title: Protein Phosphorylation Is Induced in Tobacco Cells by the Elicitor Cryptogein.
abstract: Changes in plasmalemma ion fluxes were observed when tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum) cells were treated with cryptogein, a proteinaceous elicitor from Phytophthora cryptogea. A strong alkalization of the culture medium, accompanied by a leakage of potassium, was induced within a few minutes of treatment. These effects reached a maximum after 30 to 40 min and lasted for several hours. This treatment also resulted in a rapid, but transient, production of activated oxygen species. All these physiological responses were fully sensitive to staurosporine, a known protein kinase inhibitor. Furthermore, a study of protein phosphorylation showed that cryptogein induced a staurosporine-sensitive phosphorylation of several polypeptides. These data suggest that phosphorylated proteins may be essential for the transduction of elicitor signals.
authors.affiliation: Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique, Universite de Bourgogne, Laboratoire de Phytopharmacie Phytobiologie Cellulaire, BV 1540 21034 Dijon Cedex, France (M.-P.V., F.M., A.P.J.-P.B.).
authors.forename: M. P.
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Viard
authors.forename: F.
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Martin
authors.forename: A.
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pugin
authors.forename: P.
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Ricci
authors.forename: J. P.
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Blein