Innate immunity in Arabidopsis thaliana: lipopolysaccharides activate nitric oxide synthase (NOS) and induce defense genes.

ABSTRACT: Lipopolysaccharides (LPS) are cell-surface components of Gram-negative bacteria and are microbe-/pathogen-associated molecular patterns in animal pathosystems. As for plants, the molecular mechanisms of signal transduction in response to LPS are not known. Here, we show that Arabidopsis thaliana reacts to LPS with a rapid burst of NO, a hallmark of innate immunity in animals. Fifteen LPS preparations (among them Burkholderia cepacia, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Erwinia carotovora) as well as lipoteichoic acid from Gram-positive Staphylococcus aureus were found to trigger NO production in suspension-cultured Arabidopsis cells as well as in leaves. NO was detected by confocal laser-scanning microscopy in conjunction with the fluorophore 4-amino-5-methylamino-2',7'-difluorofluorescein diaceta

SUBMITTER: Zeidler D 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC524824 | biostudies-literature | 2004 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature