Abstract
Active defense of plants against fungal or bacterial pathogens often involves the rapid death of cells in intimate contact with the invading microorganism. Accompanying this so-called hypersensitive response (HR) are rapid localized changes in host metabolism which lead to the synthesis of potential defensive barriers; these include the accumulation of low Mr antimicrobial compounds termed phytoalexins, the deposition of phenolic material and hydroxyproline-rich glycoproteins (HRGPs) in the host cell wall, and the synthesis of hydrolytic enzymes. The exact relationship between the HR and phytoalexin accumulation is still somewhat vague; in some systems, hypersensitive cell death appears to be a pre-requisite for induction and accumulation of phytoalexins in neighboring healthy cells (Bailey 1982), whereas phytoalexin synthesis can be initiated in suspension cultured cells in the absence of serious effects on cell viability (Hamdan and Dixon 1986). It is, however, well documented that molecules from plant pathogenic fungi have the ability to induce both hypersensitive-type cell necrosis and/or phytoalexin accumulation in plant cells. These so-called elicitors often originate from the fungal cell wall.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Preview
Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.
References
An G, Mitra A, Choi MK, Costa MA, An K, Thornburg RW and Ryan, CA (1989). Functional analysis of the 3’ control region of the potato wound-inducible proteinase inhibitor II gene. The plant Cell 1, 115–122.
Bailey JA (1982). Physiological and biochemical events associated with expression of resistance to disease. In: Active Defense Mechanisms in Plants, ed R.K.S. Wood, Plenum Press, New York, pp 39–65.
Barz W, Daniel S, Hinderer W, Jaques U, Kessmann H, Koster J, Otto C and Tiemann K (1988). Elicitation and metabolism of phytoalexins in plant cell cultures. In: Application of Plant Cell and Tissue Culture, Ciba Foundation Symp. No. 137, Wiley, Chichester, pp 178–198.
Bolwell GP, Cramer CL, Lamb CJ, Schuch W and Dixon RA (1986). L-phenylalanine ammonia-lyase from Phaseolus vulgaris: Modulation of the levels of active enzyme by trans-cinnamic acid. Planta 169, 97–107.
Bolwell GP, Mavandad M, Millar DJ, Edwards KJ, Schuch W and Dixon RA (1988). Inhibition of mRNA levels and activities by trans-cinnamic acid in elicitor-induced bean cells. Phytochemistry 27, 2109–2117.
Cosio EG, Popperl H, Schmidt W and Ebel J (1988). High-affinity binding of fungal ß-glucan fragments to soybean (Glycine max L.) microsomal fractions and protoplasts. Eur. J. Biochem. 175, 309–315.
Dalkin K, Edwards R, Edington B and Dixon RA (1989). Defense responses in alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) I. Elicitor induction of phenylpropanoid biosynthesis and hydrolytic enzymes in cell suspension cultures. Plant Physiol., submitted.
Darvill AG and Albersheim P (1984). Phytoalexins and their elicitors a defense against microbial infection in plants. Ann. Rev. Plant Physiol., 35, 243–298.
Davis KR, Darvill AG and Albersheim P (1986). Host-pathogen interactions XXXI. Several biotic and abiotic elicitors act synergistically in the induction of phytoalexin accumulation in soybean. Plant Mol. Biol., 6, 23–32.
Davis KR and Hahlbrock K (1987). Induction of defense responses in cultured parsley cells by plant cell wall fragments. Plant Physiol. 85, 1286–1290.
Dixon RA (1986). The phytoalexin response: elicitation, signalling and the control of host gene expression. Biol. Rev. 61, 239–291.
Dixon RA, Blyden ER, Robbins MP, van Tunen AJ and Mol JNM (1988). Comparative biochemistry of chalcone isomerases. Phytochemistry, 27, 2801–2808.
Dixon RA, Dey PM and Lamb CJ (1983a). Phytoalexins: enzymology and molecular biology. Adv. Enzymol. Rel. Areas Mol. Biol. 53, 1–136.
Dixon RA, Dey PM, Lawton MA and Lamb CJ (1983b). Phytoalexin induction in French bean. Intracellular transmission of elicitation in cell suspension cultures and hypocotyl sections of Phaseolus vulgaris. Plant Physiol. 71, 251–256.
Dixon RA, Dey PM, Murphy DL and Whitehead IM (1981). Dose response for Colletotrichum lindemuthianum elicitor-mediated enzyme induction in French bean cell suspension cultures. Planta 151, 272–280.
Dixon RA and Harrison MJ (1989). Activation, structure and organization of genes involved in microbial defense in plants. Adv. Genetics, in press.
Dixon RA, Harrison MJ, Lawton MA, Jenkins S and Lamb CJ (1989a). Defense gene transcription factors. J. Cell Biochem. Suppl. 13D, 247.
Dixon RA, Jennings AC, Davies La, Gerrish C and Murphy DL (1989b). Elicitor-active components from French bean hypocotyls. Physiol. Mol. Plant Pathol. 34, 99–115.
Dixon RA and Lamb CJ (1989). Regulation of secondary metabolism at the biochemical and genetic levels. Ann. Proc. Phytochem. Soc. Europe, in press.
Dron M, Clouse SD, Dixon RA, Lawton MA and Lamb CJ (1988). Glutathione and fungal elicitor regulation of a plant defense gene promoter in electroporated protoplasts. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 85, 6738–6742.
Hamdan MAMS and Dixon RA (1986). Differential biochemical effects of elicitor preparations from Colletotrichum lindemuthianum. Physiol. Mol. Plant Pathol. 28, 329–344.
Hamdan MAMS and Dixon RA (1987a). Differential patterns of protein synthesis in bean cells exposed to elicitor fractions from Colletotrichum lindemuthianum. Physiol. Mol. Plant Pathol. 31, 105–121.
Hamdan MAMS and Dixon RA (1987b). Fractionation and properties of elicitors of the phenylpropanoid pathway from culture filtrates of Colletotrichum lindemuthianum. Physiol. Mol. Plant Pathol. 31, 91–103.
Kurosaki R, Tsurusawa Y and Nishi A (1987). The elicitation of phytoalexins by Ca2+ and cyclic AMP in carrot cells. Phytochemistry 26, 1919–1923.
Lamb CJ, Lawton MA, Dron M and Dixon RA (1989). Signals and transduction mechanisms for activation of plant defenses against microbial attack. Cell 56, 215–224.
Lawton MA, Dixon RA and Lamb CJ (1980). Elicitor modulation of the turnover of L-phenylalanine ammonia-lyase in French bean cell suspension cultures. Biochem. Biophys. Acta 633, 162–175.
Lawton MA, Kragh K, Jenkins SM, Harrison MJ, Yu L, Dron M, Dixon RA and Lamb CJ (1989). Multiple binding sites for nuclear factors are present in the silencer region of the promoter for the bean chalcone synthase gene. EMBO J., submitted.
Lawton MA and Lamb CJ (1987). Transcriptional activation of plant defense genes by fungal elicitor, wounding and infection. Mol. Cell Biol. 7, 335–341.
Liang X, Dron M, Schmidt J, Dixon RA and Lamb CJ (1989). Developmental and environmental regulation of a phenylalanine ammonia-lyase: ß-glucuronidase gene fusion in transgenic tobacco plants. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci USA, submitted.
Lois R, Dietrich A and Hahlbrock K (1989). A phenylalanine ammonia-lyase gene from parsley: structure, regulation and identification of elicitor and light-responsive cis-acting elements. EMBO J. 8, 1641–1648.
Lynn DG, Chen RH, Mannings KS and Wood HN (1987). The structural characterization of endogenous factors from Vinca rosea crown gall tumors that promote cell division of tobacco cells. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA, 84, 615–619.
Schmidt WE and Ebel J (1987). Specific binding of a fungal glucan phytoalexin elicitor to membrane fractions from soybean Glycine max. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA, 84, 4117–4121.
Stab MR and Ebel J (1987). Effects of Ca2+ on phytoalexin induction by fungal elicitor in soybean cells. Arch. Biochem. Biophys. 257, 416–423.
Tepper CS, Albert FG and Anderson AJ (1989). Differential mRNA accumulation in three cultivars of bean in response to elicitors from Colletotrichum lindemuthianum. Physiol. Mol. Plant Pathol. 34, 85–98.
Thornburg RW, An G, Cleveland TE, Johnson R and Ryan CA (1987). Wound-inducible expression of a potato inhibitor II - chloramphenicol acetyltransferase gene fusion in transgenic tobacco plants. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA, 84, 744–748.
Walter MH, Grima-Pettenati J, Grand C, Boudet AM and Lamb CJ (1988). Cinnamyl alcohol dehydrogenase, a molecular marker specific for lignin synthesis: cDNA cloning and mRNA induction by fungal elicitor. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA, 85, 5546–5550.
Weising K, Schell J and Kahl G (1988). Foreign genes in plants: transfer, structure, expression, and applications. Annu. Rev. Genet., 22, 421–477.
Wingate VPM, Lawton MA and Lamb CJ (1988). Glutathione causes a massive and selective induction of plant defense genes. Plant Physiol. 87, 206–210.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 1990 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg
About this paper
Cite this paper
Dixon, R.A. et al. (1990). Elicitors and Defense Gene Activation in Cultured Cells. In: Ranjeva, R., Boudet, A.M. (eds) Signal Perception and Transduction in Higher Plants. NATO ASI Series, vol 47. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-83974-0_22
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-83974-0_22
Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg
Print ISBN: 978-3-642-83976-4
Online ISBN: 978-3-642-83974-0
eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive