title: Effect of Intracellular Glutathione Level on the Production of 6-Methoxymellein in Cultured Carrot (Daucus carota) Cells.
abstract: To produce phytoalexin, 6-methoxymellein (6-MM) was induced in suspension cultures of carrot (Daucus carota) by buthionine sulfoximine (BSO) and CuCl2. Addition of BSO (a specific inhibitor of glutathione [GSH] synthesis) to the cultures lowered the cellular GSH levels. This depletion of GSH was BSO-concentration dependent, and the extent of 6-MM accumulation was dependent on the GSH depletion. The accumulation of 6-MM induced by BSO was suppressed by exogenous GSH. Exogenous H2O2 stimulated the production of 6-MM when added 1 d after BSO treatment, whereas H2O2 added at time zero or on the 4th d of BSO treatment did not. Moreover, a synergistic effect of simultaneous addition of BSO and CuCl2 was observed. These results suggest that active oxygen species may be involved in the triggering of 6-MM synthesis.
authors.affiliation: Yamazaki Laboratory, PCC Technology Inc., 1-1-1 Wakayamadai, Shimamoto-cho, Mishima-gun, Osaka 618, Japan.
authors.forename: Zj.
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Guo
authors.forename: S.
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Nakagawara
authors.forename: K.
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Sumitani
authors.forename: Y.
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ohta