title: Specific perception of ergosterol by plant cells.
abstract: Ergosterol (a fungal membrane component) induced modification of proton fluxes and membrane hyperpolarization in motor cells of Mimosa pudica. These reactions appear specific since they were not induced by the other sterols tested. A specific desensitization was observed, since cells did not react to a second ergosterol application. Exposed at first to other sterols, cells remained reactive to ergosterol. Comparatively, chitosan (a fungal wall component with known elicitor properties) triggered a membrane depolarization and also induced specific desensitization. This comparative study shows that ergosterol and chitosan are distinctly perceived by plant cells and induced different early events at the plasma membrane level.
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire de biochimie, physiologie et biologie moléculaire végétales, UMR CNRS 6161, université de Poitiers, Bât. Botanique, 40, av. du Recteur-Pineau, 86022 Poitiers, France.
authors.forename: Bénigne-Ernest
authors.initials: BE
authors.lastname: Amborabé
authors.forename: Stéphanie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Rossard
authors.forename: Jean-Michel
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Pérault
authors.forename: Gabriel
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Roblin
mesh_terms: D002462:Cell Membrane / Q000187:drug effects; D002686:Chitin / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000494:pharmacology; D048271:Chitosan; D004875:Ergosterol / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D008564:Membrane Potentials / Q000187:drug effects; D031298:Mimosa / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000254:growth & development / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D002686:Chitin; D048271:Chitosan; D004875:Ergosterol