Submitted to: Free Radicals in Biology and Medicine
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: November 20, 1999
Publication Date: N/A
Technical Abstract:
When plant cells come into contact with bacterial pathogens, a transient burst of reactive oxygen is produced concurrent with other metabolic responses associated with recognition. Recently we described a respiratory response, in the plant cells, in which the oxygen uptake rate increased 2 to 3 fold over the basal rate after treatment with heat-killed bacteria. Here we describe a similar phenomenon in the bacterial cells. Upon contact with heat-killed plant cells, plant tissue, or soluble fractions thereof, bacterial suspensions increased their oxygen uptake rate up to 10 fold within 3 to 4 min. The response was proportional to the amount of plant extract added. The elicitor-active proteinase stable. The response is inhibited by electron transport chain inhibitors, such as KCN, but is not affected by K-252, a plant and animal protein kinase inhibitor that blocks the plant respiratory response mentioned above. The differential inhibition by K252 demonstrates that a significant portion, 10 - 20% of the plant-bacterial respiratory response is due to the bacterial pathogen.
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