Animal cell-death suppressors Bcl-x(L) and Ced-9 inhibit cell death in tobacco plants.
In plants, events similar to programmed cell death have been reported [1] [2], although little is known of their mechanisms at the molecular level. To investigate the mechanism(s) involved, we overexpressed bcl-x(L), which encodes a mammalian suppressor of programmed cell death, in tobacco plants, under the control of a strong promoter [3]. In plants expressing Bcl-x(L), cell death induced by UV-B irradiation, paraquat treatment or the hypersensitive reaction (HR) to tobacco mosaic virus (TMV) infection was suppressed. The extent of suppression of cell death depended on the amount of Bcl-x(L) protein expressed. Similar enhanced resistance to cell death was found in transgenic tobacco plants overexpressing the ced-9 gene, a Caenorhabditis elegans homolog of bcl-x(L) [4], indicating that Bcl-x(L) and Ced-9 can function to inhibit cell death in plants.
Department of Molecular Genetics, National Institute of Agrobiological Resources, 2-1-2 Kannondai, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8602, Japan.
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Mitsuhara
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Malik
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Miura
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Ohashi
D051017:Apoptosis Regulatory Proteins; D029742:Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins; D016923:Cell Death / Q000187:drug effects*; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D015801:Helminth Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D006540:Herbicides / Q000494:pharmacology; D006967:Hypersensitivity / Q000235:genetics; D010269:Paraquat / Q000494:pharmacology; D010641:Phenotype; D030821:Plants, Genetically Modified; D010947:Plants, Toxic; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D013696:Temperature; D013997:Time Factors; D014026:Nicotiana / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology*; D014466:Ultraviolet Rays; D051020:bcl-X Protein
D051017:Apoptosis Regulatory Proteins; D029742:Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins; C087233:Ced-9 protein, C elegans; D015801:Helminth Proteins; D006540:Herbicides; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2; D051020:bcl-X Protein; D010269:Paraquat