J. Messiaen et P. Vancutsem, DEFENSE GENE-TRANSCRIPTION IN CARROT CELLS TREATED WITH OLIGOGALACTURONIDES, Plant and Cell Physiology, 34(7), 1993, pp. 1117-1123
In vitro nuclear run-off transcription has been used to monitor transc
riptional activation of defense-related genes in carrot cell suspensio
ns challenged with oligogalacturonide elicitors. The response of the c
ells depended on the size and the conformation of the elicitors. Only
oligogalacturonides with a degree of polymerization (DP) greater than
9 in a calcium-induced conformation triggered a massive accumulation o
f RNA transcripts. Polygalacturonic acid had only a small effect on ge
ne activation. Oligomers with a DP<9 did not induce RNA polymerase act
ivity associated with defense gene sequences.