Oligosaccharides as signals for plant defensive genes

  • C. A. Ryan
Chapter
Part of the Beltsville Symposia in Agricultural Research book series (BSAR, volume 12)

Abstract

Fragments of fungal and plant cell walls including β-glucans, chitin and chitosan fragments and oligogalacturonides have been shown by a number of researchers to act as signals to activate plant defensive responses. Oligogalacturonide fragments can be generated from plant cell walls by the action of PGases and PC-lyases secreted by fungi and bacteria, and by PGases already present in plants. Our research on the role of oligouronide fragments in the wound induction of proteinase inhibitor genes in leaves of tomato plants has shown that α-1,4-oligouronides as small as the dimer can activate these genes. The unsaturated dimer, a product of PC-lyase, is also a potent inducer of proteinase inhibitor genes. The role of oligosaccharides as possible systemic signals in activating transcription of proteinase inhibitor genes for defense against insects is discussed.

Keywords

Plant Cell Wall Galacturonic Acid Fungal Cell Wall Tomato Leave Cell Wall Fragment 
These keywords were added by machine and not by the authors. This process is experimental and the keywords may be updated as the learning algorithm improves.
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Copyright information

© Kluwer Academic Publishers 1988

Authors and Affiliations

  • C. A. Ryan
    • 1
  1. 1.Institute of Biological ChemistryWashington State UniversityPullmanUSA

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