ELICITOR INDUCTION OF ENZYME-ACTIVITIES AND 6-METHOXYMELLEIN PRODUCTION IN CARROT CELL-SUSPENSION CULTURE

Fusarium moniliforme endo-polygalacturonase and an elicitor preparatio n derived from the cell walls of Phythophthora megasperma induced in c arrot cell suspension cultures both the accumulation of the carrot phy toalexin, 6-methoxymellein (6-MM), and the activity of 6-hydroxymellei n O-methyltransferase (6-HM O-MT), an enzyme which specifically methyl ates the C-6-hydroxyl group in 6-hydroxymellein (6-HM) to give 6-MM. T hese fungal elicitors also stimulated a marked increase of phenylalani ne ammonia-lyase (PAL) activity without affecting chalcone synthase (C HS) activity. A constitutive caffeic acid O-methyltransferase activity was identified in the same cultured carrot cells.