of these proteins in hybrid-selectedin vitro translation experiments. Nuclear run-off transcription studies show that activation of the corresponding genes is extremely rapid; we observed a 4-fold increase in the transcription rate of the PR1 gene within 5 min and a 3-fold increase for the PR2 gene within 20 min following elicitation. Subsequent increases in the amounts of PR1 and PR2 mRNAs indicate that regulation of PR protein synthesis occurs at the transcriptional level.