Oxidative burst and cell death induced by b-quercinin and zoospores of Phytophthora quercina in tobacco cell cultures

Abstract

Mode of action of β-quercinin, a novel elicitin on tobacco cell suspension cultures (cvs. Bel B and Bel W3) was investigated by measuring the oxidative burst and cell death in these cell cultures. β-quercinin induced an oxidative burst comparable to that excited by zoospores from P. quercina. Adding superoxidedismutase, catalase and diphenyleneiodonium to elicited cell cultures, it could be demonstrated, that the induction of cell death in tobacco cell cultures is not correlated to the oxidative burst.

Keywords

• p. quercina
• elicitins
• tobacco
• oxidative burst
• cell death