Abstract.
Treatment of tomato plants (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.) with fusicoccin (FC), an activator of the plasma-membrane H+-ATPase which maintains an electrochemical gradient across the plasma membrane, resulted in a dose-dependent accumulation of transcripts for intra- and extracellular pathogenesis-related (PR) proteins. The accumulation of PR protein transcripts was paralleled by an increase in leaf salicylic acid (SA) content. Transcripts of PR proteins and SA started to accumulate 3 h after FC treatment. 2-Aminoindan-2-phosphonic acid, an inhibitor of SA synthesis, was used to assess the role of SA in FC-mediated induction of PR gene expression. 2-Aminoindan-2-phosphonic acid was found to suppress the accumulation of SA but not the induction of PR gene expression in response to FC treatment. Furthermore, in transgenic tobacco plants overexpressing a bacterial salicylate hydroxylase gene (nahG-tobacco), PR transcripts accumulated after FC treatment to levels similar to those observed in control tobacco plants. The data indicate a role for the proton gradient across the plasma membrane in the SA-independent induction of PR gene expression.
Article PDF
Similar content being viewed by others
Avoid common mistakes on your manuscript.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
Received: 26 May 1999 / Accepted: 3 September 1999
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Schaller, A., Roy, P. & Amrhein, N. Salicylic acid-independent induction of pathogenesis-related gene expression by fusicoccin. Planta 210, 599–606 (2000). https://doi.org/10.1007/s004250050049
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s004250050049