Short chain oligogalacturonides induce ethylene production and expression of the gene encoding aminocyclopropane 1-carboxylic acid oxidase in tomato plants

Abstract

Oligogalacturonic acids (OGAs), derived from plant cell wall pectin, have been implicated in a number of signal transduction pathways involved in growth, development and defense responses of higher plants. This study investigates the size range of OGAs capable of inducing ethylene synthesis in tomato plants, and demonstrates that in contrast with many other effects, only short chain OGAs are active. Oligomers across a range of DP from 2-15 were separated and purified to homogeneity by QAE-Sephadex anion exchange chromatography using a novel elution system. The OGAs were applied to tomato plants and assayed for their ability to induce ethylene gas release and changes in steady state levels of mRNA encoding the ethylene forming enzyme aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid oxidase (ACO). The study demonstrated that only OGAs in the size range of DP4-6 were active both in eliciting ACO expression and in the production of ethylene.

Defense Responses in Aspen with Altered Pectin Methylesterase Activity Reveal the Hormonal Inducers of Tyloses

“…Deesterification of HG in PtxtPME1-up-regulated lines (Siedlecka et al, 2008) would make this polymer more susceptible to endogenous polygalacturonases and pectate lyases, leading to an increase in the formation of deesterified oligogalacturonides known as DAMP signals, which trigger downstream hormonal pathways (Simpson et al, 1998;Denoux et al, 2008;Galletti et al, 2008;Wolf et al, 2014;Benedetti et al, 2015). A high level of HG methylesterification in the PtxtPME1-down-regulated lines, on the other hand, could decrease cellular adhesion and cell wall rigidity (Siedlecka et al, 2008), and this might trigger mechanosensing responses.…”

Abscisic Acid Deficiency Causes Changes in Cuticle Permeability and Pectin Composition That Influence Tomato Resistance to Botrytis cinerea

“…OGAs with a degree of polymerization between 9 and 15 are potent inducers of plant defense responses (Mathieu et al, 1991;Bellincampi et al, 1993;Cô té and Hahn 1994), although smaller pectin fragments have some bioactivity (Boudart et al, 1995;Simpson et al, 1998;Moerschbacher et al, 1999). As the degree of methylesterification in epidermal cell Figure 5.…”

PAMP Signaling in Plant Innate Immunity

“…The OG oligomers with a degree of polymerization (DP) between 9 and 15 have been shown to be most potent inducers of defense responses in several plants Aziz et al 2004 ;Moscatiello et al 2006 ;Huang et al 2007). However, in some reports, small-sized oligomers have also been shown to induce the accumulation of protease inhibitor proteins and ethylene synthesis in tomato involved in defense responses, while larger oligomers were ineffective (Simpson et al 1998 ). The formation of a Ca…”