Timing of Changes in Protein Synthesis Pattern in Elicitor-Treated Cell Suspension Cultures of Parsley ( Petroselinum crispum)

Abstract

Abstract The timing of changes in the protein synthesis pattern of elicitor-treated, [35S]methionine-labelled parsley cells (Petroselinum crispum) was analyzed by two-dimensional gel electropho­ resis. Five groups were distinguished from a large number of elicitor-responsive as well as un­ responsive proteins. Two groups were synthesized de novo either early or late after elicitor ap­ plication; two other groups were strongly reduced in their rates of synthesis either early or late after elicitor application; and one group was not appreciably affected at all. The elicitor-in-duced changes altered the total protein com position considerably. A few selected, induced pro­ teins were functionally identified. These included two early induced enzymes, phenylalanine amm onia-lyase (PAL) and 4-coum arate:C oA ligase (4C L), and a late induced enzyme, a ber-gaptol O-methyltransferase (BM T) which is specifically involved in the biosynthesis of furano-coumarin phytoalexins. The biological significance of the observed differential timing of changes in protein synthesis rates is discussed.