Oligoglucoside elicitor-mediated activation of plant defense.
Plants have acquired defense mechanisms to counteract potential pathogens. One such strategy involves inducible defense reactions that are activated by elicitors, signaling compounds of diverse nature. For one class of elicitors, oligoglucosides, recent developments in the characterization and isolation of an oligoclucan-binding protein, a putative elicitor receptor, and isolation of a cDNA that encodes the binding protein are discussed. Furthermore, the discovery of a role for calcium in the elicitation process is described. Finally, the identification of polymerase chain reaction products whose sequences indicate that they encode cytochrome P-450-dependent enzymes with possible roles in the formation of phytoalexins, antimicrobial plant defense compounds, is reported. These advances may lay the foundation for the first characterization of a receptor and subsequent signaling events in oligoglucan elicitor perception by higher plants.
Ebel
J
J
Botanisches Institut, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Germany.
D001665:Binding Sites; D002240:Carbohydrate Sequence; D002352:Carrier Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D037102:Lectins; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009844:Oligosaccharides / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000096:biosynthesis; D018521:Plant Physiological Phenomena; D010940:Plant Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D012717:Sesquiterpenes; D015398:Signal Transduction; D013729:Terpenes; D000094162:Phytoalexins
D002352:Carrier Proteins; D037102:Lectins; D009844:Oligosaccharides; D010936:Plant Extracts; D010940:Plant Proteins; D012717:Sesquiterpenes; D013729:Terpenes; C037937:glucan-binding proteins; D000094162:Phytoalexins