Jj. Alarcon et M. Malone, THE INFLUENCE OF PLANT-AGE ON WOUND INDUCTION OF PROTEINASE-INHIBITORS IN TOMATO, Physiologia Plantarum, 95(3), 1995, pp. 423-427
Proteinase inhibitors can be induced by wounding in shoots of tomato (
Lycopersicon esculentum [L.] Mill. cv. Moneymaker). These inhibitors a
re toxic to insects, but their ecological importance is not clear. Pub
lished work suggests that proteinase inhibitors may be wound-inducible
in tomato only while the plants are young (less than 30 days). In the
present investigation the influence of plant age on wound-inducible p
roteinase inhibitor was re-assessed using tomato plants grown in an ou
tdoor polythene tunnel, with natural lighting and without supplementar
y heat. In contrast to previous findings, proteinase inhibitor was sho
wn to be induced by wounding in plants of all ages. However, the syste
mic efficacy of wounds was much reduced in mature plants, possibly bec
ause such plants have outgrown the range of the wound-signalling syste
m.