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Plant and Cell Physiology, 2003, Vol. 44, No. 8 803-810
© 2003 Oxford University Press

Exopolysaccharides Produced by Plant Pathogenic Bacteria Affect Ascorbate Metabolism in Nicotiana tabacum

Maria C. de Pinto1, Paola Lavermicocca2, Antonio Evidente3, Maria M. Corsaro4, Silvia Lazzaroni3 and Laura De Gara1,5,6

1 Dipartimento di Biologia e Patologia Vegetale, Università degli Studi di Bari, Via E. Orabona 4, I-70125 Bari, Italy
2 Istituto di Scienze delle Produzioni Alimentari (ISPA), Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (CNR), Viale Einaudi 51, I-70125 Bari, Italy
3 Dipartimento di Scienze del Suolo, della Pianta e dell’Ambiente, Università di Napoli Federico II, Via Università 100, I-80055 Portici, Italy
4 Dipartimento di Chimica Organica e Biochimica, Università di Napoli Federico II, Complesso Universitario Monte S. Angelo, Via Cinthia 4, I-80126 Napoli, Italy
5 Interdisciplinary Center for Biomedical Research (CIR), Università Campus Biomedico, Via Longoni 83, I-00155 Roma, Italy

The role of the exopolysaccharides (EPSs) produced by plant pathogenic bacteria has not completely clarified, they are considered either molecules able to avoid or delay the activation of plant defences, or acting as signal in the plant–pathogen cross-talk. In order to understand whether EPSs are recognized by infected plant cells and are able to induce the activation of plant defence responses, their capability to induce metabolic alteration in tobacco cells has been analysed. The results indicate that several EPSs, even if not chemically related, induce increases in phenylalanine ammonia-lyase, a marker enzyme of defence responses of plants against stress; but others are completely ineffective. The EPSs affecting phenylalanine ammonia-lyase also induce an increase in hydrogen peroxide production. Moreover, they alter the metabolism of ascorbate, another parameter indicative of the presence of stress conditions and the involvement of which in the hypersensitive reaction has been recently reported. The possibility that specific EPSs could act as signals in the plant–pathogenic bacteria interaction is discussed.

6 Corresponding author: E-mail, degara{at}botanica.uniba.it; Fax, +39-080-5442155.


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